End of Month One!

Today marks exactly one month from the day I landed in Madrid, and I just wanted to stop and say thanks to everybody who has helped make the trip possible and who has taken the time to keep in touch while I've been gone. This has been one of the best experiences of my whole life. I thought yesterday about what a nutty expedition the past month has been:

Plane to Madrid
Bus to Barcelona
Bus and train to Toledo
Train to Madrid
Plane to Marrakesh
Van to Cascades D'Ouzoud
Van to Ouzazate and the Sahara
Van from Sahara to Marrakesh
Bus to Essaouira
Bus to Agadir
Bus to Taroudant
Grand taxi to Marrakesh
Train to El Jadida
Train to Rabat

But for as much ground as I've been covering, I still feel like I've been able to do it mindfully, really seeing and enjoying each place (or, in the case of Agadir and Taroudant, tolerating each place). ;)

Along the way, I've made friends from all over Morocco, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Poland, Japan, Spain, England, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. I've fallen asleep under a blanket of stars in the Sahara Desert, listening to the wind shift the sand dunes. I've stood on thousand year old city walls watching the sun set in the west over the Atlantic. I've admired mosques and cathedrals and souks and vegetable markets. I've been stared at like a zoo animal in some places and welcomed like a long-lost friend in others. So far, this trip has been everything I dreamed of and more.

I owe very special thank you to a few people who have gone way out of their way to provide help and moral support while I've been away. First of all, Paul, thank you for taking care of Muppet and the house while I'm gone. You are the only person I would have considered leaving Muppet with for such a long period, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you're doing to keep her healthy and happy and to keep the house standing while I'm away. Saying thank you doesn't begin to express my gratitude.

Mom and Dad, thanks for the all the moral support! Thanks for not freaking out when I do ridiculous things like fly to Spain on a one-way ticket and get mugged in Barcelona. ;) Our chats on the phone mean the world to me--it would have been too hard to do this trip if we wouldn't be able to talk from time to time.

Jane and Janet and Stan, you guys are terrific. Thanks for staying in touch while I've been gone--you don't know how much your notes and chats mean. I hate missing out on seeing you more this summer, but I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon.

Thanks to all of my Facebook buddies who have taken the time to stay in touch and make me feel less alone while on another continent. You are great.

And thanks, everybody who has read the blog. It's fun to hear that I've been able to provide a virtual vacation for so many friends and family--I'm so glad! :) And if you've got questions about anything, please don't hesitate to ask.

Stick around: I've got big plans for Month Two and beyond! I'll be hanging around in Morocco for about two more weeks, I think, visiting Meknes, Fez, Chefchaoen, and the Mediterranean coast. Then, I expect to head to Italy for a few weeks. Afterwards, perhaps Berlin, a short visit to Greece, and some time in the Balkans, depending on time and budget. Maybe a little more time in Turkey, too. And my co-conspirator Janet will be joining me for the third week of August, location to be determined.

On to Month Two! :)