Tag Archives: News from Home

Kite trip 2017 – Round 2

We are back in Punta Chame after a 10 day trip back to the States. Eric’s grandmother turned 90 years young on February 25th, and we insisted on being at her party to celebrate with her and over 100 of her closest friends and family members! We also had the chance to see the Solms and Paris families, all the nieces and nephews, to catch up with some friends, and to watch Carolina beat Dook at my sister’s house! Woohoo! Additionally, we welcomed not one, but TWO new nieces (or as Eric insists on saying, first cousins, once removed) into the world – one from each side of the family! Congrats again to Ashley and Ian, Shawna and Kevin! We can’t wait to meet Chloe and Kenna!

I also really appreciated our home while we were there. I am finally embracing the fact that I am not the outdoorsy girl that I’ve always wanted to be. I love that our walls and our ceiling connect. I love my shower and fluffy towels. I love my dishwasher. I love sitting in my chair with a book, a blanket, and my dog.

While we were home I voiced these thoughts to Eric. In response, he commented that I’m more attached to the material comforts than he is. I didn’t like hearing that. I was offended, actually, when he said it. But it’s true. I don’t like that about myself, and I don’t know what to do about that. Maybe it’s okay to like things clean and comfortable. But maybe I can work on the part of me that thinks I need a dishwasher. Maybe that’s part of what I’m doing here in the middle of nowhere. I hope to continue to be intentional about that over the next three weeks.

It’s amazing and strange how normal the flights down here are getting for us. We know the Miami airport well. We know to ride the train two stops down from our usual gate to get Wendy’s for Eric and that my smoothie place is past the Cuban restaurant. I take comfort in the fish themed art on the walls and the familiar brass inlay on the floors. I know that Miami will be the coldest part of our journey – that airport is always freezing! We’re continually reminded how blessed we are (this sounds trite even as I write it, but I really do mean it) that we can have these adventures.

Yesterday, Eric finally got to kite in some decent wind! He was thrilled. There isn’t much that gets him as excited and emotive as kiting. It’s a lot of fun to see. He had a couple of good jumps too – one about 2 feet off the water that he landed, and one about 4 feet that he…did not land so gracefully. As the sun began to set, Eric was out on the water with only two other people, his instructor and another instructor. A few minutes later, he had the whole beach completely to himself. THIS is why we’re here.

I guess I haven’t announced here that I have a couple of new jobs. I have been thinking for a long time that I would enjoy editing novels. Finally, a few months ago, I decided to go for it. After applying to some internships and not having much luck, I sent out emails to a few publishers that I found through a random Google search saying that I was willing to read and evaluate the manuscript submissions they receive from prospective authors. Within a couple of days, the Editor in Chief of a publishing house in Colorado wrote back offering to let me do exactly that. I started almost immediately, and it’s been a great thing for me. I read synopses of novels plus the first three chapters, usually from a hammock, and then evaluate them. Don’t get me wrong – some submissions are boring, some are terribly written, and some have so many comma splices that I want to scream – but it’s the kind of work I can see myself doing for a while. The best part is that my editor is willing to answer all of my questions about publishing and editing. She seems like she’s willing to be a sort of mentor to me as I set out into this new field – and that’s exactly what I need.

While we were in Maryland for Gram’s birthday, I received an email from a larger publisher in London offering to let me review mainly mystery and crime novels that are nearly ready to be published. With these books, I am getting to practice some actual editing, in addition to evaluating the story. The two gigs complement each other well, and I am learning a lot from them. Did you know that in the UK, they generally say, for example, “the whole group are going to lunch,” as opposed to “the whole group is going to lunch”? Like I said, I’m learning a lot…both about editing and about UK English and grammar.

Yep, it’s about to get super interesting, folks. Stay tuned for more grammar trivia.

 

Back in Raleigh!

We’re back in Raleigh!  We’re currently living back in our old house downtown, but in one of the bottom apartments instead of in the whole upstairs like we used to.  We’re doing the minimalist thing while we search for a house, so it ain’t pretty, but we’re comfortable.  And Addie has finally calmed down and settled in, which is important.  The poor dog has gone from this house to Asheville (with my parents) to Panamá to Asheville to this house (but the wrong part of it – she keeps trying to go upstairs where she belongs) all in the past 16 months or so.  She’s a little confused.

Addie

She obviously suffered at the hands of my parents.

It’s been exciting to reconnect with friends and family over the past week.  We were able to hang out with Eric’s parents, brother and sister-in-law, and their kids on our first day back.  My parents came the second day.  We visited my sister and her family on the third day.  During the following days, Eric reconnected with his frisbee group, I visited my dear friend Becca and her 10 month old, we had sushi with DRay and Sarah – who are soon to be married! – and spent another evening reconnecting with my sister’s family.  It’s been a great week.

Summer and Eric

Our 10 month old niece, Summer.

It’s been funny to see what cultural differences have made an impression on us.  I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed is that the grocery carts here are HUGE!  Panamá had two choices – a smaller and a larger size – but even the larger is no match for Kroger or Target’s carts.

 

And of course the driving has been different.  Although driving in Panamá is pretty intense, Eric and I both developed a deep appreciation for the mindset of drivers there.  Nearly every Panamanian driver pays close attention to the road at all times…because you kinda have to.  People don’t seem to get as angry with each other because they just expect that other folks are going to do crazy things – turn left from the right lane, ignore stop signs, turn a 2 lane road into a 3 lane, turn out in front of you, etc.  When you’re prepared for that, not only do you not get mad when it happens, but you start to do it too…which can be kinda fun.  I’ll miss it, for sure.  I’m a lot calmer and more attentive driver in Panamá.  Working on that one…

 

Another thing is my feeling of security.  I VERY rarely felt unsafe in Panamá.  I was cautious, of course, but I can’t remember a specific time when I felt nervous or worried about my safety.  Oddly, I think I felt more alike most of the folks there.  Or maybe I just didn’t notice the differences among others there because everyone was different from me…language, culture, color, everything.  Here, it’s easier to pick out the folks that I am alike and distinguish them from the folks that are different from me in smaller ways.  We share a language and a geographical background, so I focus in on the smaller details.  I’m not sure.  It’s a strange feeling and something I’m trying to work through as I’m writing this.  It makes me remember Panamá fondly, but also makes me realize how comfortable it is to be back.  I’m not sure if any of that makes sense…

Anyway, a couple of notes about the end of our Panamá adventure.

We went to our last Panamá fútbol game vs. Haiti…and WON!  We had lost the previous two games that we attended, so it was really cool to win our last one.  We got covered with celebratory flying beer, and loved it.  I also managed to get us two free tshirts from the group next to us, which came with an invitation to be in their group photos.  Fun!

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During our last weekend, a good part of the capoeira group gathered at our friend Auri’s place for a going away party.  Auri made arepas and empanadas – amazing – and Eric was happy.  Jessie also gave me a mug that says “Fula,” which is Panamanian for blondie.  Very sweet.

Mahalia, Jessie, Paola
My girls!
Kike! Again, pronounced Key-kay.
Dario’s former brother-in-law, Auri, Auri’s daughter Vicky, Mahalia, Jessie, Paola, and me

 

The next day, Eric and I took Lourdes just outside the city to her mom’s house so we could pick up her daughter Cari.  On the way back to the city, Lourdes began to feel really sick and had a lot of abdominal pain.  She insisted that she would be okay and just needed to go home, so we dropped her off, bought a few groceries for her, delivered them to her house, then left with a promise to check on her the next day.  Early the following morning, she texted me to let me know that she was heading to the emergency room because she had been sick all night and was still in a lot of pain.  I rushed out of the house, picked her up at work, and took her to the ER.  Luckily, she turned out to be fine – it was a gastrointestinal thing that they said could be cured by laying off the greasy food.  Hard to do in Panamá.

Eric and Lourdes – sweet friends.
Poor Lourdes in the ER waiting room.
Check out the wooden wheelchair!

 

The night before we left, we tried a restaurant called Donde José in Casco Viejo.  Only 4 small tables plus 4 seats at the bar.  10 courses.  Pure amazingness.  Definitely competed with the Fearrington House Restaurant outside of Chapel Hill, which had previously been my favorite splurge restaurant.  The food was absolutely spectacular.  Interesting combinations, wonderful flavors, very creative.  And beautiful!  Look!

The couple from Birmingham with which we spent a good deal of the evening talking.
Pork belly – usually not my fave, but this was just perfect!
Pulpo – octopus. I just can’t do it. Left this one for Eric. But the shell/crust thing is just milk. Very strange.
Can’t remember what was special about this, but isn’t it the cutest chicken wing ever?
The tiniest pot of a “levantamuertos.” That literally means dead-raiser, and is a word used for a hangover cure! Oyster stew.
This was one of the best courses. A yuca waffle with yogurt and some kind of…maybe honey syrup?
Course #1, a cheese fritter with truffle sauce and flowers….because flowers.
We fancy.

 

After dinner, our sweet friends Lourdes and Mono came over, as well as our British neighbor Elliott from upstairs.  As is always the case with them, we had a great time talking and laughing.  Elliott ended up staying until nearly 1…then left with plans to meet us at 6 am for the sunrise on the roof of our building.

 

5:55 am came and Eric and I actually got out of bed.  We banged on Elliott’s door on the way up…no answer.  We went up to the roof anyway, and it was just gorgeous.  We each made one last climb up to the very tip-top of the building, a place with one skinny wobbly handrail and a tilted inclined walk up to the point.  It’s scary, but the view is worth the climb.

 

Now that we’re back home, I have about a week and a half more before I return to my old job at North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services.  I’ll be doing civil work, which is what I was originally hired to do back in 2011.  It is also exactly what I want to be doing.  I’ll also be serving as our intake attorney, which means working with my dear friend Elizabeth, the paralegal with whom I worked on my big class action case for about 5 years.  I’m very excited.

 

Eric has his office set up at a folding table in the kitchen of our little apartment and seems happy enough for the time being.  His office is just a short walk from here, so he also has the option to actually put on pants and go in, should he chose to do so.  Kidding…he’s actually very good about hopping up, showering, putting on real clothes, and going into work mode at home.

 

Thanks so much for all of your support over the past year and a half.  It’s been an adventure, and we were so glad to have all of you checking in on us and following our story.

 

 

Spain/Morocco Trip Part IV – Barcelona

Saturday, December 26 – Salamanca to Madrid to Barcelona

As I write this, we are on the train on the way from Salamanca to Madrid.  From there we will take a different train to Barcelona.

Eric’s full out sick today, poor thing.  Chest congestion, stuffy nose, droopy…the whole bit.  We’ve gotten some drugs into him and he’s sleeping a little now.  We’re grateful for another fairly slow-paced day.  We’ll see how he does tomorrow, but I might do a little exploring in Barcelona on my own during the day.

Tomorrow night we’re meeting up with my friend Marta and her boyfriend for dinner.  When I was 16, I stayed with Marta and her family for a month just outside of Barcelona, then Marta came to NC with me for a month.  I had the pleasure of visiting her house and her family again when I was studying in Sevilla in 2003 (age 20) when 3 friends and I traveled up to Barcelona.  This time, it’s been 12 years since we’ve seen each other, but I’m finally getting to the point where I’ll feel comfortable speaking to her!  We’ve been so awkward around each other in the past, so I’m excited about the possibility of reminiscing and hearing how things were for her in NC all those years ago.

Three Days Later:

We’re now on the train back from Barcelona to Madrid on Tuesday night, December 29th.  We arrived in Barcelona on Saturday night, the 26th, found our hotel, called Hotel Curious, and pretty quickly set out to find food.  We ended up a few doors down from the hotel at this wonderful little place where I had the most amazing salad I’ve had in quite a while.  I think I’ve mentioned before that Panamá doesn’t have much in the way of lettuce or salad.  Anytime you hear about salad, they’re talking about potato salad or something else mixed with mayo.  Not Spain.  Spain means lettuce!  And tomatoes!  And in my case this time, a sweet and sour chicken, sprouts, pomegranate, corn nuts (which I could’ve done without) and some kind of soy and sesame dressing.  Amazing.  I also had a Eric-like craving for bourbon, so I ordered a copita de Four Roses and we settled in for a little while.  Eric wasn’t quite as fond of his dinner, but he had a beer and as usual, the potatoes were pretty good, so he was happy.  Plus, he won a bet over the “Bubbles!!!!!  Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!” fish in Finding Nemo.  I didn’t remember that he was the one to close the chest and make the bubbles stop.  Silly me.  Anyway, as most of you know, when Eric is right, Eric is happy.

The next morning, we slept in, a la España, missed breakfast and found a café just off Las Ramblas for lunch.  Las Ramblas is a beautiful street…or boulevard seems like a more appropriate term…where people stroll among flower carts, souvenir stands, cafés, artists, living statues and other street performers down towards a statue of Colón (Christopher Columbus), which stands high over the harbor.  Sadly, our café was not quite as lovely.  I depended mostly on the patatas bravas, as usual, to tide me over.

We then headed towards Sagrada Familia.  If you haven’t heard of it, hold on…I’ll get to it in a bit.  Unfortunately, when we showed up on Sunday, we found out that it’s closed to visitors on Sundays (good call…should’ve realized that’d be the case!), and that we couldn’t get tickets until 12:15 on Tuesday.  We were lucky we could fit it in before heading back to Madrid!  Sadly, there were no more tickets available to go up in the towers, so Eric will have to come back to have his chance to see those views.  I’ve been up before, so I wasn’t quite as bummed out as he was, but I still had wanted to go again!

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We decided our next step would be to go to another work by Antonin Gaudí, the architect of Sagrada Familia, called Parc Güell.  It’s a beautiful park up on a mountain overlooking Barcelona.  It’s hard to describe, but there is a lot of colorful, playful mosaic work in the long benches around the area and in the nearby gingerbread house-looking buildings.  It was free to get it when I was last there, but this time they wanted 7 or 9 euros for a 30-minute visit.  We said no thank you because you could get a decent enough look from outside and Eric wasn’t dying to go up close.

By this time, Eric had survived his worst day of whatever bronchitis, flu, cold thing that he had and had passed it on to me.  Since neither of us were feeling great, we went back to the hotel for a nap.

Next up was dinner with Marta and her boyfriend, Enric.  Again, Marta is the girl whose family I lived with for a month during an exchange program to Spain through the Rotary Club after my sophomore year of high school.  We had briefly seen each other again in 2003, but had barely even emailed since then.  I was glad to discover that conversation flowed fairly freely among all four of us once we got to dinner.  As Eric pointed out, when travel is the topic of conversation, everyone is eager to share their experiences and it’s easy to come up with questions to ask.  When I asked how long they had been together, both Marta and Enric responded by counting the number of trips they had taken together.  Each year during August, they take a month long trip to some crazy corner of the world.  The first year, and just before the war broke out there, they went to Syria.  They’ve also been to the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and India, I believe.  Pretty amazing.  Colombia is on their list, and we’re trying to steer them to Panamá too.  We may be a little biased.  Anyway, Eric had his first paella for dinner, which was fairly good, then Marta and Enric graciously walked back most of the way to the hotel with us, giving us a little bit of a tour on the way.  All in all, a very nice visit.

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On Monday, we headed to Montserrat.  Montserrat is…well…many things, from what we could tell.  First of all, it is a mountain (or perhaps a cluster of them) with absolutely stunning scenery.  Bazillions of years ago (or maybe not quite that long ago), some folks built a monastery up there, along with a chapel carved into this cave in the side of the mountain and some other stuff.  Now, there’s also a school, which houses and teaches members of their prestigious boys’ choir, along with a whole tiny little town.  There are also hours of hiking trails with incredible views.  Had we been healthy, had more time, and perhaps been a tad bit warmer, I think we could’ve spent a lot more time there.  As it was though, I was having my worst sick day and the hiking didn’t do much for my cough or chest and throat pain.

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Oh, and to get up to this crazy place, you can either drive, take a train, or take a cable car…which I would actually call more of a gondola.  It’s just one of those things that hangs from one tiny little arm that clamps onto the wires above it like a ski lift.  Always has seemed a little shady on the engineering there, but I figured if a GA Tech grad trusted it, I’d go along.  And it was fine.  The worst part of it was the combination of people shoving us out of the way to get to the windows to take photos and the people taking US politics in the center of the thing.  It was a long 5 minute ride.  Or maybe my sore throat had me a tad cranky.

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To get up even higher from there, we took this crazy train that sits at probably a 40 degree angle on the side of the mountain.  Again, a little scary, but pretty cool once my Yellow Jacket explained the counterweight system that kept it working.  There were two train cars on the track that always crossed in the middle, thereby keeping each other in place.  Yes, a shoddy explanation, but if you cared about details, you’d be reading Eric’s blog, not mine.

You’re right, he doesn’t have a blog.  And yes, I’ve asked him to guest blog.  For the past year I’ve asked him.  Obviously, no luck yet, folks.  Sorry.  Stuck with me for the time being.

So anyway, we got back from Montserrat, took our daily nap, then headed off to dinner at this lovely place that makes use of one portion of the old city wall as one of its walls.  There I had olives so big I had to eat them like a plum, a glass of red wine, and gluten free bread with tomato and jamón serrano on it.  Eric had this typical Catalonian food (that pretty much just looks like a pizza) with amazing chorizo, red peppers, and onions.  I insisted upon dessert, especially once I saw that they had flourless chocolate cake.  My favorite.  It was every bit as amazing as you’re thinking it probably was.

So today, Tuesday, December 29, we packed up our bags, stored them at the hotel, then headed off to Sagrada Familia for our scheduled and highly anticipated visit.  If you have never heard of it, it’s spectacular.  This church was designed by Antonin Gaudí in the late 1800’s and is still being built.  I’ve been lucky enough to visit it on 4 separate occasions – in 1998, 1999, 2003, and now in 2015.  It was incredible to see the progress they’ve made since my last visit.

The inside of the church has been completed in the past 12 years, and I had managed to refrain from seeing photos of it.  It was an incredible surprise to see it this time around.  Last time there was scaffolding everywhere, drop cloths, workers…you really couldn’t get a feel for what it was going to look like.  But this time…oh!  I walked into this huge place and felt awe like I’ve never felt before in a church or cathedral.  This is not your typical gothic cathedral.  The stained glass windows are brilliantly designed to just bathe the interior with warmth and light.  The columns are like trees, so you feel as though you’re in a huge forest.  I could go on and on, but I think I’ll just show you the photos instead…

And now, we’re on our way back to Madrid where we’ll grab some dinner, rest up tonight in a hotel near the airport, then catch our 10+ hour flight back tomorrow!  Then I’ll wash my jeans for the first time in 12 days.

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