So, a couple of weeks removed from my 48 hour getaway to Lisbon/Sintra Portugal, that still makes me laugh! We really did wander in a lot of circles....but in the end, we always ended up just where we needed to be. Kinda like my life sometimes..I feel like I am going in complete circles and then, seemingly, all of the sudden I am right where I need to be...so I wonder if our "circles" really aren't circles, but rather another path with endless possibilities to get us to one of our stops along life's journey. (Because if you think about it...circles don't end and neither does the journey of our life;-) ) I have to say, it makes me excited to see what other circles I can find, travel in, and experience. So, here are my observations from the circles of Portugal....
When I travel to a new place, I always spend time looking up the place, figuring out what there is to see and trying to develope a loose itinerary as to how I am going to spend my time. Well, there is just too much to see in 48 hours in a place like Lisbon. (Or Madrid, or Salamanca or Skein, or Edinburgh for that matter) You can start to feel guilty that you aren't seeing every single thing, every single minute of the trip. I admit I do have an insatiable appetite to experience new things and this can lead me to utter exhaustion at times. I made the command decision to NOT do this with Lisbon. Frankly, I wanted to get out of town, get some place warm, eat, drink and soak up some sun....Lisbon and Sintra seemed perfect for this endeavor. I am here to tell you..that is EXACTLY what happened! Sure, I saw some AMAZING things but I ate wonderful Pasties in Belem, drank REALLY good and cheap Portuguese wine and took a train, then taxi out to a wonderful place called Praia Das Macas (Appl Beach) near Sintra and just vegged out...with some more wine of course! I realized that sometimes just relaxing in a beautiful place you have never experienced is all you need to see and do. I have made a vow to travel like this from now on... relax, enjoy and see some stuff but not stress too much about seeing everything there is to see...I think that is real gratification comes in!
I was also struck by the truth in the statement that communication is 90% HOW you say something as opposed to WHAT you say. I learned this our first night in Lisbon. We went for dinner and ordered a meal, joked around, and laughed with our waiter...ALL without really speaking the same language to eachother. I was truly amazed at this whole situation as it unfolded! Through pointing, nodding and gestures, full communication was achieved..what we wanted to eat arrived with no problems, the bill was paid and a wonderfully enjoyable evening was had. Again...another shift in perception on people. the more I travel and the more places I see with all the different people, the world just seems smaller rather than bigger. Our similarities seem much more evident than differences we have. It is truly amazing to start to see the world through those eyes instead of always looking for differences between people and cultures. It was quite incredible to share laughs and jokes with someone you weren't even speaking the same language to...what an experience.
I read a quote that said "Only the curious have something to find" and I truly believe this to bbe true. You can ask my mom and dad or anyone else that has watched me grow up, I have always been a curious girl...wanting to know as much as I can about all sorts of things. Well, I am finding loads over here. But I am also learning to not put expectations on anything and that leaves the door open to EVERYTHING... all sorts of possibilities lie ahead and again, I am so excited to experience what is coming down the road or whatever circle I fling myself into next. I have at least another year over here as my visa has just been extended and so I say...bring on the curiosity and circles... I am ready!
PS....for those of you who asked..I had a wine baby and it was a red....lol!!!
