Projects

(I'm finishing writing this today, but I started writing it several weeks ago, for context.)

We've been moving cities every 7 to 14 days since Feb 17th.

And yes, we're doing relatively ok.

Part of it is that we all have a need for novelty that is satisfied by all of the different things we get to do and see.

But, I think part of it is also that we've each had projects we're working on that maintain and sense of continuity from place to place.

Tui is an avid boulderer and has been checking out bouldering gyms in each city we visit, with other family members joining for about half of the outings.

Tui can give you the break down of the strengths and weaknesses of each gym, which are worth multiple visits before they reset their routes, discuss the skill and style of route grading and setting in each gym, and tell you which are too gross to even return to.

He's also been exploring the food scenes. Sushi in every port. What kabab places are best in each city? And, pintxos (the Basque equivalent of tapas?), which are ubiquitous in bars and cafés in every neighborhood.

Pippin started building their knife skills a few cities ago (I think the first time we were in Bilbao). A self-initiated project that I did my best to supervise without getting in the way and without getting panicked.

By the time we reached the next city (Oviedo), Pippin had built enough confidence that they decided they were going to make a fruit salad from the fruit we were bringing home from the fruteria (the fruit & vegetable store).

Which turned into a family project a few days later, with two different fruit salads, one with kid-friendly fruits and one with fruits the adults wanted.

In Oviedo, we got a kick scooter for Pippin.

Oviedo had a kids skate park, and while we were there, Pippin started builidn the skill of starting at the top of an incline and scootering down it without falling. Quite a feat!

In Gijón, when we were looking for Roman ruins (which we never found), we came a cross a full size skate park, which Pippin then had the confidence to try out.

They built their skills to scoot down much higher inclines, down one and up the other. They got to show off their scootering skills via video call to some friends and family, too!

I've been working all along, which is a project in and of itself. The project within my work that's been keeping me interested and engaged is doing prep and dreaming/thinking work for the Neuroaffirming Queer Relationship Summit that I'm working on putting on in the next few months.

And, Morgan has been building out their knowledge of Green Spain. What birds are here? How are they related to the birds of the Pacific coast of the US? What made the geography of this area? Which marine animals does this area share with the Pacific coast of the US, and which are different?