Wish You Were Here // 03

{  photo / journal / illustration & graphic by Annabelle Mintz }

This week we’re headed out on part three of our adventures around the world with Minted, chatting about travel journals. Visit France and Australia on previous installments.

Spain is one of those places that is near and dear to my heart.  I studied abroad in Madrid in college (one of the best life choices – if you have the chance to live overseas for a season, please be brave enough to do it!) and every weekend was full of exploration around the European continent.  This particular adventure takes us to the southern part of Spain – Granada to be exact! I love the Moorish influence of the architecture there, and the way all the different cultures have blended together. Don’t you think that journal perfectly captures the Arabic flavor of the stunning Alhambra?

Being in Spain for so long allowed me to get more than the quick peek into Spanish culture and daily life with all its rituals and traditions. It also helps to get to know some locals – in Granada, I connected with the cousin of a friend and she shared a great spot for churros con chocolate with me. Doesn’t matter how distant the connection may seem – I’d recommend reaching out. Churros are definitely a cultural staple in Spain (and they are different from the Mexican churros, in case you’re curious). They even vary slightly region to region within Spain! I made note of this churro place in my travel journal, and we were able to visit again a few years later when I revisited Granada with my sister. I wish I was better about making notes like this in my travel journals, because when I do, it always seems to come in handy!

{ journal courtesy of Minted / image by Annabelle Mintz }

Also, I’m super excited to announce that Minted is generously hosting this blog’s very first giveaway! You can enter to win a Minted journal of your choice, pick any of their awesome designs and customize it any way you like! You can even pick the kind of paper inside – mine, pictured above, is full of graph paper – my favorite!

Enter here by Thursday, July 25th at 11:59PM, PST and let me know in the comments what design you’ll pick if you win!

–

This post was sponsored by Minted, but all content and opinions are my own.  I only support what I love – promise.