Hola, amigos! Today I am so excited to be jetting off to Barcelona to get some much needed vacation time with my favorite travelers (which are my adorable parents…I know I’m a fledged adult, but I still love traveling with my parents. Don’t judge to harshly…)

We’re off to drink cava, explore the city, eat far too much paella and, most importantly, celebrate my dad’s retirement now that both my parents are officially out of that work grind! So far, retirement looks like my mom making pottery all day, my dad listening to music and cooking delicious food, and then spending the rest of the their free time planning epic trips. Not too shabby, right? I’m officially ready to retire any day now too so I can join them…And in true Maya McDonald fashion, I’ve been running around like a crazy person the last few weeks barely having time to feed myself (most nights I drink wine and eat popcorn for dinner…) which has equated to zero time planning for our epic vacation. My parents bought some tickets to museums, Sagrada Família, Park Güell and planned a few biking tours around the city (thanks for taking one for the team, fam.) BUT we still have so many days to fill with adventures that I would love some tips from friends!I’d love to know if you have any must-see hidden gems, favorite restaurants, best stores that won’t totally break the bank – any ideas of things that can’t be missed – please share! While I definitely want to hit up some of the touristy, can’t-miss sights, I’d love to go off the map a little more to have the true Barcelona experience. Any help is the most appreciated (except for advice on night clubs, because I doubt my retired parents are really going to love the idea of raging with their daughter at 3 AM.)

Anyways, I’ll be a little off the radar until next week, but in the meantime I’m hoping to share some of my adventure highlights over on Instagram! Swing by and say hello (and give me some trip advice while you’re at it!) xx