What you'll need:

• 6 ripe avocados
• 2 limes juiced
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 - 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (depending on how salty you like things)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tsp hot sauce (I use Cholula)

                         

           

           

     

How to make the deliciousness:

• Mash your peeled & pitted avocados, fresh squeezed lime juice, garlic powder, and sea salt together.





• Tip: The mashing is easiest and the guac will taste better when you use ripe avocados! Not sure how to pick the ripe ones? First, check the color- they should be very dark, almost black. Second, push down near the stem of the avocado, it should give a little. If it's too hard, it still has awhile to go before it's ripe. If it squishes too easily, it's no good! You can always buy avocados a few days before you plan on using them and put them in a paper bag on the counter to speed up ripening. Once they're ripe, put them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.
• Tip: You can peel & pit avocados using a sharp knife, but I have found it so much easier (and faster) using an avocado tool! I love this one from OXO.

• Stir in chopped Romas, onion, cilantro, and hot sauce.

• Store in an air tight container, let sit in the fridge for a few hours, then enjoy!

It's as easy as that! Have a recipe or a secret ingredient that you think is even better? Please share with me!

-Breezy

• Complete cultural immersion. For me, this is the best perk of them all. Living with a family, I've seen firsthand how a normal family lives day to day. How they interact, how the daily schedule works, when and what they eat, how they decorate their home, and so many more little things that I never even thought about before I realized they were different, like how they answer the phone. But the best of them all is the language. Being completely surrounded by it at school and in the house has made me improve so quickly! Except for one of my sisters who is learning English, none of my family really speaks English… I love this! When I wouldn't understand a word, they'd explain it to me in Spanish to teach me rather than just giving me the English translation - a practice that helps so much more! After my experience, I totally believe that if you're going to a country to learn the language, staying with a family is the way to go.

• FOOD. We're talkin' homemade empanadas, Spanish tortillas, croquetas, arroz con leche, tomato creations galore, and the best soups you will ever have. I've learned so much about the Spanish diet living with a family, eaten healthier than I would have living in an apartment, and even gotten some great recipes to bring home for the future hubs!

• A guide. What better way to learn about a new place than with people who have been living there forever? Having two host sisters has been awesome for this. Not only is it good getting to talk in Spanish with someone so easy to relate to, but it's wonderful having someone who is always more than happy to tell me the best places to go (ones that Spaniards go to!), to show me around the city, and occasionally to tapear and fiesta with :) 

My first time exploring with one of my host sisters.

El Palacio de Carlos V in the Alhambra

• There's always someone there for you. Just like your parents, your family will want you to be comfortable and to succeed. When I first arrived in Granada, it was after my rough couple days in Madrid, I was experiencing culture shock, I was home sick (and literally sick), I hadn't met any one yet - I was just miserable. After a few days my poor host mom noticed this. I'll never forget when she came into my room to ask me how I was doing and just let me cry with her. She understood completely and told me she wanted to do anything to make me happy, and to always tell her when I needed something because she was my mom in Spain. It still makes me tear up when I think about it. These are the kinds of special things that come with living with a family.

While these are all amazing things, there are some things specific to each family that you can't really put into words that make the experience even more amazing. Like introducing my host mom to Modern Family and watching her crack up at Sofia Vergara, how happy she gets when I give her a big hug after I've been gone on a weekend trip, coming home each day and seeing how she's progressed on her paintings, or spending forever looking at wedding planning things with my host sister.

• Metropol Parasol - One of the largest wooden buildings in the world with a funky design and a gorgeous view of the city from the top. 
• Go inside the cathedral - The outside is amazing, but I can only imagine what the inside must be like.
• See a flamenco show - Although I've already seen a good one in Granada, Sevilla has some of the best flamenco that Spain has to offer.

Palau Nacional - where the Cheetah Girls danced!

   

And what would a trip to Spain be without some fútbol?! Other than watching bits of the World Cup, I know nothing about soccer… but that doesn't matter in Barcelona! Just being in that crazy atmosphere of Camp Nou is enough to make you a soccer fan. We got tickets at the very top, but I learned that that doesn't matter at all. The view and energy are great from any where and the fans are just as into the game all over the stadium. Honestly, I think I had as much fun watching how into the game the fans got as I did watching the actual game!  Even if you don't consider yourself a big soccer fan or if you have to go with the cheap tickets are at the very top, this is a must-do!

 Camp Nou

While the city itself is beautiful, there are few things in this world as beautiful as Sagrada Familia. The outside is quite strange; the mix of gothic architecture with modern details here and there makes it a strange sight. However, once you enter, there are no words to describe what you see and how you feel. The bright colors of the stained glass, the amazing architecture of the ceiling, the altar unlike any altar I've seen before, and the choral music playing in the background make seeing the cathedral so much more than simply seeing it. This cathedral is so different than traditional cathedrals - I haven't met one person who wasn't truly amazed when they went inside. However, I have met people who just walked by to see it, but didn't go inside… don't do this! It is so worth buying tickets in advance online. You even have the opportunity to climb one of the towers. We did this, and it was cool not only because of the view from the top, but because you really get to see the construction they're doing while climbing through the towers. It's on my bucket list to go back and see it when it's finally done one day.

I could've stared at that ceiling for hours

The pretty, pretty stained glass

Like Sevilla, one weekend just isn't enough for Barcelona! Here's what's on my list for next time:

• Las ramblas - A worker at our hostel told us that this has some of the best nightlife in Barcelona, and cool shops for the day time. This area is right in the city center, where I'd also like to be able to spend more time next time I'm in Barcelona.
• Parque Güell - I did get to see the park and some of the cool architecture there, but I didn't get to actually go into the park. You have to buy tickets in advance to enter, so next time I will definitely do this to see the iconic mosaic bench and to get to go into the museums!
• See the coast - Not a lot of people kow that Barcelona's actually on the coast of Spain! We biked close to the Mediterranean Sea, but never made it there. There's a huge park near the coast where the old Olympic Stadium is located that I would love to explore more one day - but I better get in shape first, because the hill up to the park is a doozy!