I woke up today to sounds of rain and thunder and decided to
spend my morning reading and writing, two things I enjoy immensely when I have the time. Today, I'm going to be writing a journal entry to my childhood best friend in a book we have been sharing since 2012. While reading some of the past entries, I decided to also look back at my past travels. In doing so, I discovered old emails I used to send to a group of about 25 of my
closest friends and family. They bring back such fond memories of
laughter, love and adventure. I don't know why I stopped so I am also going to write one today after five years. I thought I would share one with all of you from New Year's Day 2011.
1/1/11
Hi everyone,
Firstly, Happy New Year!!
The last two weeks have been an absolute gastronomical
delight for me and full of unexpected adventures.
We were stuck indoors because England is still learning how
to cope with snow, i.e. a usual 2 hour journey from Birmingham to London took
us 15 hours. On the bright side, my mom cooked everything my heart desired and
it came to the point that we began to only partake in eating and sleeping.
While staying with an uncle in London, I also continued to meet more delightful
family that have now made me want to reach out to distant relatives and
reconnect because I have learned that family doesn't always come with drama.
I had the honor of spending Christmas and New Year with two
beautiful families, the Khorugdharry's in London and the Suarez's in Bilbao.
Both welcomed me into their homes and were kind enough to allow me to witness
their traditions. In London, I even got entrusted to help cook the xmas meal!
And it has to be said that the food was delicious and I'm sure our capabilities
surprised everyone at the table. It was also a pleasure to see little Tahj open
his presents and play with his new drum set for us, there is nothing like
seeing the magic of xmas from a child's perspective.
In Bilbao, the celebrations for New Year's lasted into the
next evening and definitely tested my endurance! Not only did I get to
experience the annual countdown with a grape eating competition but prior to
that the matriarch of the house was kind enough to cook an amazing meal while
being careful to take care of everyone's dietary needs. We then went on to the
seaside village of Pedernales to continue the festivities. Here, a beautiful 84
year old grandmother invited us all to celebrate at her home and taught me that
life needs to be lived with romance or else it isn't worth it at all.
I am looking forward to seeing the city of Bilbao and San
Sebastian in the new few days while taking time out to eat as many Pinxtos as
possible because they are absolutely delicious. Apparently, San Sebastian is
famous for Pinxtos and has 16 Michelin star restaurants so my plans to diet are
going to have to wait. Over the course of my travels in the last few weeks, I
have met many wonderful people and visited many beautiful cities while
partaking in new experiences and am now looking forward to being in New York
next week!
Until Peru..
Love,
Sabeen
