Finish

Well, I have tried to go over what little I wrote from my final days in Spain and there's not much to speak of.

I finished my days doing a lot more of the same: walking, snapping, photos, and talking to a steady stream of friendly strangers. (Well, to the best of our abilities.)

The last evening I hung out with MaryLiz for a bit in the city square. We had coffee and held tightly to our wallets as there were gypsies about.

She went off to the gym or for a nap- I don't recall. I said goodbye to Joey and his wife but I could not bring myself to ask for a photo of them. I know it's no big deal but I felt weird asking.

Later, I met up with MaryLiz, Guillo, and Alberto at 'Berto's place. They bought me Chinese food and we visited. We decided to try and go do some karaoke but it was closed. We went to the weird club with Fraggles on the back entrance and enjoyed a good, final visit. Mostly, MaryLiz and I talked abut our rural childhoods. It stunned the Spaniards to hear of the violence, religious fanatics, and meth.

We said our goodbyes and I went to sleep for a couple of hours.

I awoke, packed, and walked to the bus station. I saw a cab driver so I asked how much it would be to go to the airport and I had just enough to do it.

The flights home were smooth and easy. I got a little rest. I read, watched "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and had another good in-flight, vegetarian meal.

I had a massive lay-over in Philly. It was good to be able to phone the wife and talk for a long time. I must have walked five miles in as many hours.

Home.......and there she was, waiting at the airport. It was good to be home.

I am extremely grateful to MaryLiz and to all of the wonderful friends I made in Spain for the amazing time I had. It was a dream come true.

And, ya' know, I am also quite grateful to be "what" I am/was on that trip: an American. I am in love with the world but I very much value the American experience. I am very lucky to be able to have that and go out into the world. I think that it is a very essential part of what I want to do with my life via music.
It's difficult to explain. I am not a flag-waver and there is plenty in this country to be shamed of. However, I am not ashamed of jazz, rock'n'roll, blues, the beats, and a great many very American things that help me to understand the world better than I did when I was a sheltered child in Oklahoma- under the umbrella of ignorance, television, and a manufactured religion.

Thank you.