Saturday, October 14, 2006

The rain in Spain...

... is non-existent, right now. It´s actually hot here. I don´t mind, though.
So, yes, I´m en Espana. It´s good to have a new stamp in the passport, and the country, so far, is very beautiful. I really liked Santiago de Compustela yesterday. I´m learning that smaller towns are more my thing than big cities. I wouldn´t have guessed it when I was younger, but that´s the way it´s turned out.
Spain is a little frustrating, but in a way that´s different from England. In London, everyone rushes everywhere-- it´s like you are in a race for your life (my calves seem permanently flexed these days). In Spain, people meander, and you wonder how anyone gets anything done. I´m not trying to be picky, I´m just saying that´s how it is. I love London, of course, because I basically know my way around and of course, I speak the language. Plus, there are TONS of Polish people there. I´ve been able to speak more Polish in the last few days than I have since I left Lublin. I´m rusty, but it´s wonderful. But Spain is certainly not all bad. Sure, it freaks me out that people stay up ALL NIGHT LONG (not that I haven´t been staying up all night long nearly every night-- but they do it by choice) but at least they have trashcans everywhere. In London, there´s never a convenient rubbish bin.
I would also like to say that so far, I haven´t had to pay to use the toilet. Quite an accomplishment for six days, eh?
My friends are going out clubbing tonight, but I´m going to stay home. I REALLY wanted to go see some Flamenco (in honor of Ashley, as well as the local culture) but that´s not going to work out. Oh well. At least I got to speak to a Polish boy on the way over to this apartment we´re staying at tonight (Sokphal, her friend Laura and I are staying with Phal´s friend David, who is charming).
Hmm... what else. Like I said, I´ve been suffering from major lack of sleep. Not insomnia, exactly, but lack of opportunity. Of course, when the opportunity arises, it is rather difficult to fall asleep. It´s frustrating, but that´s why I´m staying in tonight. I don´t want to come home completely falling apart (that´s kind of the stage I was at the night before last).
And did I mention I got to see Ëvita¨as well while I was in London? It was very good. ¨Wicked¨was better, but you´ve got to love that Andrew Lloyd Webber, right?
OK, it feels like I have so much more I need to say, but I´m drawing a bit of a blank. I do want to say I think traveling makes one a better person. Not that it turns you into Wonder Woman or anything, but I really am grateful I´ve had all these opportunities. I mean, you go out there and see the world, right? And it´s great, and it´s fun, but the best thing is it reminds you of who you really are. It makes you question your beliefs and motivations and actions. Sometimes you see you need a course-correction, and sometimes that clarity of a larger world vision helps you know what you are is pretty spot-on great. It´s always a little of both.
Oh, and it gives you some raging fashion ideas, though I promise you I´ll never embrace ankle boots or the skinny jean... I´d look terrible, and I´ll spare the world. Dresses over pants, though-- that´s something I´ve always loved and I´m glad to see the world is catching up.

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