There are days when I look at my Facebook feed and enjoy all the languages. One of the benefits of having lived in so many places is having friends from all over the world, all over the world. On the up side, I'd like to think it means I could find a place to crash within a few hours of almost anywhere on the globe. On the down side, it can make it a bit tough to meet up with some of those friends on a Saturday night or, sometimes, to even just connect.
When it does happen though, it's extra special like when my good friend Dave from California came to Barcelona for a two-week visit:
Dave and I met about ten years ago at work. We hit it off almost immediately partly because we are both originally from Philadelphia and partly because...well, I can't remember. It just kind of happened, I guess. Whatever.
Every time we go back to San Diego, we stay with Dave. This past March, it was for about half the trip. He and his dog Miles are great hosts who live in a great house near the beach. Dave makes it easy as he likes to cook (and is really good at it) and share a good bottle of wine. Diana and I pushed and pushed until he finally committed to coming to Barcelona in the fall.
Waiting for our fish to be prepped over at La Boqueria:
Getting the chance to spend so much one-on-one time with Dave made me both happy and sad. Happy because it was super nice to be able to share my daily life with such a long-time good friend. We went to the Sagrada Familia one day,
which impacted Dave even more than I would have ever imagined.
There were the meals together like at the Colombian place and, my current favorite, tapas at El Xampanet:
We even went shopping together! In other words, boy-bonding at the highest level.
But, all that Dave time also made me sad because, after he left, it occurred to me how much harder it is to make good friends as you get older. Anyone who's over 30 might realize upon reflection that most, if not all, of our good friends are those we made when we were young. (I even came across an article theorizing as much.) Yes, the downside of being a bit nomadic is that some of your best friends might be half way around the world.
But, like I said, it makes getting together that much more special. Looking tough (with Gara) in Barceloneta:
Diana and I really enjoyed having Dave over. He's an easy guest and, best of all, we got to play Parcheesi almost every night! It something he introduced us to when we visited a few years ago and that we enjoy. And, like a good guest, he even let us win a few rounds. So nice.
A lovely afternoon in Sitges:
A couple of days before Dave arrived I found out that I needed to make a quick trip up to Dublin. I was bummed to say the least. After Dave flew almost half way around the world, I would need to be gone for a chunk of time. But a day later I got a crazy idea and sent him a message. Would you be up to going with me? The hotel's paid for and you'd only need to buy a ticket.
Guess where this flight with these two crazies was headed!
Side note: I'd forgotten until writing this that Dave and my first week working together was spent up north of San Francisco on new manufacturing operation I was developing. I remember it ended up being a really fun adventure.
Anyway, Dave got to check out a wee bit of Ireland while I was working and says he had a great time. Unfortunately we didn't get to hang out too much but it was still great to have him along. Oh, and if you find yourself on a Ryanair flight and there's an emergency, make sure to remove your shoes, earrings, glasses, and dentures when evacuating.
I once heard a saying about aging that goes "the days are long but the years are short". I can't believe how fast time flies especially those two weeks Dave was here. Whoosh! Like the wind.
Here's to good friends, whatever language they speak and wherever they happen to be!
