When will then be now????

For those of you haven't rented Spaceballs recently, the title line heralds from a great scene in that fine flick. Why be original when someone else has paved the way. Quoting the immortal Woody Guthrie, "he just steals from me, but I steal from everybody." And so it goes.

Alright, enough rambling. Today's title does have relevance to my current mental state. It occurs to me that too often we plan our lives for some future date, when the grass will be greener and our chips worthy of being cashed in. That day represents the affable yet elusive "then" that we all ponder in one form or another.

But here in BaAs, as the locals refer to Buenos Aires, I've found a place and time where "now" fits like a glove. Admittedly, the metaphorical glove has been extra comfy knowing that old man winter has kept a hammer-lock grip on the midwest. But all the same, for the first time in a good while, my cup, it doth overflow.

For those of you who haven't ventured on a solo trek, I couldn't recommend more highly. On a daily (minute by minute) basis you are forced out of your comfort zone. You get to meet, and rely on, your neighbor at the bar and the taxi driver zooming along to some unknown desination. Along the way random fun is all but inevitable. It is an eye-opening experience which can reinvigorate your faith in others and make you keenly aware of the inner-connectedness of us all. Because in the end it's the people that make the place, and in that category, I couldn't have picked a better spot on the map.

So if you'll indulge me for a second, a few notes of gratitude.

Thank you Laura, my local barrista, who put up with my espangles and taught me along the way. Thank you Marcelo, Nick, German, Sara, and Julieta for making the BsAs nightlife an experience I'll never forget. Thank you kindly teller at San Isidro race track for patiently helping me to wager on los caballos (for those of you who know my betting habits, just envision me attempting exacta wheels in Spanish). Thank you to the random 40 year-old lady, dancing in your booth at the Irish Bar when DJ Tiesto's video came on the TV screen. You made me smile. Thank you los gatos, denizens of the botanical gardens, for accompanying me in my daily reading. Thank you Malbec, for being such a fine grape/wine for many a summer's eve. And most of all, thank you to the multitudes, for offering me an embracing, pulsating city, from day one until the last.

So why venture elsewhere, when "now" is finally so keen? Because there is a flip side to being a minority of one. It means that you good people are not here with me. And just as the people of Buenos Aires have made my stay so memorable and unique, you embody it on a broader scale. So put some wine in the fridge and send up the bat signal over Gotham; daddy's coming home.

But I shall return......