I spotted them ahead of me–easily identifiable by their hiking shoes, walking sticks, and the telltale scallop shell hanging from their backpacks. Pilgrims! I thought excitedly. They paused, the man checking something on his phone, the two of them conferring over whatever was on the screen. This is my chance! I thought, picking up my…

Dear Asturias, Michael and I know your secret. We’ve seen your glossy ads in travel magazines: lush, green hills under blue skies; a tagline encouraging visitors to “Return to Paradise.” And like so many others, we’ve heard–and believed–the rumors about what it takes to create these verdant landscapes: rain. Lots of rain. In the winter….

Many people that walk the Camino de Santiago dream of one day living on it. And some are lucky enough to make that dream a reality. I write this post today from my living room a mere one block away from the Camino de Santiago. Were there pilgrims walking the Camino del Norte route, I…

Michael and I sat at a corner table overlooking the hills of Tuscany. We were in a town I’d never heard of until that very morning when a Facebook posting directed us to not just the town but “the restaurant on the curve as you’re driving up there.”  No name was mentioned. But in an…

Dear American Airlines, I thought perhaps you’d like some feedback about my recent trip with you. If you don’t, then kindly delete this message and go on with your day. No hard feelings. I hope it’s a great one. If you’re still reading, cool. Here’s the thing: no one died on this flight, so, you…

Upon arriving in Madrid, my husband Michael and I rented a car and headed north. Our plan was to spend the summer months in Oviedo, then move to Valencia in the fall. After a couple hours, I was hungry. Michael knew this situation could turn into a minor emergency very quickly. “Just pull off into…

I’ve decided I need to add more reading to my Spanish studies. There’s a used bookstore one block from my house and Michael and I have purchased a few children’s books. But I’ve always been frugal. And a minimalist. So no, I don’t want to own tons of children’s books in Spanish. The solution? The…

Living in a Spanish-speaking country does not magically make  you a Spanish speaker. Especially when you live with an English-speaking spouse in a city where it’s easy to meet other English speakers and find restaurants, shops, and doctors that cater to them. Were I in my 20s and living with a host family, there would…