Shultsbattical Issue No. 8
Friends & Fam -
Our last week in Antequera happened at a slow pace - we had thought that the warm weather (finally!) was going to lead to lots of adventures (day trip to Cordoba? wine tasting at a local bodega?). Instead we had a slow, hyperlocal (including a few days of not making it "down the hill") week of resting and reflection, capped off with a round of "hasta luegos" to our friends on the last few days. We were thankful that the heat and our patio pool (and our host Antonio's calima cleaning) provided an extremely close escape from being totally cooped up when we were feeling crummy. As the week progressed, we started feeling better, indulged in trips to the localest playground (so local it doesn't show up on Google Maps), and started packing for the next part of our time (first stop - Mallorca!).
As we wrap up the first half of the Shultsbattical, there are (at least) a few things that have stuck with us.
The practical:
Have good olive oil, table olives, cheese, and fresh bread around for snacking
Cook with the many kinds of Spanish paprika
We don't love rain, but got good at taking advantage of little openings of sun to get out and do something - the effect on your mood of "just" getting out is great
Walkability - despite living on top of a giant hill (it was an average 10% grade) we rarely used our car for day-to-day activities. In LA, we're pretty good about biking instead of driving, but don't always remember that there's a lot within a 15 minute walk of us.
The place:
History of the place - it's hard to not feel something powerful winding your way through streets that pop open into plazas in front of hundreds-of-years-old churches
Immediacy of nature - the ancient history of the city being built on top of a hill surrounded by mountains means that no matter where you are a stunning view, fun hike, or epic bike ride isn't far away
The people:
The immediate welcoming of travelers/strangers into their community - during our time in Antequera we met so many people who took us in to show us their Antequera (and beyond!). By the time we left it felt like we really built a community.
Really feels like people meant "hasta luego" - beyond being incredibly welcoming on first meeting, there was mutual excitement to see each other again (both on this trip and in the future)
Pace of living - with the midday siesta spreading out the day, we fell into a pattern that felt relaxed and sustainable (although we're still working out how 10-11pm bedtimes for three year olds really work)
The other stuff:
New Balance sneaks are cool - especially the 327 (new) and the classic 574 (old)
Watching a child instinctively, primally stomp her feet and clap her hands as she emulates a flamenco dancer 20 feet in front of her, saying "Mommy, I want to sing!," is pure joy - we should all let it go like that more often
Parenting nonstop, even while on a dreamy sabbatical, is a lot
Today is all we have & tomorrow is never promised - remember we are stardust & to ask, with wonder and gratitude, "how did we get here"
The next leg of our trip has us moving around more - we're looking forward to both continued exploration as well as seeing what new lessons stick with us.
Hasta luego,
The Shultses