Hello!

It’s been a hot minute since I have checked in but that’s because I have been doing a whole lot of not much and so I feel like I really have nothing to say, but my favorite posts to look back and stalk myself are the ones where I talk about all the “nothing” that I have been doing (because when I look back, that nothing is really something and also, it’s very easy to forget the mundane, normal days.  The big eventful days stick out in my mind normally, so why blog about those?  I should blog about the boring stuff so I remember it when I’m old(er)). 

Anyway, I have been home and things have been really nice.  Really, really nice, to be more articulate.  I was actually lying in bed last night thinking ‘I could get used to the US again’.  And then we went to Atlantic City for a family stroll and that squashed that thought in the bud 😉

I am thoroughly enjoying the nothingness and emptiness of my schedule, and while I do enjoy seeing friends and catching up with people, I honestly enjoy being at home, going for walks, and generally being a hermit just as much (or a whole lot more) than seeing people. 

Let’s back up a bit and  I’ll share a bit of the somethings and everythings that I have been up to since I touched down in the USA (and speaking of touching down, the flights were great- nearly empty, row to myself, huge pour of wine, and slept like a baby on both flights … madrid to dallas, dallas to newark.  The 22 hours of travel was not so fun but the time passed quickly in blurs of airplane meatballs and mashed potatoes so I was happy).  I spent the first few days following my Mom around like a puppy. 

Speaking of puppys… he is the sweetest.

She took me grocery shopping with her (where I filmed many videos to display the over-the-top-ped-ness of all things American grocery store (billions of cereals, cookies, frozen pizza, a grocery store robot???), we got pedicures, I went for about 10,000 walks, and proclaimed 25 billion times that everything is so green and looks exactly the same.  I gave myself permission to do 0 work for those first few days of being home and just generally hung out…and dodged any bullets that required social interaction “oh sorry, I am soooo busy”.  I took a few dips in our new (above ground) pool!  Super fancy and really nice- a great choice from Walmart.  And I ate many dinners at home with the family-my favorite.

We have had: mac and cheese, eggplant parm, grilled burgers, hot dogs, homemade pesto and pasta, and more- but those stick out in my mind.

In the first few days that I was home, I made executive distance decisions about our new refrigerators which Luis purchased and transported with poise and grace and I am excited to say that Mazal will have 2 brand spankin’ new (used) refrigerators and a new dishwasher!!!  Exciting stuff.

We visited a local bagel shop to snoop a bit and try the bagels and were all very impressed.  Other than that, I have been eating like a Queen and if you look at my photos on my phone, it will tell you that that is basically all I have been doing.  My Mom spoils me, and so does Wawa. 

My Mom tricked me into making a few batches of bagels, but I have also been trying to do some experiments for Mazal that we are SUPER (caps necessary) excited to unveil when we open again. 

I’ve seen some friends and it was nice to catch up and see where life has taken them in the last year (or in the terms of Corona, where it has kept them) and my friend Ancy spoiled me rotten with homemade Indian food.

It was dee-lic-ious.  I also went to the beach with some friends from Madrid and it was a lovely day, but freezing cold, I got nice and burned (wear sunscreen on overcast cold days they say, why should I listen???), and I had my first Wawa hoagie in a very long time. 

I schooled the Spaniards that follow my Instagram on the anatomy of an American Bocadillo.  No offense to the Spaniards but they just don’t know how to do bocadillos (hoagies) – but they do have a lot more going for them so it’s all good.  After that, we packed up and headed back to the beach, this time with my family, but I will leave that for another post.  Wouldn’t want to bore you to tears in one fell swoop!  We have to spread that out 😉 !

T-minus 1 week until I will be back in Madrid.  I plan to spend the next 6 days sleeping as much as I can, seeing a few friends, stuffing myself to the brim with my Mom’s food, and also maybe I will get a little work done.  We shall see… I will leave you in suspense!