In 2008, I quit my corporate job, sold off everything I owned and moved overseas with my husband Drew. Since then we've traveled around the world, started our careers over as creative types and nurtured our love of sleeping in late. Oh and we had a baby. Cole, our almost 2 year old has been traveling since he was four months old and probably knows more Thai than me (not that he brags).
Waking Up on a Different Continent
It’s cold outside. I drank my morning coffee on the porch and watched the fog lift. The trees are already turning and I can’t hear people, cars or anything except the cackle of some crows. I’m definitely not in Madrid anymore.
We arrived in Vermont on Saturday, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I tried to think of a way to encapsulate the last three months, like some kind of mad lib. Madrid was (adjective). I like the (favorite noun) and the (another noun). If you go there you should try (active verb that ends in -ing).
Thankfully no one asked me to give my mad lib version of Madrid.
We’ve been staying in my sister-in-law’s house, and I have been working in their office during the day. The internet connection is so strong, I could weep. The coffee on the other hand, not so much. I’ve been permanently spoiled by European coffee and lesser varieties will forever be held in comparison. Don’t get me started on what passes for a baguette here.
The change between living in Madrid and now staying in Vermont, is like diving into cold water. It’s a shock to the system, even colder than you expected, but after a while you get used to it. We left a city for a small town. Europe for New England. Brown for Green. Hot for Chilly. I hadn’t planned on such a large change, but in a way I’m glad it worked out this way. It’s a clear defining line between chapters. There was Madrid, and now Vermont. There is no confusing the two. Soon there will be Mexico. (Maybe I’m creating my own seasons by country.)
I’ve already taken advantage of being back in the States. I bought my favorite shampoo and conditioner, after months of using generic Spanish brands. I did laundry and used a dryer– a real live dryer (which they don’t seem to have in Madrid). I watched American TV and even caught the premiere of Heroes. I didn’t actively miss these things, but I do enjoy them when available.
So it’s good to be back, it’s the perfect time of year in New England. I plan on diving into the “local” culture: apple picking, making pies and snuggling up with a hot cider. After a summer of traveling, even these creature comforts seem foreign.