y todo lo que tú amas es lo que yo quiero.

My eyes fluttered open lazily at half past eleven this morning. Weekends are heavenly. I raised my blinds: the sun definitely wasn't feeling shy today. Best part? It was the day we would learn from our madre the generational secrets of Paella Valenciana. This sticky rice and meat dish, inundated with freshly cut green beans, artichokes and giant white lima beans, is a symbol of family nostalgia and unity in Valencia. As a Sunday custom, we joined the thousands of households in this city enjoying plates of this colorful meal. Out of all the times I've tried paella over the past four months, I haven't been able to find any that compare with the full flavor or heartiness of Marisa's.

What a perfect Sunday afternoon. Later, I met some good friends for church; the second to last service we'll have here. It's just starting to hit me that I'm going to miss almost everything about this place. In the interest of maintaining my optimism, I'll instead focus on the eleven days I have left in this beautiful, quirky city. This is a part of my life that I'll cherish for decades.