Happy Hump Day, Y’all!
Yes, I am up about 6 hours earlier than the USA as a fact of being in Western Europe, Sabadell, Spain, to be exact! I wasn’t going to do an e-mail today, but then I remembered that I am a writer … perhaps a self proclaimed one … yet indeed a writer of sorts!
I have been in Catalunya now almost a week, come tomorrow it will be a week, and I have had the most intriguing moments in my life up ’til now. No, no movie producers found me or anything, but I have been able to find pieces of myself! As many of you know, I have put a “hold” on all of the “prostate” drama to take “my birthday present to myself” vacation here in Spain … hopefully I will make it to a few other places as I have France and Germany in my radar for the next two months. I have been both a tourist and a “self healer” as I am seeking to slowly change my diet to encompass more fruit and plant based diet cuisines even while here in the land of “meats”, as I call it after seeing so many shops with meats hanging in the windows. Most of the restaurants are the same though I have found a few “plant based” and “vegetarian”shoppes/restaurants on one of my journeys in Las Ramblas downtown Barcelona with a profound vegan advocate! Which takes me to a most intriguing episode that I experienced here . . .
Most of you know, those who care, that I started talking about coming here about two or three months ago to celebrate my birthday. Not only was I a bit disappointed in the outcome of the election, though I was a Bernie Sanders supporter, I just began to see the lies that so many Americans were willing to tell themselves and believe, not to mention the onslaught of “killings” of African American men … and women … in the streets of “the land of the free, home of the brave …” (Please don’t ask me to complete this sentence!) I could’ve been one of those people in the streets of America … or in the commercials for Southwest Airlines, “So, you wanna get away?!” I had chatted by phone, back then, with a former student of mine at White Plains High School, “Nora”, who now lives in Brookfield, CT with her husband and two daughters. Her mother has a house in a town not too far from Valencia and she informed me that she was going to visit in July or so. We exchanged niceties and I told her that I was planning a trip for my birthday, which was July 13th, to Barcelona somewhere around that time … probably after the 13th when my pension comes in to my bank account. Funny and fortunate thing happened is that a friend of mine from White Plains, Jacquie Young, has a daughter who works for Delta and they were able to get me a flight … literally … at the last minute on the 19th of July at half price using the BUDY Pass … round trip to and from Barcelona with a 3 month window which can be moved forward or back a bit up to a year! The energy of the universe began to move in my favor, and, as those of you who read my e-mails and blog know, there were some demonic entities trying to thwart my efforts, the positive energy was able to win out! Nora and I, with her two daughters, Julia and Sofia, had lunch together on the 24th in Barcelona near La Plaza Catalunya! How cool is that!?!!!
I take advice from others while I keep my plans and adjust them as necessary. I know there were people who thought that I wouldn’t be here. I mean even on the day that I was waiting for my pension to be deposited, the freaking IRS took $180.00 from my pension, which I had planned on having each month until I die, for back taxes! Wf@!! Still, I was able to “finagle” and compromise, downsize my expenses even, get to the airport and take the flight that I was able to pay for with my own funds and a small loan, which I pay back in a few days when my funds from another retirement source (NYSUT) come into my account. The power of positivity and the utilization of humility … and faith. I tell my stories in case you want to or might need to hear them. If you prefer not, you know what to do … Let me know!
The journey continues … I’ll keep you posted while I enjoy another week or so in Sabadell/Barcelona at a local gym which I haven’t visited yet, the beach and the Plaza Catalunya! Just keeping it real … or “100” as is the saying today!
Peace,
Educational Excellence 