As I sit atop the Santa Barbara castle after watching the sun set behind the mountains and the night life awake, I recall amazed that this summer, I...
Lived a six minute walk away from a beautiful, historical castle.
Played with two sweet granddaughters from whom I learned a lot from (we painted nails earlier today).
Was constantly within reach of flavorful, creamy-not-icy, naturally flavored, 1-euro-per-giant-scoop icecream.
Saw breath-taking paintings, landscapes, architecture, and ninots.
Lived among people representing an expansive tapestry of cultures.
Learned and lived within the warm, welcoming Mediterranean history and culture.
Swam in deep waters. And under a waterfall.
Planned a trip alone.
Boarded a train alone.
Booked and stayed in a hostel alone.
Travelled alone.
Navigated a city alone without a GPS.
Was alone long enough for freedom/independence to tarnish into loneliness.
Enjoyed sangria and tinto.
Developed tolerance for red wine.
Developed immunity to coffee.
Tasted fireworks of food.
Saw and/or heard fireworks every night for 5+ days (stopped counting after 5).
Lived in the site of Hogueras.
Woke up, walked through, and went to bed in the blaze of glory, of art about to burn.
Learned from primary sources about negative degree northern weather.
Learned what Texan culture is.
Developed far more fluency in Spanish than I had anticipated.
Appreciated and even befriended people from opposite cultures (like those who party profusely).
Saw a lunar eclipse. In a mountain range.
Enjoyed eating- crumpling up and throwing away my past of being underweight.
Lived in a surreally accepting culture in which Jewish persecution ended in the 1400s and words have lost their offensive connotations.
Lived for today.
Strode into the face of my fears and dislikes.
Got lost...
...and learned how not to get lost.
Maintained a blog.
Appreciated an electronic, public diary.
Took thousands (not exaggerating) of pictures.
Bought a lot of items in a month of sales. A lot.
Spent my days absorbent and happy despite battling consecutive nights of insomnia.
Had paella and red wine for my Fourth of July dinner.
Gladly declined (despite generally being a hopeless yes-man) going to parties except for once.
Participated unwillingly in a boat party on the way back from Tabarca.
Appreciated having been in a party.
But decided never to party unwillingly again.
Missed home.
Been grateful for an adventure AND for a journey back to Austin.
Lived a six minute walk away from a beautiful, historical castle.
Played with two sweet granddaughters from whom I learned a lot from (we painted nails earlier today).
Was constantly within reach of flavorful, creamy-not-icy, naturally flavored, 1-euro-per-giant-scoop icecream.
Saw breath-taking paintings, landscapes, architecture, and ninots.
Lived among people representing an expansive tapestry of cultures.
Learned and lived within the warm, welcoming Mediterranean history and culture.
Swam in deep waters. And under a waterfall.
Planned a trip alone.
Boarded a train alone.
Booked and stayed in a hostel alone.
Travelled alone.
Navigated a city alone without a GPS.
Was alone long enough for freedom/independence to tarnish into loneliness.
Enjoyed sangria and tinto.
Developed tolerance for red wine.
Developed immunity to coffee.
Tasted fireworks of food.
Saw and/or heard fireworks every night for 5+ days (stopped counting after 5).
Lived in the site of Hogueras.
Woke up, walked through, and went to bed in the blaze of glory, of art about to burn.
Learned from primary sources about negative degree northern weather.
Learned what Texan culture is.
Developed far more fluency in Spanish than I had anticipated.
Appreciated and even befriended people from opposite cultures (like those who party profusely).
Saw a lunar eclipse. In a mountain range.
Enjoyed eating- crumpling up and throwing away my past of being underweight.
Lived in a surreally accepting culture in which Jewish persecution ended in the 1400s and words have lost their offensive connotations.
Lived for today.
Strode into the face of my fears and dislikes.
Got lost...
...and learned how not to get lost.
Maintained a blog.
Appreciated an electronic, public diary.
Took thousands (not exaggerating) of pictures.
Bought a lot of items in a month of sales. A lot.
Spent my days absorbent and happy despite battling consecutive nights of insomnia.
Had paella and red wine for my Fourth of July dinner.
Gladly declined (despite generally being a hopeless yes-man) going to parties except for once.
Participated unwillingly in a boat party on the way back from Tabarca.
Appreciated having been in a party.
But decided never to party unwillingly again.
Missed home.
Been grateful for an adventure AND for a journey back to Austin.