It’s my birthday and I will not cry because I do not want to.  I want to be happy and stay happy. It’s my birthday and I have given myself the day off. Well, rather, I have allowed myself to work from home so that I can be with loved ones. I don’t quite understand why we don’t give everyone a day off on their birthdays. Plus people’s mother’s. Come on, without mommy, there is no birthday. So, with all due respect, before I continue, I must thank my mom. Wish she was still here to celebrate this day. Wish I could still get those wacky phone calls from her on my birthday. While, I love celebrating my birthday, I am a bit sad that my mommy is not here still with me. But I will not cry, although my eyes do water.

Today, I am a year older and maybe wiser. Who knows on that one. I will tell you this that I am sure of, I want to travel more.  I want to see the world, warts and all. This year, I would like to return to a country I have not been to in a long time.  I would love to return to Spain.  I was at my local Los Angeles supermarket at around 6am. yes, I go shopping early and I saw a set display advertising products from Spain. I just stared at the display with hunger. Some might have thought I was eyeing the sparkling wine or almonds with an exuberance. However, I was daydreaming of returning to the place where I first learned what it meant to live abroad and see the United States from the eyes of others.

When I lived in Spain I was a vegetarian. I ate plenty of tomatoes there in interesting ways. They spread the tomatoes on the bread which completely got me out of sorts the first time I ordered a sandwich with tomatoes and didn’t see any.  Till this day, I love tomatoes. I can just eat them one after the other as if they were candy.  Now, though, I eat meat again. Thus, I must return an eat their ham and lots of it. I wanted salty ham. Am crazing it and as such I should be returning to Spain.

I will not be returning to Spain today. But I will surely try to do so by this time next year. Travel goals keep me going in the day-to-day craziness.

I highly recommend putting some together.

cheers

mimi