Paella with Milena

Valencian Spanish Paella has been number one on my list of recipes for over a year now! I just couldn't find the right time to make one and had not met the right person to share it with. Fortunately for me, I met someone who shares my love for exotic cuisine here in Charleston. Milena was the first girl I met at CofC orientation this semester. We immediately clicked and shared the same excitement about starting our new lives here in Charleston. It didn't take long for us to realize we shared SO many of the same passions: love for the outdoors, traveling, cooking, music, food, culture... I don't think it was mere coincidence that we met that first day. We both became members of the same fitness and yoga club, we signed up for a kayak trip together in March, and stranger still, our birthdays are one day apart! After a few days of getting to know each other I didn't even hesitate to ask Milena if she wanted to cook paella with me. She is gluten-intolerant but was ecstatic at the idea of a rice-based Spanish dish. And so we topped off this holiday, in remembrance of the great Martin Luther King Jr., with an incredibly delicious paella. So good. I have no words :)