Corona Time!
Yes, I know Corona is a Mexican beer, but you know, as well as I do, that that is not the Corona I’m talking about here. Beer isn’t something that is at fault for screwing up one’s plans, typically, unless you’ve had too much of it. In my case, the plans had been in the making for a long time. It took very little time to screw them up.
About 14 years ago I used to work with some very lovely people, one of whom, my dear friend Eleanor, said something about wanting to retire in Andalusía, the southern part of Spain. I don’t remember how we got onto the topic in the first place but that conversation was definitely the seed that got this whole thing started. It was the first time I realized that having a crazy dream could actually become reality. Of course, it took a while … in the meantime there was a move to a different city (for work), a finalized divorce, both kids growing up and becoming great people. The idea of Spain as a permanent destination kept percolating, and in 2011 I finally got a chance to go there and check things out for myself. By this time I already knew that the idea, the dream, could become reality and the trip was, hopefully, going to confirm that. I was not wrong.
The moment I got off the plane in Madrid I knew: it felt like I was coming home. The smells, the sounds, the food, the wine, the architecture, the people: it all just felt right. Not satisfied with the “tapas” tour, I went back in 2013 for a more substantial experience. Spain Redux made the feelings even stronger: I was forever smitten.
But, as a wise man once sang, life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
It took another 6+ years to get the ducks in order: a plan was made, date set, family and employer notified, itinerary decided, first lodgings booked, and a plane ticket purchased. And then everything went to shit. Covid-19 decided to mess up the world, my plans included. First we went into lockdown. Then my flights were cancelled, followed quickly by the room reservation. It felt like the universe pulled the rug out from under me.
