On Vox: Back

Apr 18, 2008 06:38


I have returned to the US now, and am sitting in Palm Springs before I head to the meditation retreat for two weeks in Joshua Tree tomorrow.  I woke up at four this morning, after a difficult and long day traveling yesterday.

It feels weird to be back, in the land of excess, in my parents huge desert house after cramming into a small apartment, where we have a fridge and pantry filled with products purchased in bulk.  It's so quiet here.

My trip to Barcelona was great, although it did come with it's discomforts.  I am not quite so used to spending so much intimate time with my immediate family, but I'm starting to feel a part of the family again after spending the past few years on the east coast.  I did make it to a museum, finally, and made the compulsory visit to La Sagrada Familia, as well as making two trips to Parc Guell, which I think was my favorite site to see.  I didn't realize how much I crave feeling semi-enclosed by wilderness, even if I know full well that there are hordes of people and a bustling city just outside the park limits.  I'll miss that in Seattle.  I also loved the coffee.  While I didn't dine out all that much, I sat in many cafes and sipped cafe con leche and buzzed around, overcoming my jet lag with too much caffeine.

I met such interesting people, mostly Americans and other English-speaking Europeans who spend time in Barcelona as artists, chefs, writers, etc with such fascinating and funny tales of travel.  It makes me yearn to travel more.  I had all sorts of romantic notions of being untethered, freely floating and going wherever I am inspired to.  I started to feel much more comfortable with looking and feeling like an idiot most of the time.  My Spanish was not all that useful.  I could speak enough to order food, but I didn't understand a word of what the Catelonians were speaking, even when they did speak Spanish.

But then, my relief at arriving back in the states is a little embarassing.  But maybe that's part of the allure. When else would eating a large portion of salmon at the JFK airport Chili's  feel like a treat?

Originally posted on daniellec.vox.com
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