As I reread my old entries I'm flooded with memories. It brings back so much that I'd forgotten. I wish that I'd been more diligent about writing in the time since and that I'd put less pressure on myself back then to make it perfect. This for me, not for someone else. It is for me to read in a year or in 50 years to remember the amazing things I've been lucky enough to do. I'm giving myself permission to just post without editing, rereading or trying to perfectly put in pictures, I just want the memories. I'm also going to let go of the fact that I haven't kept up, I can only move forward.
Seven weeks ago I gave notice to the company I'd spent four and half years with. This is the longest I've ever spent anywhere. I'd been putting it off for one reason or another for a long time, but the stars aligned and it was time. It has been hard to step away from this, as I drew so much of my self worth from work, plus it is scary to quit a job without having another one. I've done this before, but not as a real adult with a mortgage, a partner, and settled downish life. I needed the adventure though. Six months ago I did an exercise on values and adventure was one of my top values, but I wasn't leaning into it at all. I'm not exactly sure how long I will be travelling for or where I'll be going.
My first three weeks of the trip were with Kelvin. We started in Chambrey, France for a wedding and then spent a week in Lyon. I loved Lyon! We lucked out with decent weather and the food, gosh the food, it was soooo good. Kelvin crushed it with reservations and we ate amazing meals every night. Highlights included a bouchon, Monsieur P, and some crazy fusion food. Our first night was the bouchon. When we arrived they put us at a table with about 12 people. We had no idea that the food, outside of the main dish, would be served family style. Really we had no idea what was going on. I decided to be safe and order what the French person next to me ordered, Kelvin on the other hand just pointed at something. His order was not safe, and unfortunately, not delicious, but this only came after about 10 side dishes so he survived the blood sausage. Dinner at Monsieur P was my birthday treat, and wow was it a treat. I've never had such amazing food or such a special dining experience. The ten courses lasted three hours. I hope I'm able to come close to having that kind of experience again one day. What was truly amazing, was how good ALL the food was, not just the French food. We ate Korean, African, and some fusion I can't even describe (Morfal) that made me think about food in a new way.
The next week was in Lisbon. The weather was wonderful and you get a crazy workout just walking around the city with all the hills. It was more touristy than we bargained for. My favorite experiences were the Moorish Castle in Sintra (Pena Palace was like Disneyland and I wouldn't go again), Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon (the peacocks are fun!), and the Botanic Gardens.
The last week Kelvin was here we spent on the main island of the Azores. I'd never heard of the Azores before a house show six months earlier. It isn't undiscovered anymore, but it was only a few years ago. Prior to the trip, I was pretty sure I wanted to stay here after Kelvin returned home, but after a few days I was sure. Everywhere to look is a crazy beautiful view. The only downside is that it can be pretty rainy. We were able to go whale watching on a sunny morning. We didn't see whales, but we did see lots of dolphins and a sun fish. The guide was more excited about the sun fish than a whale. She said you only see them a couple times a year. It was very large and pretty ugly. We rented a car for the second half of the week and saw as much of the island as we could. Top experiences included a family owned winery, the lakes, and every single viewpoint (but that cat one was the best). I ruined the end of the trip by getting so sick I had to spend five hours in the ER. It was not ideal, but I was very thankful Kelvin was there.
