Sometimes I just miss everywhere I've been... ♥

No matter how much I may enjoy where I am, I'll get a wave of missing where I've been. As a traveler I've been asked over and over, "Where's your favorite spot?". That's the hardest question to answer. Like when someone asks, 'What's your favorite movie, book, song?" How do you pick a favorite song when there are so many great ones? I don't think I'm the only one afflicted by this.

When I want constructed beauty with secret spots, I miss Paris. When I want loud laughter, sunshine and instant friends, I miss Barcelona. When I want to walk for miles from sun up to sun down, I miss the Camino. When I want to refuel on love, good food, and easy living, I miss the South of Spain. When I want to sit on the floor drinking wine, chatter over coffee, and laugh till I pee my pants, I miss Toronto.

I have one month till I return to Toronto. Ask me a month ago and I had very solid reasons for returning. I was very firm in why I was going back. I knew myself so well though that I bought a ticket then... because if I didn't, I'd get caught up in the moment, and who knows how many months it would be before I felt the pull to go back. I have important people to see, jobs to attend to, a life to 'get in order'. Right? Well, listening to the waves of the ocean, that all seems impossible. I've made promises that I need to keep, but otherwise I feel like everything else can wait. Maybe I have Bocas fever and a case of Hotel California Syndrome but I think it's safe to say, the 'live by the seat of your pants' is the lifestyle for me. I don't think I'll be grounded in one place for too long, even a place I've missed so much. I give myself three months before these itchy feet are ready to roam again. I cringe and smile to start the ticking clock, 30 days till I touch home snow.

  

WEBSITE COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Photo credit starting from top, Paris by Jenn, Barcelona by Nat, Camino by Alex, South of Spain by Alex, Outside Toronto with Jus by Kate.

Coming home for realsies!

I'll be coming home Jan 10th, 2013. To buy my plane ticket I put my residence as Canadian, my passport as Canadian but my card as French with a French address that's linked to my Spanish passport while buying in American dollars... I though I had fritzed the system because it refreshed three times to tell me it was changing currency and did I approve? Then took me to a page that didn't seem quite like a confirmation. A few hours later I got the ticket delivered to my inbox so it's really true. Bitter sweet but coming and going always is.

October 2nd was the first time I ever cancelled a plane ticket. I was to fly from Panama City to Florida and figure out where to go from there. On cancelling my ticket I got half back. The ticket was less than $200 to begin with so it wasn't a big loss considering I get to stay in paradise. I learned recently that paradise came from 'walled garden' or 'enclosed park', also referred to as a limbo then finally as idyllic place. I would agree to all of the above.

This year I've been on more planes then I could remember so I've made an effort to track them. It's been a hell of a year:

Toronto to Paris (Train to Spain)

Malaga to Paris

Paris to Barcelona

Barcelona to Ibiza

Ibiza to Barcelona

Barcelona to Paris

Paris to Calvi (Train to Paris)

Paris to Toronto

Toronto to Miami to Panama City

A quick search on Goolge of "make a map of your plane trips" allowed me to make this map:



Fun Facts since my plane trip from Toronto to Paris on September 24, 201l:

Approximate time spent in flight: 28hrs

Miles covered by Plane: 12,749

Kilometers covered by Plane: 20,518

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

I enjoyed reading this book. It's a well researched story that brings you back to Paris is it's most romantic time. It parallels the time frame of A Moveable Feast. The narrative is from the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. One of my favorite quotes from the book is in a letter from Ernest:

"No one you love is every truly lost"

The book club I was part of (before I left Toronto) had it on their list and I've been eager to pick it up. I've savored it although the last chapters the author does a great job of making you feel the pain that Hadley feels. It's a book that leaves room for discussion and if you're looking for a romance read this flows very nicely. It was a pleasure to read.

Hot Apple Cider Recipe

It's been cool (but not Toronto kinda cold) in these Europe parts so I've taken to making spiked hot apple cider for my hosts. It's been very well received and I'm learning that maybe it's more of a Canadian thing then 'of course everyone knows about this' kind of thing. (maybe?)

How To: make four cups of yummy apple cider 

In a double boiler or Baño Maria (Big pot has water, ingredients go in smaller pot that sits in the big pot)
4 mugs full of Box or can of Apple Juice (most natural possible)
About a Spoonful of Cinnamon (Use sticks over ground when you can)
About a Spoonful of Cloves or Allspice
Orange peel (approx. 3/4 of a regular sized orange, just skin it like you would a potato)
About a Spoonful of Maple Syrup (or honey)

Then you let the big pot boil to let the apple juice get hot and it will change colour. When the juice is almost boiling get out the mugs and add a little bit of rum at the bottom. Use a sieve (if you didn't use cloves then you probably don't need a sieve) and pour in the hot goodness. Serve, everyone enjoys.

I love learning how different parts of the world stay warm. In Spain they use a mesa-camia like a table-bed. There's a medium to small circular table with a table cloth over a blanket. Under is a little heater and everyone gathers around pulling the blanket over themselves to get toasty warm.

Heidelberg, Germany

Went for a day trip to Heidelberg yesterday. Drove on the otobon not sure of the spelling but it´s the highway where there´s places with no speed limits. Heidleberg was awesome! there was a pharmacy museum which was basically an old herbal dispensary which i´ve learned about at college so it was amazing for me to see. there was a castle and some amazing vegan friendly sweet shops i was well fed :) A fireworks show too!