It was an uneventful and early exit from the ship this morning. We had plenty of time so we walked from the port to Placa de Catalunya where we caught the bus to the airport. The temperature had warmed up considerably in the twelve days we were on the cruise making it a great little activity before being on a plane for most of the day.
I've mentioned it before but it was really evident this morning, Spain starts their day a little late in the morning. We were walking through what can be a very busy area at what in the US would have been rush hour. While the streets weren't deserted they certainly weren't busy. I've never been one to sleep in late but I do have to admit I like the Spanish "ease into the day" pace. That afternoon siesta isn't bad either!
We're currently somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean with about another 6 hours until we land in Miami. I've got time on my hands but will try to keep this blog shorter than those long classic novels like Moby Dick and War and Peace that I never read.
So if you're wondering how this lifestyle is suiting us, if we're tired of spending so much time together or how long we're going to keep it up the answers are; love it, not at all and no plans to stop unless health or other circumstances force us to settle down.
We know what we're doing isn't for everyone but there are more of "us" out there than you might expect. We often find ourselves laughing at the fact that we don't miss any of our "stuff". Not paying a utility bill or having to fix or replace something, what's to miss about that? Yard work? Yes it's good exercise but so is a walk or bike ride.
We are together a lot but that's nothing different than prior to retirement. We have a language of our own between us, it's verbal, gestures, strange faces and often just sitting quietly for extended periods of time watching the world go by.
The "how long" is something we don't have complete control over. We may get tired of it, we may have to change it up down the line. The one indisputable fact is we're grateful for the opportunity and try to appreciate every minute of it.
So what's next? February will be mostly spent on AMI helping out, entertaining and being entertained by NaNa. I haven't lost a game of rummy or checkers to her all year, I'm sure she's ready to pounce on me like a tiger.
Additionally, I am so happy that I still have the opportunity to work a few days every now and then with Adventist Health System as a member of a Mission Integration Peer Review team.
Next week I'll be in Denver for most of the week reviewing our five hospitals in that area. Even better, several other team members I'll be working with are great friends I haven't seen in a while.
So those magical words now that you've suffered through another blog?
"Pitchers and catchers are reporting for spring training"! Baseball season and spring are just around the corner!
