13 Jul Spain: The Post-Flight Recap

Globalization: The Tennessee Bar in Aranjuez, Spain

Estoy en España, mis amigos. And so far, my detailed packing technique has yielded no forgotten essentials. My one suitcase weighed 21 kilos, just under the 50 pound limit and my supersized backpack was filled to the brim with computer and camera cables (and power bars) of every kind. The flight over was uneventful for the most part. I actually slept (the first time I’ve slept on a plane in steerage class). The young woman I was sitting next to kept coughing on me but was kind enough to assure me that even though she had had whooping cough a few years ago and it kept coming back, she wasn’t contagious. Thank you kind young woman. Your assurances were comforting.

I am sitting at my hotel room desk, connected to their WiFi. My computer’s plug is nestled in its European adapter and I’ve downloaded a few photos to my laptop I took earlier on my first soujourn around the town. My family and I have talked via Skype. So all is well with the world and this global traveler.

Of course, we had nothing much to say –we just saw each other fourteen hours ago. With no time for the girls to get on each other’s nerves, Mom was happy and we simply marveled at the technology that made us feel we were next door. After hanging up, my wife called back to ask where I’d put the lawnmower goggles. Yes, a totally normal bit of information exchange.

My talk is on Tuesday. I must prepare for it but my mind can’t get out of my original time zone at the moment. Mañana…