I’ve driven a car only handful of times in Spain–and most of those were in the past month. Under the supervision of a driving instructor. Even though I’ve been driving for 30 years. Some Spaniards I talk to are surprised to learn there is no reciprocity with the United States on the matter of drivers’…
The Best Laid Plans
In December, 2022, I printed out a monthly calendar for 2023 and started filling it in. “If I can just make it ’til August,” I thought. I made it ’til March. Planning my parents’ visit had nearly done me in. Probably because planning trips to New York and California hadn’t been the easiest thing to…
Things Learned on The Queen Mary 2
Sleep on a cruise ship can come in a variety of forms. Level 0 would be no movement at all: you and your bed would easily stay in the same position the entire night. Level 0 is never actually experienced on a cruise ship, unless you are sleeping in one that has been dry-docked for…
Signs of Spring
On our terrace, the first poppy has bloomed and the irises are only days away from bursting open. The afternoon sun makes our living room so warm that Michael has to pull down the shades. But my favorite sign of spring’s impending arrival? The local artisanal ice cream shop has opened. When I walked in…
Saturday Lunch (Random Roadside Restaurant in Spain version)
After taking our drink orders, the waiter returned with a Coca-cola Zero, a flask of wine, and two tall glasses, scratched from years of use. I wondered why he didn’t bring a wine glass as I pulled the cork from the flask. “How does that work again?” Michael asked me, eyeing the flask. “How do…
Four Years Ago
Four years ago: An alarm on my phone would sound at 9pm reminding me it was time to get ready for bed. Today: I rarely go to sleep before midnight. Four years ago: My vacation dates were pretty much the same time as every other teacher and every family with school-age children in the US….
Best Moments of 2023
As usual, they are in no particular order. . . As usual, I’m sure there are many more that I missed. If that was you, I’m sorry. Know that I love each and every one of you and any moment shared with you is a moment I treasure. Much love to you all, Rebecca
A First Time For Everything
“You are so lucky, kid,” I told my youngest sister Meg as we stood in St. Peter’s Square, the basilica looming over us. “You will never see it like this ever again.” It was January, 2022. By this point, we’d taken COVID tests in three different countries. In the coming days, we’d stand in an…
Culture Differences: The Morning Coffee Edition
“Do you want anything?” Michael asked as I looked at the piles of sandwiches and pastries sitting on the counter of the bar. “No, just coffee,” I said. “We make the croissants ourselves,” the barkeeper said. “Everyone who tries them likes them.” “Well, in that case. . . I’ll share one with you,” I told…
Lunches, Liquor and Other Rabbit Holes
“I just finished my small lunch,” Ricardo said. I knew what he meant. He had just finished his almeurzo. If you look up the English translation, it will say, “lunch.” But in Valencia, Spain (where Ricardo lives), it is definitely not lunch. Almuerzo consists of a small sandwich accompanied by a glass of wine or…
RenaissanceRebecca 