I have been fortunate enough to spend the last 5 days traveling around Barcelona, Spain. There was a list of things I wanted to do and see in my week from seeing Leonel Messi score a goal for FC Barcelona and stepping foot in the Mediterranean Sea to touring the unique architecture that Spain’s cities are known for. I accomplished all of these things and more. I met so many colorful people and I had my mind blown more times than I could count.

But there was something else that I wanted to accomplish on my journey, I wanted to feel miniscule. The world is a big place, and even though I have seen more of it than a lot of people, there is still so much of it than I haven’t seen. It is very easy to get caught up in our heads with our dramas, and to forget that there are bigger, more important things to engage ourselves in. There are communities and worlds and universes and galaxies outside of my own, and I wanted to be reminded of that.

I think the feeling really hit me when I was standing on top of the Montjuïc Castle in Catalonia, looking out into the horizon, past the Port de Barcelona, past the Mediterranean, focusing only on the line between the ocean and the sky. The two were the exact same shade of blue and I couldn’t tell where one stopped and the other began. Standing there next to the watch post, listening to many different conversations in many different languages, I did feel small. And I felt relieved. And I would do anything to feel that again.

I finally understand what all of those quotes about travel on Pinterest are talking about. I was browsing the travel quotes prior to writing this article, when I stumbled upon something that Mary Anne Radmacher said. She said “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. I can’t wait to see more.