2025 Europe Travel Series: Part 6 of 8
Madrid wasn’t just a visit, it felt like a spiritual reset disguised as a city. I went to visit my friend Pilar who lives there. I’d been telling her for years that I would visit, and once I arrived, Madrid became something much deeper. It became a place where I slowed down, listened inward, and began aligning with myself in a way I hadn’t in a long time.
The Wake-Up Call My Body Delivered
Before leaving London, I started feeling my allergies flare up, a bit of a sore throat, the pressure in my sinuses, the feeling I always get when my allergies kick in and my body is done with smoking. I had picked up the habit a few months earlier after many years of being free from it, and I could feel how much it was affecting me again. My anxiety was increasing, my body felt heavy, and quitting felt harder than ever. And because of that, a part of me knew it was going to take getting really sick in order for me to let it go again, but I was ready for that day. And finally, the day to quit smoking came the day I arrived in Madrid.
Within a day I got completely sick.
Rhinitis allergies.
Congestion.
My face burned.
Itchy throat.
Coughing.
Zero energy.
Between the smoking and the city’s pollution (the air-quality app literally said “Unhealthy” on some days), my body surrendered. I spent 3-4 full days in bed, barely able to function.
It was miserable… but it was also my wake-up call.
Somewhere in the middle of that exhaustion, I heard it clearly within me:
“Enough. You’re done. You’re quitting for real.”
And I meant it.
Walking Myself Clean
Once I started to feel better, all I wanted to do was walk… everywhere. I started with just a few miles at a time, and eventually I worked myself up to ten miles, which happened on the day I visited Toledo.
I wanted to sweat, breathe, clear my lungs, and release every bit of stagnation inside me. Madrid became my moving meditation. I didn’t care how far the walk was, I made sure I walked it.
The first few days the air was heavy.
Sometimes my breathing felt tight.
But the more I walked, the more I felt myself coming back.
Every street became symbolic, every step felt intentional. Every door I visited (Puerta de Alcalá, Puerta de Toledo, Puerta de San Vicente…) held a meaning that somehow matched my own becoming. And althought my walk started as a detox, as movement, it eventually became a spiritual journey.
It felt like the Universe was quietly saying:
“Walk. Every door you pass is a reflection of a door opening within you.”
Journaling, Yoga, and Conscious Living
Madrid is also where I found the rhythm I had been craving.
I continued my journaling practice… every morning I read my affirmations and intentions, and every morning I wrote. In Madrid, that practice deepened simply because I was ready for positive changes, for growth, for my becoming… and ready, once again, to let go of all that no longer served me.
Some days I wrote in parks, under the shade of trees. Some mornings in quiet cafes with my coffee. Wherever I was, if I was called to it, I would write.
And even though I never truly stopped doing yoga, I hadn’t been able to practice much in Iceland or London. In Madrid, staying in Pilar’s apartment finally gave me the room I needed. I returned to yoga slowly… gentle stretches before and after long walks, breathwork to soften the tightness left over from smoking, grounding movements to reconnect with my spirit.
I kept eating lighter, healthier, cleaner. Not because I “should,” but because my body was asking for it.
Madrid became the place where I realigned my habits, my energy, and my future.
One day in El Retiro Park, I laid my blanket under the trees to rest. I felt so happy and so in love with life… and in that moment, I wrote:
“When you are truly present, the simplest things can make you feel the deepest joy and peace… there is nothing flashy here and it didn’t cost me a thing yet being here fully present, with no distractions, no rushing, but just going with the flow, feelings of love radiate from the depths of my soul. This is a powerful and a soul nourishing moment.
Presence is essential, is the key… the most beautiful experiences can pass us by without it, but with presence, even the mundane becomes magical.”
I mean, for me, nature is never boring. It truly is magical. And being there reminded me of this truth: we miss the magic in life when our minds are elsewhere… in the past, in the future, or in the worries we carry because of uncertainty.
There is always beauty all around us, and it is up to us to keep our hearts and eyes open… to notice it, appreciate it, breathe it in, and choose gratitude for the simplicity of the moment.
Remembering Myself Through Friendship
Another unexpected shift happened with Pilar.
We’ve known each other for years, but never had much one-on-one time, or any real intellectual conversations. In Madrid, we finally did… and we realized how aligned we actually are… spiritually, emotionally, philosophically.
Our conversations reminded me of versions of myself I had forgotten.
The intuitive one.
The reflective one.
The one who trusts her path.
The one who honors signs and symbolism.
Being around her reminded me of who I was… and who I could be again. It deepened our friendship in a way I didn’t expect, and I’m grateful for that.
Clarity, Creativity & Rediscovering My Path
Being in Madrid also helped me gather my thoughts and organize all the ideas that had been floating around in my mind… new blog topics, videos I want to create, publishing projects, and the direction I want to take with my website. Being there and connecting with myself, gave me the space to reflect, to breathe, and to see my creative path with more clarity.
Before my travels, I was writing, but only once or twice a month. And after I got laid off, I paused for a couple of months. My energy was different. I had a lot to process and release.
But when I met Alley in London – the travel vlogger – something clicked for me. She advised me to treat my creativity like a real business and that lit a spark inside me. It reminded me that my writing, my website, my journals and future creativities… they aren’t just hobbies. They are part of my purpose.
Madrid became the place where that realization and re-alignment began to root.
I promised myself I would start showing up more consistently. Still, I didn’t jump straight into weekly posting during the trip… but once I returned home and adjusted a little, I felt ready. Grounded. Inspired. Clear.
And ever since then, I’ve been creating with more intention, more devotion, and more commitment to the path I know I’m meant to walk.
Madrid Became a Mirror
What began as “just visiting my friend” became one of the most spiritual chapters of my entire trip.
In Madrid, I remembered:
- my body matters
- my breath matters
- my habits shape my future
- my inner world needs space
- I’m guided more than I ever realize
- walking is healing
- doors are metaphors
- being present is essential
- and alignment isn’t found… it’s chosen
Madrid didn’t push me the way Iceland did.
It didn’t test me the way London did.
Instead, it anchored me.
It rooted me,
it cleared me,
and it realigned me.
Madrid was where my becoming softened into clarity… where I reconnected with my soul, and where alignment began to take root within me, once again.
Coming Next in the Series
Part 7 — Ireland: A Journey Through Castles, Cliffs & Wild Beauty
→ The adventure chapter: cliffs, castles, rugged landscapes, and the wild spirit of Ireland.
Journal Prompt for You
Which part of your life is quietly asking for realignment — and what small shift could you make today to honor it?
If you’re ready to live more intentionally, explore your inner world, and get into true alignment with what you desire… my Reiki-infused guided journals are here to support your journey.
→ Explore my journals here ✨
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If you missed previous parts of my Europe Travel Series, you can read it here:
Part 1: Iceland: The Beginning of an Adventure →
Part 2: Iceland: The Beginning of Becoming →
Part 3: London: My First True Solo Adventure →
Part 4: London: Where Becoming Met Courage →
Part 5: Madrid: Walking Through Its Doors of Discovery →
