On September 24th, 2021, around 250 days ago,
Reyka and I arrived in Ubrique, Spain. More than anything, I remember being tired and hungry. A restaurant named El Parque to the side of the bus station was the only place that looked open so, with heavy eyelids spread wide to appreciate the all-white city, we got dinner.
Over the next weeks, we experienced that high that comes from sudden immersion in a new culture. The people, food, architecture, language, and cities with hard-to-pronounce names were all so alien that even the most simple activities hummed with meaning.
Then routine set in. This was usual, a process that gradually occurred to us back in both Mexico and Puerto Rico. You live anywhere for a while, eventually stuff gets normal.
And yet there was another stage this time that we had not experienced before. Due to the multiple month stay in Spain, we began to build a community. A soft “hola” with a head nod was said more often on the streets. We went to football matches and parties and on hikes with friends. Whereas previously we had been tumbleweeds drifting across landscapes trying to enjoy the ride, now we were a dandelion seed that had floated down to grow and spread roots.
With a transatlantic flight next week, let me tell you, these roots are not easily dug up. Leaving and therefore stalling further growth is painful because it feels like the roots will still be alive when we leave. It feels like part of us will be left behind.
Still, whenever a goodbye or ending is painful, I always like to remember the quote, “don’t be sad that it’s over, be happy that it happened.” A glass-half-full kind of mindset typically makes these chapter transitioning moments much easier to navigate, and there’s much reason to have one:
- I’m grateful for the students I taught while here. Ridiculous, curious, young, hilarious, good. The teenagers here are pretty much the same as those back home. Same problems. Same jokes. Same social dynamics.
- I’m grateful for Spain’s open arm treatment of outsiders. Sure, they look twice when they see me walking by with socks and sandals, but as soon as they realize I’m sane they still greet me wholeheartedly!
- I’m grateful for all the time Reyka and I had to explore together! We visited 4 new countries; France and Italy in particular were our favorites.
- I’m grateful for YOU! Thank you so much for all the support for our work. We have big dreams and they wouldn’t feel remotely possible if we hadn’t received such passionate support already. And, who knows?Maybe, because of this community, we could be tumbleweeds moving around the world while growing roots, with you! Why must they be mutually exclusive?
As Newsletter Subscribers you all get to know first where we are going next. Our Country #8 is….. The Dominican Republic!!
World famous beaches, hiking mountains, chasing waterfalls, sand boarding, surfing, and discovering the Dominican dance, food and culture that is famous around the world are just a few of the highlights coming up.
In the meantime, I want to recommend a book! Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer explores the life of Chris McCandless, an American adventuring young adult who famously perished in the Alaskan bush while attempting to live entirely off the land. It’s both inspirational and, fair warning, tear-jerking towards the end.
Anyhoo, that’s it for June. Take care y’all!
Peace out,
Wyatt and Reyka