Beautiful Vibe

Fun Tina in Spain

I spent most of Sunday writing emails to various hotels in Spain because I am taking a 10 day trip there in May. I've been put in charge of hotel rooms because I am definitely the pickier of the two of us going. Amy is an amazing creature that has absolutely no problems sharing a bathroom with strangers. That's really not in my blood.

My blood is the blood of a family who rarely vacationed and when we did, "roughing it" was considered no towels at the Holiday Inn. In fact, I'd never camped in a tent until I was 26. Sure, I had done the sleep over in someone's backyard in a tent, but a real campground... that might as well have been a foreign country.

Speaking of, this will be my first trip to Europe. I can't believe I haven't made it there yet. I'm just glad we're going to a country that Amy hasn't seen and I speak the language. I think this will be a good first European adventure --- Madrid, Toledo, Sevilla, Jerez, Ronda, Granada and Barcelona. It just sounds exotic to me.

I'm also glad we're going to a country that believes in three hour naps in the middle of the day. I like any place that holds the nap in such high regard. I recognize the siesta isn't just for sleeping, but napping is the star of that show if you ask me. This way, when we land we can immediately take a nap and Amy can't drag me around demanding that I stay awake until 10pm. I fully intend to do as the Spanish do.

I hope my Spanish holds up. I studied for 8 years in school and I'm doing great communicating via email, but much like my everyday life, I am much more comfortable writing than speaking. It's not that I'm uncomfortable talking, but I like the solitariness and quietness of writing. The beauty of editing sentences and playing with words is gone in conversation. I know there's much to be gained in a conversation, but crafting your words is much more difficult in that situation. However, there is one thing that does help my conversational skills in Spanish -- alcohol.

When I drink, my alter-ego "Fun Tina" appears and apparently she can speak and understand Spanish like nobody's business. I will be on vacation, so I could indulge a little more frequently than usual. Fortunately it takes very little to coax Fun Tina out from hiding --- about 1.5 glasses of wine will do the trick. Todo es bien!

posted by T. @ 11:10 PM