Dear Reader,
It is day 5 in Granada, Spain. I thought I’d share a highlight from a regular travel day when one does not have to function as a tourist. Today, coffee is enough. This trip is 60 days. Therefore , as a traveler, I do not have to rush to ascend the Alhambra today as if I were a tourist. It means I actually can get over my jet lag in my own time frame. It means I have had time to figure out how to make coffee in a new coffee pot in the way that I like it. In my apartment, I am operating with a dorm size refrigerator. So some thought must be put into how I will prepare my meals and what exactly I will keep in the refrigerator on a daily basis. It turns out I can drink the water in Granada. So that means I don’t have to buy bottled water. But because I will work my way into that, I have boiled water at night and kept it in the the refrigerator. Garbage is placed in a container on the street. So each morning I am taking that out. My biggest problem is figuring out how to wash my hair with a hand-held shower setup. I figure with that as my most serious conundrum that I am doing pretty good.
I had a little excitement Saturday night when a group of 3 young men checked in to the apartment next to me. They began partying in earnest about 8 pm and went non-stop ntil 8 am the next morning bumping against the wall where my bed is. I was thrilled to learn the next morning that they’d been evicted, that the police had been called, and that quietude would resume.
Granada feels like a large town. There is enough to discover. The location to other interesting cities is great and I am within walking distance to the bus station, which is supposed to be better than local trains. The weather is what I’d call temperate with blue skies during the day and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance. I feel an affinity for it, sort-of like how I felt growing up in Seattle. In that way it “feels” familiar. Seattle is a port city with international influence but in fact, when I was a kid, it was not quite the sophisticated city of world class stature that it is today.
I HAVE A DEAL WITH MYSELF. This trip is a retreat, a personal retreat from my own nonsense. And so in closing, I am just reminding myself that MY work is THE work of focus on this trip.
I’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions about how I made this dream come true, how you might turn one of your dreams into reality, or a question specific to Granada, please put it in the comments below. I will reply.
Ciao for today.
Jaki says
This self-care retreat that you have gifted to yourself is so inspiring to me. Thank you for allowing me to share some of the insights you are experiencing. My focus is so much output and I am stepping back into the realm of giving more of my substance back to myself.❤️️
patriciaapatton says
How absolutely affirming you’ve taken a moment to say “Hey.” Funny how a little distance can mean so much. I like the poetry of the thought, “giving more of my substance back to myself.”
Ramona says
This sounds wonderful — a true dream. What a perfect time to work on self. Enjoy and I hope to catch up with you when you’re back.
patriciaapatton says
Hey Ramona. It is a dream-come-true of many years associated with me having decided many years ago about how I wanted to live. I am getting into it big-time now (smile). The execution of the dream is like unwrapping a delicious chocolate bar. You are hoping you like it. And in this case, it’s a fit. I really do. Let’s definitely hook up. Thanks for reading.