A new year, a new look for the blog. I was getting tired of all the orange on that last one. Hopefully you approve of the change as well, dear reader. ;*)
Well, after many long hours of travel, I arrived safely back in Madrid and managed to avoid getting robbed on my way back to the apartment. Hooray for small victories. I am already missing the food back home, although all the eating I did over the break caused me to regain several pounds. Am looking forward to seeing the excess melt off again when I get back into walking 6 miles a day. There's nothing like rapid weight loss to make one feel productive.
Highlights of my trip home (i.e. what I remember off the top of my head):
-eating Taco Bell with Kelsey and Robert after they picked me up from the airport
-sleeping in Steve and Kelsey's ultra-comfy guest room, complete with down comforter, and showering in their deluxe guest shower
-dinner at Beau Thai with Carly and Brad
-lunch with Kelsey at Reed: I brought a turkey pesto provalone sandwich from Marsee Bakery, only they forgot the turkey
-walking up Mt. Tabor with Dad and enjoying the quiet, the smell of damp earth and leaves, and the view
-the excellent traditional Christmas dinner Dad made FROM SCRATCH, right down to the cranberry sauce and popovers
-hugging my aunts and uncles and grandmother and cousin
-playing cards with Erin and Mom
-watching movies with the family
-having a beer and catching up with Chris at El Caporal West in Bend
-getting to chat with my friend and ex-boss Kathy
-romping around a damp Sellwood with Chris and Robert
-staying in Carly and Dannon's warm and peaceful home
-lunch at Laughing Planet with Joe and Linda, hearing with surprise and delight how much they enjoy reading this blog
-New Year's Eve with Robert and Brian and Chris: a good dinner, fascinating conversation about how to defend yourself against tiger attacks or a room full of indestructible five year olds, and an invigorating midnight walk
-realizing how unique and wonderful my friends are
-taking a long walk through the Oaks Bottom Park marsh on New Year's Day with Robert
-having tea and Christmas pudding at Steve and Kelsey's on New Year's Day
-lovely conversation with Carly and Dannon on their new bat couch
-subjecting as many friends as possible to watching Flight of the Conchords video clips on YouTube
-eating way too much, including pounds and pounds of chocolate
-drinking a million mochas
-realizing to my great relief that home is home, my friends are my friends, my family is my family. They will all be there for me when I return, and I don't have to be afraid of being away for the next six months.
Thank you to all the friends and family who helped make my visit home fun and comfortable and full of love. I miss you already.
P.S. Happy Birthday, Erin!
Lucky you who got the chance to have lunch at Reed. I think that was enough to make your winter break the best break ever. Welcome back.
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