Eric and I just returned from a three-week European adventure. We saved and planned for over a year to travel five countries. In every city, we painted scenarios of us living in urban flats and taking a daily meal at a neighborhood café. The whole experience was so magical that we found it hard to recognize why the locals often seemed bored with their surroundings.

A few examples:

I took pictures of everything in Barcelona’s Parc Guell, the municipal masterpiece of architect Antoni Gaudi. To me it felt like a wonderland, somewhat Dr. Seuss meets Central Park. Mosaic dragons and sprawling staircases carved into the hills met green space and hiking trails. Barcelonans? Had their nose in a book, perhaps clueless to their surroundings.

In Paris, we ate twice at a small café devoid of tourists (except, of course, for us). Our outdoor table had a view of the Eiffel Tower and we ate at our leisure. The waiter sat with a table of older gentleman who smoked and gossiped until he was needed. We saw at least three Smart Cars come and go, and every other person had a baguette in their grocery bag. Parisians just proceeded through their evening as though this was nothing special, with their backs to the Eiffel Tower.

So now that we are back to our normal life, I am trying to take account of all the magical parts of my ordinary days. What would a foreign visitor find intriguing and wonderful about my surroundings and routine? The downtown skyline wholly visible on our evening walk with the dog? The abundance of independent coffee shops I frequent? The eclectic diversity of my neighborhood?

My house might not look like something from Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and the view of Houston’s skyscrapers might not rival the Eiffel Tower, but I love it anyway. I love the color and the surprises and the sense of home I feel. My life here has it’s own brand of mystery and magic that I will try not to forget so often.

3 Responses to “My ordinary”

1. Christiane Says:
   August 12th, 2009 at 2:54 am

   uuh, aah, where else did you go? How was it? I’m always so curious about how Europe looks for non-Europeans. Me want know, please?

2. Amy Says:
   August 12th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

   Brava! If we look at our everyday world with the eyes of a ‘tourist’ we will see so much!! Bellissima!!

3. Lauran Says:
   August 13th, 2009 at 2:40 pm

   We were completely in love with everywhere we went: Barcelona, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, The Hague, and London. This was my fifth time abroad and my husband’s first, so it was especially wonderful to experience it with him.

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