Entry 07

I’ve often joked about the two contrasting sides of my personality. One is a rowdy little goblin and then there's the serious domestic goddess. My Spotify Wrapped typically reflects this duality, a fusion of hip hop, pop, and club music mixed with a healthy amount of classics by Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick Jr, and various jazz standards.  I can never listen to the playlist Spotify builds to represent my year of music because of the whiplash my ears receive. I love both of these facets of my persona, yet they remain distinct opposites. One craves going out dancing into the early hours of the morning, while the other finds contentment in a trip to the fruit stand to purchase ingredients for a future fall day simmer-pot.

Sundays in Barcelona pose a challenge. Most establishments are closed, adhering to the idea of a day of rest—an aspect I respect but find perplexing with my American mindset wired for grocery shopping and ticking off errands. Adjusting to this reality became necessary. My goblin-self and domesticated-self struck a deal this week: no chores on Fridays and Saturdays, reserving Sunday for genuine rest or perhaps, a reset.

As I sit here typing, the simmer-pot is on the stove. An aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and citrus blankets my apartment. It's a reminder of the arrival of fall, even if the weather stubbornly clings to a consistent 75 degrees (which I absolutely do not mind). My freshly laundered sheets are airing out to dry, which is an all-day affair and especially tricky in my small apartment.

Sunlight floods in, nurturing my palm tree during its weekly visit to my tiny terrace. Ella and Louie are serenading me. The goblin rests while the domestic goddess revels in the completion of chores. Both say goodbye to the week with a smile on their face.