I went to Spain for a week - just got back yesterday. I had only ever visited the coast for summer holidays (Costa del Sol and Barcelona), but this time I only went to the inland part (Madrid and Navarra). The scenery away from the sea is beautiful and varied, from scrubland to snowy mountains to verdant rolling hills. Food is delicious, especially in the fertile north of the country. It was also great to try speaking/reading a little bit of Spanish, I hardly know the language at all but I love going to restaurants and trying to order in foreign languages. A comprehensive vocabulary is less important than self-confidence and a smile.

That said, the holiday was not the relaxing retreat I really needed (we visited five cities in seven days). It didn't relieve my stress or anxiety at all. I'm hitting the gym. Starting... Monday? My birthday was on Tuesday so I am going to be busy all weekend seeing my family. Basically, I need to look after myself a bit more.

Also I broke my Duolingo (47 days) and Memrise (16 days) streaks. To be honest I'm getting a bit tired of learning languages that way, I am going to start taking more responsibility for the way I do my studying instead of passively flipping flashcards. My housemate during my visit to Spain was Austrian and I managed to chat to her a little bit in German and I had forgot how fucking fun talking to people in a foreign language is.