Final Days, Deep Thoughts, and the Boat People

 As we wound our way back to home (hello, NYC and PHX) and back to life, we had some downtime. We’ve learned to ease back into reality as much as possible. I did have to log back into work, and I was ok with that. I am blessed to be able to take 2 straight weeks off and when it was time to dial back in, I did it with pleasure. 

That said, these long vacations do the job of helping the brain disconnect. Helping kill the “go, go, go” vibe we both get from the culture in the US and from our jobs and now also from our ranch. The downtime is critical to surviving the uptime. I don’t think I’m ready to get back into the life of a US citizen these days, if I’m being honest. 

Life in Europe feels slower. I enjoyed sipping my coffee the other morning in Barcelona and watching moms and dads slowly walking their kids to school. No fast walking. No hectic school drop off. Just a slow, leisurely walk. Often holding hands. You already know I enjoy the cafe culture. The “sobre mesa” vibe that is also well established in Latin cultures. It means to linger over the table. No rush to flip the tables. Stay as long as you like. Even when you stop ordering things. Just be present and enjoy.

Yes, please.

For years, I’ve wondered how to maintain that vibe once back in the States. I think I’ve about decided you can’t. At least not when you are still working full time for the man. You are not your own. And we don’t value stillness here. How truly sad. How amazing it is to simply be.

And so we go back to the craziness feeling, at least for now, a little lighter and very content. Full of the blessings of having been free, if but for just a time.

And now I also need to shout out to our fabulous, dear friend, Christiana. One half of the “boat people” who has been at our place for…well, 2 months now. The first month was a bit unexpected. The second month was to do us a massive favor and ranch sit. Normally Mark would be there, too, but boat work kept him in Mexico. Let’s not pretend it wasn’t a sacrifice for him, too. They’ve been apart this whole time. 

When Christiana is at the ranch, the pets are spoiled and everything is well cared for. The peace of mind this brings is worth its weight in gold. If you’ve ever read one single blog entry over on the Hope in Spades blog, you know taking care of the place is…really a chore:)

So, a toast to the boat people - making our dreams come true one ranch sit at a time while sacrificing their own. May we be able to return the favors you’ve given to us. You are the best!