- my family and friends like to be informed ALWAYS and I have the bad habit of not writing or calling enough. I hope that this way I’ll have more discipline, knowing that everyone is informed at once.
- Since I have stopped working 8 hours a day now, I can dedicate a little more time. (A little more, since I have rehearsals 4 hours a day, 6 days a week)
- I want to get the hang of it before we leave. I am not used to writing in English, not for personal stuff anyway. And I have decided to write in English, since more people will be able to understand. I’m afraid that I might introduce some Dutch or Spanish now and then, but with the new translation technology available, that shouldn’t be an issue.
- I would also like to give you a little introduction of how the idea of this travel was born…
So, let me first tell how Lluís and I met.
One day, months after having finished my former relationship, feeling OK with myself (thanks to years of therapy of course!), OK with the world around me, loved by my friends and family, good at work, BUT feeling a little bored on the amorous side: no big (only small) adventures, no interesting new faces, … Well, that day, I saw an interview with the Spanish director of Match.com and I though: hey, that might be a nice change!
I went through all the steps to subscribe, and there I was, a member of the Match community, with my profile and picture! I started nosing around in the heap of male profiles and I saw one which made my laugh, and also the photo was appealing!
These were the pictures in our profilesI sent him a message, we met up and a month later we were “a couple”. The beginning was not easy, since we are both very different (both aquarius - for the astrologists amongst you - but of a totally different type!) But, well, now one year later, we’re a happy couple, we’ve come to adapt ourselves slightly to the other and give and take the freedom we both need.
I have learned to know when to shut up and let him be when he has a bad temper or just needs some time alone, and he has learned to NOT leave me alone when I’m in a bad temper, but to hug me and let me cry out my anger on his shoulder. He also accompanies me to social events or doesn’t mind me going alone, and he supports me in my theatre adventure. I go out less now, and have discovered how nice it is to just be at home reading, watching films together (he has loads of good films!!), or making my own clothes…
And then, one day in October 2006, I was in Belgium for work and Lluís proposed me by phone to go on a trip through Asia together for several months. I immediately got enthusiastic, since for several years I’d had this dream to go for a long holiday.
Of course, dreaming is one thing and realizing this dream is another! I am not a saver, so I had to quickly think of a way to get enough money together to survive for at least 3 months. But, thanks to a frugal way of living, tossing and turning every Euro before spending it, renting out my room to Sarah, moving in with Lluís, and with some help from my sister (Thanks, Hera!), I’ve been able to gather the necessary.
During the time between leaving Citibank (10th April) and our departure (6th June), I am rehearsing for the play “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” (by Federico García Lorca). The 4th of May, we will film the whole play in order to get accepted in the bigger theatres in Barcelona. There will be a replacement for me in case they have performances in June, July, August and September.
In the meantime, I’ve filled poor Lluís’ flat with my photo albums (honey, during the months before leaving, I want to organize my albums), with old clothes (now that I’ve got the time, I want to make some dresses with these old T-shirts and skirts), books (travel guides of course!), papers, my computer, etc.
This is all for now, folks!
