Thursday, June 25, 2009

¡MADRID!

Well, I'm here. Madrid. Two months of planning, packing, traveling and creating has led me to this room. In this city. In this moment. I was wondering how it would feel to come back after the incredible experience I had last time on vacation. Would it feel the same? How would it be to live and work instead of hang out in vacation mode?

I was so tired yesterday from the jetlag and everything else that's been going on, I kind of collapsed. Hard to get up this morning...but hunger prevailed and I went out for a few.

I still don't speak the language (although I'm working on that), and I have no idea where I am. Relatively speaking, I've probably seen very little of this city. But it just feels good. I don't know what it is.

Maybe it's the people. I had a drink last night with a friend of mine that lives here. She's great. We were both exhausted from the day, but it was nice to connect to someone. There is this bar she took me to that's in a park. Beautiful. Then there's Jose, who works at my hotel. He showed me pictures from his trip to Florida, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas he took last year. Looks like he had an amazing time. He remembers me from the last time I was here.

Maybe it's the scenery. It's hard to take a bad picture in this city. Everything is pleasing to the eye somehow. The details in the buildings. The art. The streets.

I just don't feel like this anywhere else. I'm comfortable. The idea of "Rob" is more round in these surroundings somehow. That might not make sense, but I can't really think of any other way to explain it. My friends feel far away, but the internet is helping with that. I believe in the project I've come here to work on. It's a stretch for me, but I know I can do it. And I know that no matter where all this goes, and what happens in my life, when it's all over and I look back, I'll be glad I did this.


2 comments:

Melody said...

Beautiful pictures! I'm glad you're in a place where you feel so at home. I enjoyed the video log too. Your photos look so much like Dave Grohl (not that there's anything wrong with that), but when you smiled on the video... Yes! There was the Rob that I remember. :-)

Robert Grad said...

Thanks Melody! I had to camouflage the 20 lb bags under my eyes and nappy hair somehow :)