A Postcard From Spain

The highs, the lows, first impressions, and revelations from our first week in Spain

I’m sitting outside at 9:15 p.m. as the sun sets over the valley in Ronda, Spain.

It’s hard to describe just how stunning and peaceful this spot is. (I’ll share the Airbnb link when we leave, as it is glorious.) After a week spent mostly in bigger cities like Barcelona and Seville, the silence and solitude out here feel almost meditative. It’s the recharge I’ve needed.

Today was the first day I felt myself take a deep breath and slow down enough to truly soak in the beauty of this country.

So many of the rewards of travel come after we return home. When we sit down and laugh about the memories we made, relive the beauty we saw, and finally have time to appreciate how the trip actually felt.

We drove more than 20 miles today through rolling hills covered in sunflowers on our way from Seville to Ronda. It was one of those drives where you audibly gasp, pull over to take photos, and can’t quite believe places like this exist in the world.

One of those unexpected, unplanned moments that awakens something inside of you.

It’s hard to believe we’ve only been here for a week because it honestly feels much longer—not in a bad way, but in a “we packed a lot into seven days” kind of way.

On our fourth day in Spain, my 8-year-old asked how many weeks we’d been here. It made me laugh because I completely agreed. It somehow felt like much more than four days.

We’re a little wiped out and very ready for a few days with no plans.

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First Impressions of Spain

Spaniards know how to dress kids (and themselves)

I’ve been sharing this on Instagram all week, but the children’s clothing here is truly the best I’ve found anywhere in the world.

They dress kids—even kids older than six—like actual children, not miniature adults. The style is classic, timeless, and charming, and I’ve had way too much fun shopping.

The adults (especially in Seville) dress beautifully, too. White wide-leg linen pants seem to be the unofficial “it girl” uniform of summer in Spain.

The scenery is incredibly diverse

At times the landscape reminds me of Croatia. Other moments feel like Italy. Then suddenly we’re driving through terrain that looks straight out of Arizona.

Spain is so much larger than many of the countries we’ve visited in recent summers, and I’m honestly in awe of how much variety exists within one country.

It’s stunning.

Those folding flamenco fans

This one is silly, but I always assumed those folding fans were mostly decorative.

Nope.

They’re everywhere, and they’re actually being used. Especially in Seville, you’ll see women walking down the street fanning themselves all day long.

Patterns everywhere

Despite the generally muted color palettes in clothing, there are patterns and colors all around you.

The tilework. The fabrics. The architecture.

Inspiration everywhere.

People speak to our kids, not just about them

This has been one of my favorite observations.

In many places, people will talk to us about our children.

“How old is she?”

“What’s his name?”

Here, people often speak directly to the kids.

They ask them how they liked their meal. What their stuffed animal’s name is. Where they’re from.

It’s a small thing, but it says a lot.

I can see why Spain is considered such a family-friendly country. There are playgrounds in airports, nursing rooms tucked into department store dressing areas, and even stylish high chairs in nicer restaurants.

No one has batted an eye that we’ve shown up with three kids anywhere we’ve gone.

Honestly, that feels rare when traveling.

Dried flowers

A random observation, but dried flower bouquets are everywhere here.

Some of the arrangements are absolutely beautiful.

We especially noticed this in Girona and along the Costa Brava.

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The Highlights So Far

Cooking Class

On our second day in Barcelona, we booked a market tour and cooking class through Airbnb Experiences, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.

We visited the market, then headed back to our host’s apartment to learn how to make seafood paella, sangria, a traditional dessert, and a classic Spanish appetizer.

A 10/10 experience.

Sagrada Familia

Before our trip, we read several books about Gaudí and showed the kids videos of Sagrada Familia.

Nothing prepared them for seeing it in person.

The moment they walked out of the parking garage and looked up, they were completely stunned by the scale of it. Cameras came out immediately, and they spent the next several minutes snapping photos.

It’s been more than a decade since I last visited, and I was just as surprised by its size this time around.

As we were leaving, I asked Isla what she thought.

Her response?

“I loved it.”

Just that, accompanied by the biggest smile.

Flamenco Lessons

One afternoon, Isla and I took a flamenco lesson together, and it was incredibly special.

Not only did we learn a lot about flamenco culture and history, but we spent the entire class smiling and giggling together.

We’re hoping to see a live flamenco performance in Ronda this week.

The Drive from Seville to Ronda

Absolutely stunning and completely unexpected.

It’s officially earned a spot on my list of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever taken.

I’m not exaggerating when I say there were miles and miles of sunflowers in full bloom stretching to the horizon. Golden wheat fields were patchworked between them, and the entire car sat in awe as we all stared out the window.

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Jet Lag

For some reason, jet lag has hit JD and me particularly hard this trip.

It’s only a six-hour time difference, but we’re still trying to adjust. A week in, and I’m still not falling asleep until 1 or 2 a.m.—which is saying something for someone who is normally asleep by 10pm.

Naturally, the kids adjusted almost immediately.

Driving Through Narrow Streets

Part of renting a car in Europe is eventually finding yourself somewhere you absolutely shouldn’t be.

We accidentally ended up on a restricted street once. Oops.

We also found ourselves stuck on a narrow historic road and had to reverse our way back out.

There were a few moments where we felt very, very touristy.

Repacking and Hauling Luggage

Packing once is a chore.

Repacking five people every few days is one of my least favorite activities on earth.

I thought we packed light.

Repacking every few days is proving we did not.

A Relentless Cough

Luca developed a pretty relentless cough on our first day here.

When five people are sharing rooms in tight quarters, one child coughing all night means nobody is sleeping particularly well.

Thankfully, we seem to be on the mend.

We made a trip to the farmacia and picked up a natural children’s cough syrup that the pharmacist absolutely swore by.

It tasted terrible.

It worked wonderfully.

I’m seriously considering bringing a bottle home.

Bouncing Around a Little Too Much

We’ve taken three flights and stayed in four different places over eight nights.

It’s been a little exhausting, if I’m being honest.

But we’ve also seen and experienced so much.

Now we’re ready to slow down.

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Revelations

One of my favorite parts of travel is the perspective it gives me.

When we step outside our normal routines, I learn so much about myself and about our family.

We’re not city people

Don’t get me wrong. We love landmarks, bustling streets, beautiful architecture, and cool shops.

But almost every trip we’ve taken has taught us the same thing:

We prefer being outside the city.

It feels more authentic. More relaxed. More spacious.

Two days in a city feels like the perfect amount of time to see the highlights before heading somewhere with a little more room to breathe.

It’s okay to pivot

One thing we’ve learned from taking longer trips is that itineraries shouldn’t have a death grip on you.

If we’re not loving a place, it’s okay to leave.

If we fall in love with somewhere, it’s okay to stay longer.

So here’s a confession:

We ditched out on our last day in Seville.

Not because we didn’t enjoy it, but because we could tell everyone was getting worn down. The kids were restless in the city apartment, and we knew four consecutive nights in Ronda might be exactly the reset we needed.

And it seems to be.

Our kids have really grown up

On our second day in Barcelona, somewhere around 15,000 steps, JD looked at me and said:

“This is so weird without a stroller.”

And he was right.

For more than a decade, at least one child has needed a stroller on our trips.

Now we’re in a completely different phase.

Less gear.

More independence.

More opinions.

It’s been so fun discovering what travel looks like with bigger kids.

Different, but special in its own way.

We can come back

JD has repeated this phrase dozens of times on this trip:

“We can always come back.”

I want to do everything.

There is so much to see and experience in Spain that it’s easy to feel like every moment needs to be maximized.

But we don’t want to come home exhausted.

We want to come home refreshed.

So when the kids want to spend an afternoon swimming instead of checking another pin off my map, JD gently reminds me:

We can come back.

That simple mindset has helped me let go of the FOMO and enjoy what’s right in front of me.

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A week into Spain, I think the biggest lesson has been that the best parts of travel are rarely the things you can plan.

They’re the sunflower-covered roads you didn’t know existed.

The conversation with a local who takes the time to speak directly to your child.

The extra day you decide not to spend sightseeing.

We’re only about a third of the way through this trip, and already Spain has surprised us in so many ways.

For now, though, I’m content to sit here in the quiet of Ronda, watching the last light disappear behind the hills, grateful that we gave ourselves permission to slow down.

The bucket list will still be there tomorrow.

Tonight, this view is enough.