A Mental Exercise- Imagine that!

Close your eyes. Picture you are with one of your favorite people in the world...Now, picture spending 24 hours a day with that person for several months on end.

Imagine that for several of those months, you don't communicate with anyone else except to smile and send emails.  Sometimes, you can manage a few words with strangers to get the food you want.

It varies which of you can speak the local language, but imagine that only one of you understands the local language at any given time.  That person has to translate the menus, the road signs, the price of things, the labels in the stores, the hotel reception desks' questions, find the laundromat.  As a result, imagine that you never leave each others' side.

Imagine how happy you would be for the company of others...not instead of, but in addition to, your favorite person.

Now, introduce some wonderful people into the picture...

One lady is nearly your mother's age, speaks your language, knows the strange land, and is willing to drive you places you can't easily get without a car, invites you to a garden party, and introduces you to more people who speak your language .  She answers many questions about the local culture.  Imagine that!

Another is a couple from another foreign land, but they speak your language, like to do some of the things you like to do- take pictures, hike, eat- and are willing to invite you to do those things in their car. Imagine that!

You are hiking through some strange lands and someone in a green wool shirt from a US Army Surplus Store, old enough to be your father, stops to help you interpret your walking map.  Only one of you understands what he is saying (or at least most of it).  He tells you all about the wild boars in the woods, you find out that he has visited more places in the US than you have, his wife was a teacher and he knows the Englishman who has rented you your house.  You thank him profusely after the 30 min break from your walk.  Then you are walking the next night and you see the nice man again.  This time you get his name, he invites you to stop anytime before 7pm for an aperitif.  You offer to invite him for dinner.  Imagine that!

You need some herbs to make a dessert.  You noticed a wonderful plant near your house.  When you have all the ingredients assembled, you walk down the alley with scissors in hand only to find that the plant that you want for your dessert has been pruned to nearly nothing, but there is a bag full of the clippings.  Two twenty-somethings are leaning against a car.  You ask in the best version of the language you can, if you can take some.  They think you are crazy, you think you are lucky and promise to bring some of the dessert for them to try.  Imagine that!

You are expecting the couple from a foreign land for lunch.  The water is suddenly cut off.  In the best version of the foreign language, you go into the alley and ask what has happened.  Women pop their heads out of upper story windows to say that they do not have any water either.  You take a pitcher to the baker hoping to buy bread and ask for a jug of water.  One of the twenty-somethings who works at the bakery gives you a new bottle of water instead.  Imagine that!

and after being off for nearly 3 hours, the water comes back 30 min. before the couple arrives!! Imagine that!

You bring some of the dessert to the bakery to say thanks, and because you think they have never tasted polenta cake with lemon and rosemary topped with raspberry coulis.  The two twenty-somethings happily accept the plate.  They think it tastes "super!"  They are happy.  Imagine that!

Blue Skies!  Imagine that!   (and then talk to someone...!)