Simple Pleasures Abroad- Vital to Any Big Adventure

Sometimes we allow fear of unknown to keep us from following our sense of adventure. This is particularly true of traveling abroad, seeing the world beyond one’s familiar borders.

I know a number of people who will forego a trip abroad because packing up one’s life for even a few days and planting oneself in a foreign country feels too complicated to be any fun. Did I consider before traveling that that something could go wrong medically, politically, or otherwise beyond our control in unfamiliar surroundings? That my 13-year-old daughter/companion might grow irritable? That the French language with which I’m proficient would hold minimal sway in attempting to explain my needs to a Spaniard? That a few days without my Honda scooter might incapacitate me psychologically? While the answer is a resounding YES, I consider these worthy risks for the level of joy and fulfillment that new life experiences and global education impart.

I would add, though, that being cognizant of the power of a few simple pleasures improves one’s travel adventures remarkably and evokes a joyfulness that no environmental complications can outweigh. I’ve kept track of a few, both photographically and in jotted notes, but find that sitting here in a breakfast nook overhanging Alicante’s La Rambla is the perfect time to share some of them. Without camera or notebook, let me see what comes to mind in this peaceful morning moment, Spanish music softly filling the background….

Well, firstly I note that I’m surrounded by people whose mere proximity to open water seems to have kept them relaxed but passionate about life. Romanticism and bonding are ever-present everywhere I look. Here on this “White Coast” town of Alicante, Spain, most couples hold hands…. particularly the elderly. Friends hold one another’s arms when crossing the street and ascending the metro station stairs. As I’ve seen on other European beaches, entire families play together- and they do so half-naked- with such ease and delight as to make single people like me utterly jealous.

.Coffee. Café con Leches. Espress. Call it what you will, European travel for the coffee lover is palatary fulfillment. I’m coining the word, so just add it to your spell-check. Opaque walnut brown, nutty, smooth, with the mouth-feel of velvet, fantastic coffee in white demitasses can be found on every corner and every nook at any hour. And I hate to admit it, but even the little packets of European Nescafe instant coffee make an amazing cup unlike any American attempt. Our first Barcelona hotel room was outfitted with a chrome hotpot that boiled water in 30 seconds flat- I kid you not- and three of these packets. While not as delectable as the espresso downstairs, that first cup of coffee after an unimaginably long day of travel was a simple pleasure that rocked my first day in Spain.

Columbias. Not a typo- these are my shoes of choice. I brought one pair of heels, tennis shoes, and my Columbia flip-flops. One can’t appreciate other simple pleasures while traveling if one’s feet aren’t happy. Comfortable, fashionable in that “world traveler” sort of way and indestructible, they’ve supported me for two full years before this trip and are keeping my feet and back happy every day in Spain. I’m going to write the company as soon as I get home.

Sunshine. My friends know I am a sunlight addict, the sort who runs home not to catch happy hour but the last few rays after work. Daily long doses of pure, hot sunlight (illuminating my keyboard) just make me feel great inside and out. (This is no health blog so I’ll skip over all the implications of exposure other than to comment that my fair-skinned Irish/Cherokee daughters slathering themselves with SPF 50. This outstanding and fee pleasure lasts from 6am to 10:30 pm.

Piping hot bubble baths: Eight hours of touring Antonio Gaudi’s fantastical architectural sites in Barcelona and your body is bound to ache. (This was the day I chose not to wear the Columbias- silly me). Our hotel came fitted with a short bathtub, a large hot water heater, and shower gel. Three cheers for the massive mounds of bubbles and piping hot bath one can produce with those simple ingredients.

Free wifi (say “weefee” in Spain). The best decision I made in planning this trip was to forego other hotel room niceties to find free high-speed wifi. Suffice it to say that very little of the effort I put forth to ensure I had the correct hardware would have made any difference in Europe had I not had a place in or near my room to log on. With a child asleep during my best blogging/ photo-uploading /emailing hours, I could never have visited distant internet cafes for web-time. H10 Hotel on Las Ramblas in Barcelona also offers two computers- enough for the clientele-which became immensely valuable after my computer charging fiasco. Hotel Rambla in Alicante provides me with free fast wifi in the breakfast area, stairwells, and for a huge bonus- in my room.

Computer technology: What naturally follows is a comment on the simple pleasure of the correct adaptors, converters, chargers, batteries and upload cables, without which little of my contact with friends back home could have been possible. Sure, I could email people from an internet café, but where are those and how long is the line and how much will it cost me? Besides, owning my technological comfort is so much better. Beyond that, I am convinced my friends would have been more silent had I not been uploading photos. Their comments on my Face Book photo albums have been a lifeline for me since I’m traveling without adult companionship. One heartfelt note for the Mac owner, though: Insist that your Apple store clerk SHOW you how to connect every blessed part of your European converter/ adapter / laptop system before you leave town. I jumped for joy four days into my trip in an Alicante student apartment when my daughter’s roomie casually pointed out she was using the same adaptor I’d brought from Nashville. She had pulled apart a certain segment and connected the adapter.....otherwise, one would never intuit how it connects, and may lose one’s temper at a random Apple store clerk.

Carry-on luggage. I am both a petite and savvy traveler. I pride myself in my equally petite luggage- usually. But I lost my mind before this trip, and bought the biggest red suitcase I could find for my stuff while reminding my child to pack light. After I finish typing this, Big Red (that blasted back-breaking suitcase) is headed to the shipping store, “Correos,” for its trip home- stuffed and alone. The simple pleasure? My 19 year old who is studying here brought an extra carry-on at my suggestion, and has handed it over to me for the remainder of my trip. Associated simple pleasure: The bottle of Woolite for sink-washing the outfits I will now need to repeat.

There are so many hundreds more simple pleasures I’d like to relate, but for now must get outside and experience them. Blogging is such a joy for me, but here I am in Spain indoors with only four days left to romp. Here is a short list with more to come:

Friends and family back home

New friends

Croissants

Drinking chocolate

Millefeuille

La Boqueria or any other open-air market

The Mediterranean- it really is blue-green!

Train tickets

Tilework

Patterns

Beautiful wood-carved doors

The abundance of beautiful Spanish men (hey- I’m from Nashville, where women outnumber the men! The streets in Alicante are positively lined with men who smile and call out to me!)

The Mercadona: where I bought five bags of groceries including two bottles of wine for 21 euros- which, with the ailing dollar, was only about $35!

Anchovies- thanks Pere!

Watching Kelli windsurf and kayak

Watching Katie on her photographic journey

A 16-pack of AA batteries- good suggestion, Dad! So much better than rechargeable.

An Agatha Christie compilation (Katie’s choice)

Familiar music on my laptop and iPod

iPhone: I recommend AT&T’s World Traveler plan for a few text and phone calls only, and following their advice on phone settings to avoid using data at all. Their web sites and customer service have been exemplary.

OK I’m sorry but I must run outside. It is sooo late in the morning. Enjoy your day- wherever you are and whatever you do and whomever you’re with. There are simple pleasures everywhere!

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