Life Is Slow

More time on the beach. Life is slow. The days disappear - melting together, one from the next. For me it's been to wake up around 8:00, head to the beach for a walk and some Yoga, meet family for coffee and toast at Bar Habana overlooking the beach, lounge, grab some sun and take a dip in the ocean, snack a little during the day, head for a drink or back to the apartment in the early evening, relax, then take in a late dinner. Aside from a few tweaks here and there, the days don't change much.

In the spirit of this slow-down, perhaps now is the right time to reflect a little on the past couple of years. For many of you, what I want to briefly mention here is not news. For others, it will be. Tricia and I have come to the very difficult, very emotional decision to end our marriage. I mention this to be transparent about my current life situation, and, if you continue to follow this blog, you will realize that my summer adventures will be taking me to many places, over many months. Without explaining our relationship situation, I assume one might wonder how Tricia fits into these plans.

I have no intention of revealing any details here. I’m not going to do that now, and I have no plans to do so in future posts. What’s happened - and continues to be happening - in our family is private and personal, and I want to respect Tricia, the kids and all our loved ones in our family. Without any further explanation, please just know that Tricia and I are in a good place. We will continue to love one another and support one another from here into the future. We appreciate your love, support, friendship and understanding.

A pivot now to more jottings about my time in Spain will be inevitably and undeniably clunky. Forgive me for not coming up with a good way to transition from a challenging situation to one of a lighter variety. So, since I don’t feel I have the skill to do it well, I will simply admit my failings and continue on. Just know that, while happy-looking photos and fun-filled stories might make it seem as though I’ve moved past the pain, those images and those writings belie the fact that I’ve only just begun this trying journey of transition from decades of a loving marriage to an independent life. For me, coming to Europe is part of the process - a chance to devote time to myself, to take a break from the countless memories in Minnesota, and to search for joy when and where I can find it. It is with humility that I ask for your understanding as I do this, and continue to post about it.