Six days

Memory is a funny thing--it conjurs, it allures, it terrifies, it lies, it reveals the truth, and most of all, it builds the vibrant narratives of our lives.

Six days into our return to life in the Northern Hemisphere Chrissie and I both agreed over a cup of tea via Skype today that it almost feels as if our three-month South American adventura never really happened. There seems to be a space between day-to-day reality and memory making that is a kind of limbo. I can barely feel the heat of Buenos Aires or hear the pound of the falls in Iguazu or taste the bite of malbec in Mendoza or breathe in the lushness of Peru. Memories are now starting to build and form and twist and turn, but the tangible touch of travel is dissipating.

The Secret Tonic
Early on into our trip dearest Alex sent me an article by a writer (can't remember his name) who so aptly wrote, "We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything."

I'm not sure what in my mind has been changed, but I am restless and I am resisting all the blatant urgings around me to spend money, to need more, to do more, to want more. In six days I've thought of moving back to the City (SF), buy a car, buy a house in Healdsburg, quit my job, buy an entirely new wardrobe, go live in a tent and pack it all up and move to Peru to learn to drive a moto-taxi (that's my moto-taxi below).

So I decided to come here and do a little "inkythinky" to remind myself that this trip did happen and that I needn't do anything but be where I am. Perhaps amidst meetings, email, dinners, commuting, online shopping and a few hikes I will begin to get a glimpse into that little something in my mind that  changed over the last three months. Until then, I will keep popping back here and offering a few new narratives from the aventura.

Enjoy your week and keep an eye open for a posting on some very helpful guidelines on how to do a proper "ladies' lunch."