Sometimes, an adventure shifts your perspective and uproots your priorities. For me, that adventure was a road trip through Portugal and Spain in September. I took a short sabbatical from writing to focus on personal development. I am back, and I can’t wait to share my memories on the Andalusian coast with you!

The story begins in Lisbon, Portugal. My friends picked up me up from the airport and we drove down the coast to Milfontes, a charming seaside town. I spent the evening catching up with old friends over the secrets of homemade wine. The next day, we left Milfontes and headed as far south as land would take us: to Sagres, also known as “The End of the World.” In the 15^th century, explorers were convinced that Sagres was the southernmost point of the world. I believe it after witnessing the seemingly endless expanse of ocean ahead of me. Morocco was just beyond the horizon of churning waves.

We spent the rest of the afternoon driving through Portugal’s farmland and crossed the border into Spain. The port city of Cádiz greeted us just as the sun was setting beyond its narrow streets. While getting our bearings, we stumbled upon a restaurant named “Sonambulo.” I recalled that “somnambulism” means to sleep walk. Sufficiently intrigued by the name, we decided to enjoy tapas on Sonambulo’s outdoor patio. What better way to recover from a long day of traveling than sharing a bottle of wine with friends in Cádiz’s central square? For the next few days, we toured around the city. We were not prepared for the beauty that was Catedral de Cádiz. The medieval and Moroccan architecture blew us away; it felt like we stepped onto the set of “Assassin’s Creed!” A few other highlights included lounging on Playa La Caleta, experiencing siesta, and indulging in chocolate-dipped churros. Oh, the small luxuries in life.

On our last night, we treated ourselves to dinner at a special restaurant called “La Marmita.” The dishes were creatively bold and the service made us feel like we were part of the family. La Marmita is home to the best dessert that I have ever eaten: mascarpone cream with fresh berries. I would fly back just for more of that mascarpone cream! My friends practically dragged me out of there so that we could festively wrap up our time in Cádiz. As much as we did not want to leave, Málaga was calling our names…