September 6th 2021- September 6th 2022
Well, here we are! We find ourselves celebrating again just two weeks after our long-awaited wedding. One year round the sun in Louis; seeing each season of this great continent as nomads. Celebrate every chance you get– that's what New Orleans taught me. We went directly to the mountains and opened up a small bottle of Greek wine we've carried around for 8 months. We didn't like it so we promptly poured it down the drain and continued our alcohol detox after our 3 hedonistic weeks in the states.
An unassuming valley with staggering mountains and a small village welcomed us. The Picos de Europa. A 500m hike up on a beautiful September afternoon with fresh air and spring water. September is Ben's favorite month, especially in the mountains where the nights are chilly and the days splash gentle sunshine all over the place. We love Spain immensely, just as much as we always did, and maybe even more after all these other places.
I haven't had the chance to write about our experience in Spain yet, but I will. I will.
To take the time to reflect on this year is challenging, as it feels like constant stimulation that never ends. I can feel it in my body and in my mind. It is, of course, a wondrous life we've been living these last 12 months, but the longest we've stayed anywhere since February 1st is two weeks... and even that only happened twice. We've been on the go, filled to the brim with experience and food and history and information and new people. Palamos, Palermo. Meteora, Matera. Mark and Marc and Marcos. "What was that guys name again, who helped us so generously that one time in that place?"
We've kept a "one line a day" journal to actually keep up with all these bits and pieces, and I very much look forward to taking the time to let it all sink in and digest here soon, once it stops coming at us all the time, all at once. We feel eager to settle down!
Small things like where we will wash our clothes, or where we will have internet connection or where we can refill our elusive coriander spice start to be quite exhausting. In July we finally reached peak camper-mode and went 10 days without a real shower, bathing only in rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.
We're tired and filled with gratitude all at once.
Luckily, after all our searching, we think we've found the place we'd like to settle. A perfect little bookend for this grand ole adventure.
As I write this now, I'm watching the shadows of leaves dance on the wall of what might be my future studio space, long term. In what might be our house for a year. More on that later, when I write a lengthy post and make a film about a magnificent place nestled in the pre-Pyrenees we just might stay for a long long while. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for following along for the ride.
Here's a little recap of our year:
With love and dappled light,