Every time I’m in Catalunya I’m taken over by a sense awe, an awe at the flags draping from every balcony, from every home, and from every corner. It is intoxicating to see flags that are the same as my own.  It is exhilarating… and so I understand the Catalans’ unnerving feeling at seeing a flag not quite their own etched on their passport, but having no say in the matter.  I understand them. I feel them.  Because even though these words come out in English, my heart knows no other language but Spanish.

Continue reading A nation united in tears →

There, I said it. I’m not ashamed to admit it, and I’m not even a climber.  Everest is a joke. I have no respect for 99% of people summiting it.

You learn a lot through the trekking grape vine, and some of it is actually true. You learn what tea houses have the least offensive
apple pie. You learn what type of baby powder to sprinkle on your body to mask 2 weeks without a shower. And you learn which peaks are climbed for bragging rights and which ones are actually hard. Take for instance, Annapurna, which is 757 meters shorter than Everest, but has a 40-50% death rate. Everest, on the other hand, is a tourist joke for people with far more money than common sense.
Continue reading Everest: Excess of oxygen, money, and common sense. →

I admit it. I talk to strangers. I’d probably also take candy from them if offered. It may be a character flaw, and Roy seems to think so, but usually because I end up befriending them with few inhibitions.

Earlier this year I made a list of things that truly made me happy. Traveling and spending time with friends was at the top of the list, closely followed by the work I do– inexplicably, I’m still quite passionate about it. I decided to put myself in the path of life, to make it easy for the world to unravel itself, giving me what I truly wanted. I made lists of ideas on how to get more adventures in, how to travel more, how to spend time with the people I love.

Things started to fall in place. I visited friends. I had adventures. But I wanted more. I was addicted (and still am).
Continue reading Taking candy from strangers →

There’s a saying in Puerto Rico that roughly translated says– “it’s not the same to call on the devil than to see him come”. Be careful what you wish for…you may just get it.

The past year has been tempestuous yet jawdroppingly inspiring. I’m unmarried for the first time in almost a decade, and though the first day or two were a bit frightening (for obvious reasons), the rest of the trip has been scary for entirely unexpected reasons.

You see, we all have plans and dreams for the future, and sometimes we unexpectedly put them on hold only to realize that we’ve lost ourselves in the process. Coming to the realization that accomplishing those plans and dreams are entirely within ones reach is scary. You can no longer blame anyone else for your failures or plans left undone. You are the master of your own ship, the skipper of your own boat.
Continue reading Blame no one but yourself →

I’m ashamed to say that my friends have told me I have an easy
life. I don’t know why I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true– I
have an easy life. I wake up without an alarm clock every morning.
I’ve been known to leave in the middle of the day to ride my bike
through forests and scenic highways. I’ve even been known to sleep
during business hours. Overall, I think most of my life’s
inconveniences are self-made.
Continue reading Bored of the easy life →