Walking the Dog in Barcelona

It’s been nearly a week since we arrived in Barcelona and as with almost all mornings, the day begins with taking Farrah for her daily constitutional. It’s not the only time of day that she gets to walk but at dawn’s early light, it is a special time, despite the fact that have to get up at such an ungodly hour to do it.

Earlier in the year when we sold the house and moved into our furnished rentals, the record summer heat forced me to get up at 5 AM to beat the intensity of the Phoenix summer that would follow only a few hours later that morning. As we traveled across the Southwest to our departure destination of Dallas, the gradually cooler autumnal weather allowed me to wake up later in the morning. Once we reached Barcelona, I was able to set my alarm to a more respectable 7:30, in line with the official time for sunrise.

I know it sounds as if I’m complaining, but I do treasure those thirty minutes I spend with Farrah. I also realized that it gives me an opportunity to become more mindful. However, it is not mindfulness in a way of clearing my head, so to speak, but to become aware of the surroundings, the environment, and the context of where it is that I find myself at this moment. Barcelona is representative of a new phase in my life, in my life with Les and Farrah. As I absorb the stirrings of the waking day in Barcelona, I reflect on my good fortune. Yet, I also try to bear in mind the circumstances by which we decided to move here, both good and bad. How should I handle that? What actions do I take? Do I even need to worry about such things? And what about those who are back in America, those who we miss or those who might even be at risk and might need our help.

I hope to address this as I embark on my final applied project when I complete my masters next spring. I have time to consider this on my daily walks through Barcelona with Farrah. Perhaps, I might even be inspired.