Sunsets and Siestas

There I was, wondering down the winding, ancient streets of Toledo. I had no idea where I was and only knew that I was in search of the ancient Jewish walls. Sweating and annoyed in the Spanish heat, I imagine I was a sight for sore eyes as I rambled along the cobblestone. Having all but given up, I made a left turn and tried again. As soon as I rounded the corner, I bumped into someone. ‘Äy! Perdon,’ an older man, reminding me of my own grandpa, gave me a warm smile. “Are you lost?” Stumbling for the correct thing to say I managed to tell him yes, I was lost. He gave me a warm sigh. He noticed I was struggling with my Spanish, he commented, ’poco a poco’. Little by little. “In time it will come.” He ordered two cafe con leches and we sat down. I ended up sitting with that man, (whose name I later learned was Jorge), for over an hour. Not only did he help me find my way to the walls, but he told me about how he had lived in Toledo his whole life, about his wife, his children and grandchildren. His experience in the Spanish army during the years of Franco when inscription was compulsory and his advice on marriage and boyfriends- ¨save your whole heart for the right one and kiss all the wrong ones in-between.” I walked away feeling thankful for not being able to read the map correctly, which led me to Jorge. This small experience in Toledo reminded me what I love about travel. It is more than seeing famous sites and tasting the typical dishes. It is a series of small moments that conjure feelings within you that you cannot feel from any other experience. Being somewhere new, knowing nothing, and relying on yourself are not small feats. After all is said and done, you’ve really accomplished something. You’ve done it on your own, you’ve seen, tasted, smell, danced, drank, talked and gazed in awe at things you had never imagined could be so real and raw and beautiful. My love for travel is not solely based off of fascination of the new and exciting. For me, it is more than that. It is personal; it runs deep within the river of my soul. Much as the same way romantic love affects someone, it is reckless. It has left me feeling confident, invincible, heartbroken. But, like an infatuated boyfriend, travel has come back to me and saved me, reassured me of my love for it and encouraging me on my journey. The journey of life can be as mundane or as exciting as you make it. I choose to make it exciting. And so my journey continues, Poco a poco. Little by little.