Part 1 of 4

Its about 9 in the morning, rain is pouring down seemingly out of nowhere this whole house is asleep but I feel like it's christmas morning. Wide awake on only 4 hours. I have a story I need to tell but there's so much.  The list has been delved into over the course of a grand adventure and I'll have to divide it into separate posts but the long and short of it is:

-Visit Denali State Park
- Visit the pyramids in Egypt
- Run with the bulls in Pamplona
- Visit Australia, and New Zealand
- Hike the Pacific Crest Trail 
- Visit the great wall
- Go to France and ride the Alp D’Heuz
- Race in Ironman Hawaii in Kona
- Live on a beach.

4 done. and done.

The story:

Before we even left Greece it felt like we had left Greece. Abbey, Dylan, Dave, Lo and I in one car, driving down the highways, away from our small house and just somewhere new. And it was needed and nice. We had dinner together by the sea.  Fish, feta and ouzo. And we were goofs.  Sat around for too long, risking missing our ferry, being served free drinks on top of our wine and it was all quite glorious.

We arrived in Igoumonitsa with just enough time to buy our tickets and climb on the ferry. And, since Dylan and Dave haven't been around long enough to know how to keep up with the Greeks in terms of Ouzo drinking, (Abbey and I learned well when it was still winter-ish) and since Abbey was driving, Lo and I had gulped down all those extra free drinks, our bladders were full and finding a bathroom was nearly impossible.  A little painful, a little drunk, at about 1 in them morning we climbed on that massive ferry, biggest boat I've ever been on, with its Casinos and bars and discoteques.  We piled our bags in a back corner and curled up on the floor and fell fast asleep.  The morning passed by in a lingering state of waiting.  Of movement you have to trust in.  We played cards and passed time as you do when there isn't much to do, sleepily and slowly.

Arriving to Ancona, Italy in the height of the afternoon heat, we wandered about for a train station, found one, and made our way train by train to the city of Florence, where we camped for the night, three of us in a tent for two.  In the morning we walked through the city, amazed by the architecture, the cobbled streets under our shoes and the heat beating upon us.  The people had a relaxed air about them, and the entire energy of the city seemed created for artists or those equipped with a wandering mind.

We left the city, Lo promising to come back and spend time, Dave and I focused on our destination.  Train after train until we reached Livorno.  After a mix up with wrong ports, strange directions and me communicating Spanish to Italian to English to the Greek words I couldn't help but say, we found our way to a "cargo ship with some space for guests, and not the other way around".  Cards in an empty warehouse as we waited for the boats and I got talking, in Spanish, to a teacher from the States traveling with 20 or so students on a 2 week field trip.  We all got talking and instantly a friendship was born, and as he later put it, in a crumpled note:

"Our lives are like spider webs.  They criss-cross, intersect, join in passing.  Through this organized chaos there is strength.  At every junction where two lives meet, the web is stronger.  You three have become a part of my life's web.  My life and story are stronger because of you." 

(He's his own story - worthy of telling but in another time/ space.)

Fast forward off the boat, some metro rides, beers with Clay, sandwiches, and a call to a brother of a friend that we had never met, that went something like:

Lo: "Hey, Dougie. Is this Dougie? Yeah this is Lauren.  Lauren.  Yeah, Lauren.  No, you don't know me.  I know your brother, and your dad.  Yeah, seriously. Yeah I know them pretty well.  Mhmm yeah well they talk about you, and I'm in Barcelona tonight with some friends, maybe we could meet up for a drink?  Yeah they talk about you.  Mm yeah I've seen pictures of you when you were a kid. Really, I have. That sounds creepy, sorry.  (pause)  I promise I'm not weird or anything.  (pause)  Yeah so this is a little awkward because I know everything about you and you've clearly never heard of me.  (pause).  So you want to meet us for a drink?"

And so our night in Barcelona commenced. Another story for another time/ space. To sum it up: an old sail boat, melons,whiskey, Marvin Gaye, cheese, ham, boat deck dance time, white wine, unexpected swims, trumpet playing and... Dougie, Dave, Lo.  Good, good time.

Woke up, left the marina, and we were San Fermin bound, for the running of the bulls.

... to be continued ...