Dear America

Alice and I didn't talk for the first two hours of my arrival. I just stood in her doorway, soar for the oppressive luggage and the 35 hours of travel from Astoria to Granada. We could do nothing but constantly reaffirm that I was there, that this wasn't a dream, a premonition, a fluke.

After two weeks this feeling hasn't faded. Every day I wake to a dream better then any I could have slept to. We, Alice and I, at many moments during the day, suddenly realize that I am there, where we are, what we have been though, and we are set off again. We spend our nights together, drinking the cheapest whiskey and the cheapest cola, talking about the things that matter the most to us in this world (mainly one another), or laughing about that make the least sense in this world (mainly one another). There is not a love deeper then that which I have felt from this woman.

Then there is Spain. Then there is Granada.

I have traveled. I have been to Rome. To Berlin. To the vineyards of Northern France. To the beaches of California. To New York City. I have never seen a place more hospitable, more beautiful in is habitability.

I am truly blessed that Alice ended up living here.

The city is utterly beautiful, it is that perfect mixture of old and new, with buildings older then America yet still having all those modern marvels that make life that much easier. It is also somwhere between a major city, and a small town. Not too big in that you might get lost in it's clutches, yet not to small that you grow bored of its monotony. Granada's porridge is just right. The small cobble stone streets separate the old walls of the buildings. Fountains in the center of piazzas lit up so wonderfully at night. The smells of all the restaurants dive a man wild. The Sierra Nevada mountains in view from this valley city.

Living next to snow covered mountains... I serious don't know how I spent 26 years living anywhere else. Mindblowing.

I'd love to update with pictures, but I think I left my camera in South Carolina. I'm figure this out soon.

Flamenco... ugh, such a passionate music.

Everything is cheap. I mean cheap cheap. The supermarkets are more like dollar stores, I'm serious, Alice and I go shopping, 25 items for 25 euros. And I'm talking everything I normally buy at a grocery store is about a euro. Its great.

The food here is quite amazing as well. One of the highlights are tapas.

Tapas, Dude. Tapas.

The idea is there, you go to the bar, spend about a euro-fifty on a beer, and they give you a beer and a tapa. A tapa is basically a small meal. So with every beer, you get food. Food and beer. Two birds with one Euro. Its insane. I will never be over this. Try to think of something better then snacks... for real, try it.

The bars are cool. Tapa bars are awesome, then there are the dive-type bars, bunch of punk ass kids doing a bunch of punk ass things. Alice and I sit on ripped couches in rooms with ripped wall paper, talk our English, smoke our cigarettes in the bar, and just make each other laugh all night.

My Spanish is coming along. It's been two weeks and I have made significat progress that I'm impressed with. I'm not exactly confident enough to speak just yet, but I'm starting to understand what people are saying. With time.

Unfortunately the language barrier is also a major part holding me back from a job. Plus slim pickin's. But again, with time. I'm not totally hard up just yet and it isn't like I don't know how to live without. Booze, smokes, and a little bit of food. Alice and I keep a pretty modest lifestyle.

Chupacabra (the kitten) on the other hand, is a fat ass and eats us out a house and home. Seriously. This cat is a piece of shit. All it does all day is play when we want to sleep and sleep when we want to play. Wakes us up every morning because her fat ass cant open up the cabinets to feed herself, it isnt my fault you don't have thumbs bitch. I don't know how someone can look at themselves in the mirror everyday, shes just that ugly. The beast cant even hold her booze, always stumbling all over the place, meowing some dumb shit.

I love that little ball of fur.

So I'm still getting into the swing of things here. Not exactly sure where I fit in yet, but I do not mind. To be honest, I am quite content just watching Spain right now, just observing and not really participating as the metaphor was told to me: "like a child, just watching without language, that will one day when ready say, 'hello'."

Alice keeps me pretty insanely happy, so it isn't an issue of loneliness. Nor boredom. I write everyday. I have been, and still am, working on a longer piece. Have been working on it exclusively for about 5 months now, and I am excited about the way it is turning out. Besides we with Alice, it is about all I want to do everyday.

So basically, life is tits right now.

And I am so interested to see what will happen in the future. I really haven't the slightest idea.

I'd genuinely like to thank people for their kind words. It is nice to know that the choices I have made in life are so highly regarded by others. A couple have said I have guts. But I'll be honest, I was/am/will be scared shit-less about this all. But fear, I've learned, is nothing but a hurtle to happiness.

Or some BS like that.

Anyway, I truly miss you all. I hope all is well. I will, eventually, write to people personally. But due to time and monetary contains, check the blog and facebook for updates. I do not have the internet at the apartment, I have to come to the library to use it (which also makes concentrating rather hard), so most of my internets time is taken up doing Drunken Boat things, but send messages. Send love.

And I'm serious, I truly love you all.

And again, thank you so much for the help, the inspiration, and the kind words.

I'll see you around the bend.