Last weekend, in an attempt to reduce our round little bellies that shake when we laugh like bowls full of jelly, 10,000 runners dressed like Papa Noel to run 5.5 kilometers  through the streets of Madrid.

We were dressed all in fur felt from head to foot but instead of being tarnished in ashes and soot… we were soaked in sweat. It's not easy running with a full beard, baggy clothes, a belt and a floppy hat!

I went with a few friends that I also joined for the Holi Run. While this race was slightly more serious, we still took it pretty easy and just had a good time jogging with the crowds of Santas and little green elves. It began at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and then looped around the festively decorated streets of the city. And of course we celebrated after with well-deserved hot chocolate and beers!

A recently travelled form Madrid to the south of Spain to meet up with my good friend Julia. We hadn't seen each other since living in Ecuador together almost a year and half ago.

She and her boyfriend Jasper took some time off from work in Hamburg and came to enjoy a little sunshine in Spain. They rented a cozy apartment through Airbnb which sat in the hills of Marbella and was perfect for cooking some nice meals, relaxing, and catching up over lost time.

My favorite day together was when we started off with a delicious breakfast spread and then travelled west along the coast to Tarifa, the windsurfing capital of Europe situated on the southernmost tip of Spain. Standing on the beach, you can look across the Straits of Gibraltar and see a clear view of Morocco just 14 kilometers away.

While it was clearly the off season, it was still easy to see that this town is a paradise for adventure seekers and laid-back hippies alike. I'm hoping to make my way back again when the weather improves.

• Being Sick. Getting sick abroad is the worst. It doesn't seem to matter if it's an awful stomach parasite, a skin infection (that I was convinced was a bot fly!), or just the common cold. You lack the comfort of home and have to deal with the issue on your own. In a foreign country. With different health care and prescription policies. No fun.

• Technology Problems. While you may say that you could live in a remote village without wifi or cell signals no problem, I guarantee you still have some technology addiction. Whether it be your camera, Macbook, iPod, etc. There is something. And when it breaks, or is stolen, or falls in the river, you feel a little lost. Repair shops might not be as accessible (especially if you're in that remote village) and the funds may not be there to buy a replacement. So you're left without the comfort of your familiar iTunes library, or easy communication back home, or camera, or Instagram, or Candy Crush... Whatever it is! Technology issues just aren't as easy to cope with abroad.

• Holidays. Now, this one is self-explanatory. Holidays, especially winter ones, are to be spent surrounded by family and celebrating those once-a-year traditions. These days abroad are when homesickness and loneliness can strike hard.