Madrid

I finished Less Than Zero on the flight over from DC. IAD to FRA. FRA to MAD.

Arriving in Frankfurt, the immediateness of my situation became increasingly apparent. I kept my iPod off, though I found distraction in another coke-dusted story of Bret Easton-Ellis. In the airport, I put down my Kindle just long enough to help translate for a frantic Chinese family. They checked their stroller at the gate and it was sent to their connecting flight instead of left out for pick up; try communicating that through charades. I now have a place to stay in Naples, should I ever need it.

It was the imminent arrival of the unknown. My imminent arrival in a foreign country. Time that I failed to recognize I needed. Time away from family and friends. Time away from the comfort of home and my bed.

Enter Madrid. My first stop.

Home for a bit.

Time for change.

As I collected my pack, I thought of the unknown that laid ahead of me. A new city. A different language. No plans, but I was finally detached. Disconnected. Liberated.

There are restrictions wherever you look.

Dream big, even if you're living small.

Though I brought almost all new music to listen to during the trip, I decided I wanted to immerse myself in the sounds and energy of the city, and I succeeded. What I accomplished by doing so, I'm still unsure of.

Despite the spontaneity of my trip, I managed to cover both classical and modern art museums, an afternoon among roses, getting caught in the rain, a football game in the Real Madrid stadium, and most importantly, the sobering perspective granted by traveling alone in a new place.

Beauty, everywhere.

Do you know where to look?

It was time for me to learn to be on my own, to let go, and to get in touch with getting lost.

As I left La Retiro, Madrid froze. A city stopped and a boy in motion. The skies shut down and the clouds opened up. As people hid under overhangs and in bars, I continued forward, letting each step remind me of where I was, and that it didn't matter where I was going.

Get caught in the rain; it's probably been far too long.

(By the way, some of you may be happy to know my jeans received a much needed rinse during that walk back.)