Rest, regroup and resume

Dia 41 del proyecto, 

Madrid, Espana

It feels like it has been an eternity since last Wednesday and Thursday, or as I have come to remember them as "dos dias del disastres." In the midst of emotional and physical exhaustion, I decided to head to Madrid to recover. Bilbao was a charming city, but unfortunately its proximity to the beaches makes it a very expensive one at the height of Spain's holiday season. In contrast, Madrid is an absolute ghost town with rock bottom hotel deals. It seemed like a great place to hole up for a few days and make some decisions. 

The decision was the right one. Maybe it is a byproduct of living in San Francisco for so long, but I feel more comfortable in large cities. Plus with half of Madrid shuttered and on holiday, the remaining people are less harried than normal. I checked into a hotel and began to decompress. I did laundry in an actual laundromat. Not just hand washing in the sink. I bought an ice pack for my Achilles sprain. I spent an evening on the patio of a cafe, drinking several glasses of rose and listening to the mixture of languages around me. My mind went blank for a bit, which was a welcome change. 

Calling all bookworms

28 days until the project begins

One of the less glamorous aspects of a round-the-world trip is a collection of extremely long flights, bus rides, etc. I'm certainly not complaining....it is part of the bargain for such an incredible trip. But since one cannot simply sleep for the entire duration of 10-20 hour flights (even with a good dose of Xanax and cheap in-flight red wine), I need to figure out other forms of entertainment. More specifically, my reading list. 

My personal reading as of late has been dominated by guidebooks and travel writing. Which is not a bad thing per se, but it definitely leaves one feeling a bit off balance. I've gathered my collection of post it notes, random emails and Facebook posts and compiled them into a comprehensive list. It still feels a bit bleh (maybe because I'm just sick of my own thought process...who knows).

So I kindly ask you, dear friends and readers, for your submissions. As you can see from my tab on the Google doc, my tastes are pretty eclectic. I am always looking for something fresh. If there is something you loved reading or feel like I would love reading, please add it onto the list. And if it is available for the Kindle/iPad (brownie points if I can borrow an electronic copy from the San Francisco public library), please mark it as such.

Thank you so much in advance. Again for easy reference, you can find the list here.

Dates + Destinations

A list of (confirmed) places I will be visiting. This is an evolving list, so please check back frequently...

Bibliography

Any traveler worth her salt has reference material....for idea generation and practicalities. A few of my favorites.