It was a Friday evening, after a hard day of work. I was dwelling on some unresolved issues that I brought home from the office, and wasn’t in a particularly jovial mood. Still, it was Friday after all, our pizza and movie night. The red wine was poured and the medium pizza was plated. I was sitting with my favorite person by my side, with my favorite dog at my feet; the night was bound to get better.
My wife and I love to see movies together. It used to go like this: “This week you choose a movie, next week it will be my turn…” This really worked out wonderfully, in that we both got to see the movies we wanted, and we were also exposed to (and often surprisingly entertained by) the other’s choice. I like my super hero movies, she likes her historical dramas, but there was often a lot of cross over; she loves the Fast and Furious movies/I really liked Sense and Sensibility, and we both have always loved Indiana Jones (except The Temple of Doom).This also translates to television, with shows like the X Files, Agent Carter, House of Cards and Suits being destination TV.
My wife is a tour guide/tour director. I miss her. You see, her schedule sometimes has her working on my only days off, or on the road while I’m alone on the couch. She’s excellent at her job, and as a result, she is somewhat in demand during the summer and around the holidays. During those times of year I eat as well as I can without the qualified cook around (I make a mean mac and cheese), I watch car shows and super hero shows and documentaries on bands from the ‘60s and ‘70s. I can go for many hours at a time not saying a word (though I may mutter to myself occasionally).
Ok, so we’re going to a land far far away. There are questions to be answered, reservations to be made, finances to be sorted and tickets to be purchased. There will be lists to be written, things to be purchased, bags to be packed. Of course, my eyes are bugging out, I’m sweating and trembling-its vacation time and I’m out of my element.
It all started innocently enough, about a year ago, over pizza. My wife and I had been invited to go on vacation, to Walt Disney World and on a cruise, with two friends….another tour guide and his wife, a meeting planner.
I know, I know…It’s melodramatic; but things are just a bit more monochromatic anytime she goes away. But things can change. Life can turn a person around and set them on a very unexpected path, and help them to find their niche. It’s happened before, and it’s happening
again now.
Let’s face it; I was never a very good traveler. I always preferred a seat on the couch and reality TV to the seat in coach and reality itself. I was much better at reading a mystery than reading a map, and culinary adventures were secondary to fast food familiarity.
We are nearing the end of our 10 day whirlwind European vacation. With backpacks and train tickets we have made stops in Paris, Venice, Barcelona and finally, Madrid. We have been treated to culinary delights, artistic masterpieces, architectural wonders, welcoming locals, and inspiring adventure.
I like super hero movies. Marvel or DC, it doesn’t matter, if there are capes I’m in! While there have been some duds out there, I like nothing better than a popcorn movie on a weekend. Recently we went to
