In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and on the northern most coast of Spain, he placed a horizon in which both entities meet. 

I know its been quite a while since my last post but I find that me, it takes a great deal of energy and inspiration to write anything of substance; both of which recently, I've lacked. This past weekend, my roommate and I traveled to Donastia, Spain. Donastia is most known for the beaches of San Sebastian (if you're unfamiliar, google it). Coming off of a pretty long week, I suspected that this weekend away would bring me some much needed divertida (fun) and rejuvenation... little did I know... No amount of words or the 150 + pictures I took could do justice to this incredible place. 

The nature of this trip was different than any I had been on previously, largely thanks to my travel partner. Typically I travel with a girl named Rayna, a classmate of mine at UNCG that I originally came to Spain with, but this time I decided to go with one of my roommates. Bailey, an eccentric 24 year old author and two year resident of Spain is an interesting person to say the least. Probably one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, this Wisconsin native was home-schooled by her parents who doubled as traveling circus performers. That said, her vast traveling experience and deep appreciation for the world around her is both awe-striking and something to be envied. Being the only other American in our piso, I guess you could say that our friendship was forced by circumstance, but nonetheless its still one that I that I thank God for every day. 

When we arrived to San Sebastian following our 7 hour journey, (btw the traveling process here is sooo not what i'm used to... as in to get to San Sebastian you must do the following: walk --> bus --> various metro stops --> train --> walk... you get the idea) checked into our lovely pension (hostal) and hit the pavement. The first stop we made ? The tourist office for a map of the most suggested tourist sites. This was new for me because typically when traveling with Rayna, shopping is our primary objective. Bailey's quite different. I liked that. This trip, our objective was to visit s many sites as we could and I must say we did quite well and even encountered an unexpected celebration or two. We visited old cathedrals, ancient theaters, parks, palaces, congressional halls and more ! As its mid- March on the northern coast, the weather hasn't fully broken for the Spring meaning there weren't any real opportunities to enjoy the beach in the traditional sense, but that never stopped us. Bailey whose academic interests far more ranging than my own taught me enough about Spanish history and culture to last a short lifetime. Being with her, I opened myself up to new experiences that I never would've thought of had I come by myself or with anyone else. I can honestly say in the 3 1/2 days that we spent there, we took advantage of every waking moment, sometimes even doing things that took me well outside of my comfort zone. But ifs for those things that I am the most grateful. The most recent being the cornerstone of my trip to San Sebastian. 

I won't bore you with historical context but one of the most notable images of San Sebastian is a small 415 foot mountain located at the edge of the city which can be seen from just about anywhere down below. Perched at the very top of Monte Urgull Mendia is Castillo de la Mota, a 17th century castle home to an incredible amount of Spanish history. Thanks to Bailey and some help from God himself, I became witness to some of the most unforgettably majestic views of San Sebastian and the Atlantic Ocean that the world has ever known. I beheld these views standing on the roof of Castillo de la Mota. (Yes, I, Dominique Caldwell hiked my first real mountain... in my cute boots lol) No picture ever taken can capture the incomparable beauty and spirituality of seeing the work of God from that altitude. Breathtaking is a gross understatement. My experience at the top of Monte Urgull reaffirmed my faith in a way that I could never express. But what I found most meaningful was the fact on the day in which we climbed, the weather was supposed to be terrible. It was projected to rain all day accompanied by the frigid winds that only seem to frequent the coast. But the day was beyond beautiful and not an ounce of rain fell on us while we were on the mountain and for what seemed like the exact amount of time we were up there the wind seemed to rest. 

The experiences I had this past weekend proved to me that there is no feeling like being able to see with your own eyes how much God loves his children just by the Earth that hes given us. For anyone traveling to Spain,  I would oblige you to stop in San Sebastian for at least a day if you can. It's a beautiful place with amazingly friendly people. And for some, if you let it, it can open your eyes to a world whose realities soar well beyond your highest expectations of perfection.