To drink wine without cheese is sad

Follow that good energy

Lula, who is from Madrid, offered me wine from La Rioja and then looking me directly in the eyes said, “To drink wine without cheese is sad.” And, oh, how right she was! I was in Spain to participate in conference for journalists who cover migration, and I met Lula whose joy for life reminded me, for example, of the sadness that comes when you drink wine without cheese. Sometimes when I get caught up in my work and obsessed with projects, I forget about details like wine and cheese and quiet moments shared with friends. And what I love about Spain is that when I try to leave a social gathering, everyone shouts, “Alicia, where are you going?” And no matter what I say, they refuse to let me leave. That is love, as is wine + cheese.

Friends who gather us into their embrace

After Spain, I flew to Bulgaria to visit some dear friends, the kind of people who manage to get 30-40 friends to gather together every year for a week of cooking and dancing in the woods. I wish I were that person who brought people together, but I’ve never been an organizer or a bringer together of people in that sense. Look for those friends who bring you into their embrace always (no matter the number of months or years that have passed since your last visit), and for the ones who you meet in passing, like Lula, whose energy and sense of humor remind you of life’s priorities.

Love,

Alice