Almunecar, summer 2010

Erik and I love to travel. We both possess incredibly strong (and argumentative) personalities, but when we travel, we have learnt to live with a synchronicity. We enjoy similar things and have a similar sense of wanderlust. We also see the world as one big adventure, waiting to be discovered. I think this is perhaps my single favorite thing about him….his curiosity about the world.



Our recent trip to Spain was filled with normal ups and downs. From the outside perspective, I have been told it looked idyllic. Frankly, parts of it were simply breathtaking and zen-inspiring. But like anything truly extraordinary, some parts were hard as well.



But the good parts....they were simply great.



There was magic in the landscape and colors……



There were moments of pure bliss….



There were balmy evenings spent on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean with always-cold white wine, Serrano ham and crusty bread….



And there were experiences and emotions to soak in. Football comes very close to religion in most small towns in Spain.



There were new toys of all shapes....



And sizes....



And there were (many) hot afternoons spent nibbling on tappas, drinking sangria and letting boy wonder wander along cobblestone sidewalks....



And lots of days filled with adventures for boys, both big and small.



Traveling is, at its very best, an escape from the ordinary and a journey into the extraordinary.



We were lucky to be staying with family during this trip. It made things alot easier and alot more special. And in a million ways, it felt natural to share this trip with people who form part of the rich tapestry of our lives. It hits you hard, as you grow older, just how important and fulfilling it can be to foster these connections through the years. I hope that as boy wonder grows older, that he remembers how wonderfully rewarding it can be to connect with other people on a human level. At the very best of times, it doesn't even require language.



Not all days spent traveling can be perfect....but during this trip, except for a couple of days of illness, they all came close. I don’t know if it had to do with planning, with destination or with company; I suspect however that it was a precarious combination of those three things.



There were a couple of scary days, including one that required a trip to a foreign language pharmacy to find medication for a sick toddler. But we all recovered, only slightly worse for the wear. And on the balance….it was a grand adventure, the kind of journey that helps shape us into the people we want to become.



I’ll always hold a soft spot for Spain, in particular Almunecar, because it’s where I saw boy wonder experience travel, at its very best.