another year, another breath

So there's many things to touch upon here.  Truth is I always say I will blog about everything and incredible moment that passed but I was trying to stay as far away from technology as possible while in Madrid and Morocco. (It felt quite liberating to be free from the desire to check Facebook repeatedly) And in staying away from technology, it might cause a lot of my trips and experiences to be smushed together.  Hopefully it will come out in a delicious smorsey smush instead of something like a garbage disposal..

I'll start with Madrid.  Going to Spain and being able to communicate in Spanish and not being responded to with a "Que?" and grumpy look on one's face was good.  It was good for my confidence, it was great because it reaffirmed my love affair with Spain and finally it was good because it reinforced that I have learned something in Venezuela when it comes to Spanish.  My reunion with Kristen can be summed up briefly, it involved copious copas de vino, dirty packs of cigarettes (yes, this was a downfall as I have been doing so good on the quit train in VZ) and chat that streamed on non-stop for 2 days.  How friends can pick you up, like they are fireman carrying you and you fall asleep with a smile on your face, simply because you are at peace, you feel like you are surrounded by people that get it.  You don't have to go into huge details because they know and they give you immediate support, feedback, etc that your ears have ached to hear for 5 months.  Some people just know exactly what to say to you and when it's in person and a hug and glass of wine and much more can be shared, it's almost a spiritual experience.

Moving onto Morocco.  What a country! It's definitely up there in the top 5 of the 32 countries I have done so far.  Incredible.  The kindness of Middle easterners, the sophistication of the Europeans, the color and chaos of Africa.  I loved this place.  It's made me remember how we should eat, especially when you have access to markets and fresh animals, produce, etc.  It's made me realize how many of us are not on regular salaries and depend so much on each other.  And, I truly believe it is a model country for predominantly Muslim countries.  In a European sense, people are living and that is what is most essential.  I guess visiting Spain before put this somewhat into perspective. 20-25% of Spain's population is currently unemployed and yet, every corner we turned people were having fun.  I love the energy of it.  Just as in Morocco, people lived in what a lot of westerners would  consider poverty, but I definitely believe I experienced the most hospitality I have ever in Morocco.  Additionally, people smiled and didn't judge outwardly.

All in all, Morocco was fabulous because of the people surrounding me.  Again, what would our lives be without our friends; our people.  Kristen, Kenny, Christophe, Mark, Jen, Laetitia and Jerome made the trip memorable.  Our cooking class, spectacular show, tanneries with Kristen's future husband Adana, the amazing race fez cap challenge, running to Carrefour to buy 18 bottles of vino, new year's eve with the best lamb of my life and the local band.  All of these moments complimented the crew and near perfect weather making Morocco an incredibly rejuvenating experience for me.

So, now I am back in Caracas.  Reflecting on my wonderful vacation, having a bit of holiday bliss and holiday blues simultaneously.  I recently read Everett Bogue's blog again and he discussed the importance of intuition.  I booked my ticket to Morocco in August even before all my little Venezuelan dramas had unfolded but intuitively I knew it was something that was going to need to happen.   I fell a bit off the band wagon with intuition over the last few months.  However, I think I am going to need it more than ever the next 6 months.  Another year, another breath...