I had been sleeping in my hotel room while the other went to explore a sky bridge over
part of Sevilla, and while I was sad I missed the opportunity, the low-grade fever I was running
beforehand kept me from pushing myself too far. My thermometer now read a cool 99.1°F, as
opposed to the 100.2°F I had been running before my nap. I chugged a bit more water and headed
out to meet up with the rest of the group.
The night air was refreshing now that I had been able to rest for some time. The week
prior had been filled with back pain and muscle relaxers, and the amount of medication I was
taking had finally caught up to me. I was glad to be in Sevilla, a city where I could understand a
decent amount of the language around me. Despite the complicated week I had been having, the
hustle of nightlife around me felt comforting. Life moves on, even when we cannot move with it.
Walking down the street, hands in my pockets, I took in a deep breath, relishing the way
the clean, cold air felt in my chest. I took my time walking to meet Rania, knowing I had left
time to spare just in case. It was a direct shot down the road to find the rest of the group,
something I was grateful for, as it was hard enough for me to navigate on any given day, much
less after being feverish and exhausted. As I reached la Plaza de Encarnación, I looked upwards,
towards the looming white bridge that offered those atop it a beautiful view of the city.
I turned my attention towards the surrounding cafes, looking for Rania. I didn’t have
cellphone data, and just as I was about to give up and ask to borrow a Spaniard’s phone, I heard
her shout my name from behind. As I sat down with her, I was greeted with the customary list of
questions about how I felt and if I was okay to go to dinner. I assured her I felt much better after
sleeping some, and that dinner would be great, as I was starving.
Not long after reassuring Rania that I was fine, I felt a kiss on top of my head, and a hand
on my shoulder. My boyfriend had seen me from the top of the bridge and run down to check on
me. I smiled back at him, and again repeated the same answers I had given to Rania. The
message I had sent to the group chat had worried him, and though I continually told him I was
alright, he watched me like a hawk the rest of the evening.
The restaurant was lovely, a fantastic welcome to Sevilla. My glass of tino de verano was
beautifully sweet, and the courses of tapas had a stunning range of flavors. Though we were
jammed into a rather small restaurant for the number of us, The warm light and raucous laughter
were a welcome change to my dim and silent hotel room. These dinners were a good reminder of
what traveling brought to my life, and why, even when sick and exhausted, I still needed to go
out and enjoy life.