My Happiest Memory: A Sunset in Barcelona
When someone says think of your happiest memory it’s easy to jump to the big events and celebrations in life. Graduating, getting your first job, getting the keys to your first house. But for me, my happiest moment wasn’t a stand alone event, it was one moment that crystallised and encompassed years of happiness between me and my best friends.
It was 2018 and we were on holiday in Barcelona, the first night started off as any girls holiday normally does with a shocking amount of cheap booze that could probably double up as paint stripper. That holiday we went to sonar festival for elrow, visited the sights in Barcelona, went on the cable cars and ate paella on the beach. We even went to Sitges for the day and accidentally ended up walking into the middle of the Pride procession, which was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. But, my happiest moment took place when we went to the old bunkers at sunset.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not setting us up to be a really soppy foursome who enjoy spending every minute together because I can tell you, and I’m sure the woman sat next to us on the plan can as well, we bickered none stop the whole way home. But one thing I know is that they’re always there for me no matter what. When I actually told them I was writing this article the replies I got back were “as you should be”, and “what other source of happiness do you have in your life” which did make me laugh.
We had gone to the bunkers for sun set, for anyone who hasn’t been before it’s basically this view point up a big steep hill where you can look out and see the city. We took a few cans of cider with us for the sunset and decided to get a taxi to the top rather than walk it. When I say my life flashed before my eyes in that taxi, it’s an understatement. Turns out all the windy rounds up the bunkers in Barcelona would make for some excellent Easter egg rolling competitions. Every time the taxi stopped we felt it begin to roll backwards at what felt like a 180 degree angle. After a few Hail Mary’s and holding our breaths, the taxi did eventually begin travelling in the correct direction as we got closer to our destination.
Sunsets are nice but I do think the idea of going up to a high landmark to watch the sunset is often better than the actual event. However, the views were spectacular and we could see where we had been around Barcelona on our various excursions and watched as the city began to light up for the evening. I think all of us had had a bit of a tough year at that point and we were all metaphorically stood on the crossroads to the next part of our lives. I was moving to a different country, one of us was graduating, one was starting uni and one was starting a new job. We all knew that the year to follow was going to be strange because for the first time since we had met we weren’t all doing the same thing with our lives. It started to signal the transition into adulthood, particularly in your twenties when everyone seems to be rapidly moving towards different goals and lifestyles. We stood and chatted about how strange it was going to be going our separate ways. I think it was nice to just be together in that moment and think about all the memories we had shared together, the things we were worried about and actually get excited about what was in store for us over the next few years. Looking back retrospectively it’s funny that we ever felt like that as three years have gone by and despite a lot of things changing in our lives, not much has with our friendship.
We eventually did get back down the hill, although much like the taxi a lot of it was spent rolling at an increasingly rapid speed. And like every other instance in our life we walked into something completely unexpected but really fun as we joined an evening event of a music festival that was happening and spent the night laughing and dancing to Barcelona’s equivalent of Rick Astley.
I don’t think your happiest moment is ever going to really be one of the big ones in your life but just the little five minutes you have when you’re belly laughing on a Tuesday afternoon. My happiest moments are all similar to that one in the bunker, spent with friends not doing anything particularly exciting but just feeling content that there’s people in your life who love and care about you.
So here’s to all the happiest moments; driving down motorways singing really loudly and really badly to songs, that cup of tea that your flatmate makes you when you get in from work, that message that says “saw this and thought of you” and that really bad joke that makes you spit your drink out when you laugh.
Written by Sam Turnbull
Sam has just graduated from Newcastle University where she studied English Literature and French. Sam has recently moved back home with her parents and enjoys long walks with her dog George, pints of Desperados on draft, karaoke, pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
