When in Spain … er … I  mean Africa …

Eat where the locals eat

Casa Fernando - Local Seafood place

Eat what the locals eat

Boiled Octupus served with oil and jalapeno

Swim where the locals swim

Our new friend Leiko took us to one of her local beaches

My travels started in Wisconsin where I spent the holidays and Sunday I caught my first flight from O’hare. Unfortunately, due to a problem with a brake light sensor, I spent an extra two hours on my flight from Chicago to Madrid. (But, after hearing Henk’s story about the emergency landing his flight to LA made this past summer, I won’t complain too much. Besides, as I said to my seatmate, brakes seem important *grin*).

Pillars and the curved, vaulted ceiling at the Madrid Airport

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The Madrid airport was quite beautiful and while there I met a security guard as I was taking a picture of one of the murals. He kindly offered to take a picture of me with the mural and asked me if I was from New York. (How on earth did he know I was American? – cheesy grin). I said that I was from Minnesota and he said “Ah yes, I have been there – with the big mall.” Turns out he had been to the Mall of America in 1999.  What are the chances?

Me in front of a mural in the Madrid airport

As in Chicago, I arrived at the airport well before my gate information was posted. So I found a place to sit with my bags close at hand (my security guard friend had cautioned me about pickpockets) and ate the rest of my lunch. As I finished, Paula (a classmate) walked up to me as though we had arranged to meet there. We laughed and hugged and went to get her something to eat.

Standing in line at the café, we ran into Marilena, whom had moments ago found Constanza. We sat with our coffee and sandwiches as I tried to slow down my English and we loudly and excitedly caught up.

Having finished lunch, we began to walk toward our gate. (All of the signs in Madrid have the gate numbers with minutes next to them. I assume that this is the time they estimate it will take you to walk to them? Anyway, gate K was 12 minutes away.) On our way, we bumped into Henk. Much laughing (but no singing yet) and hugging later, we boarded our flight to Tenerife.

I poured my cricked and cramped body into my seat next to a young couple and their baby. There were many, many children on the flight (so there was not a lot of sleeping). But all of the children I encountered on this trip traveled so well. After a few conversation attempts involving a lot of gesturing, we figured out that the family spoke Spanish and I spoke English, but we managed to communicate well enough.  I made a new friend with the couple when I fished out my handy shaker egg to help calm the baby. (The descent was particularly rock as the babies ears began to pop. *sad face*) Costanza (seated in the row in front of me) translated that the mother told me I was “loveable” at the end of our time together.

The view of Volcano Tiede from the car

Three hours later, we landed in Tenerife and it was a short – and beautiful! – ride to our lodging. More reunions, hugs, kisses laughter, some food and some wine and my travels came to end.

Sunset on the night of my arrival

As you may recall, I led two Songtaneous workshops at the 29th annual Women & Spirituality Conference this weekend. (Thanks to everyone who came and sang with me!)

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Singing spontaneously with Bruce Henry at the Dakota Friday night.

I’ll admit I was tired going into this weekend, having crammed my schedule fuller than I should have in the week before. Plus I went to see singer friend Bruce Henry at the Dakota Friday night before leaving town (we improvised a piece together in his second set — an experience I would have been sorry to miss!) so I didn’t even take an early night before getting on the road.

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That said, it was a beautiful drive down, what with the unseasonably warm October weather and all the autumn colors. I warmed up, sang along to the radio and prepped for my workshop that afternoon.

First annual Mankato marathon

When I arrived in Mankato, I discovered to my surprise (and to the surprise of the poor workshop coordinators) that Mankato had chosen this Saturday morning to host their first ever marathon. (I took some pictures of the runners to amuse myself. We sat there for a while. *smile*)

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Once clearing the running route, I went straight to the conference site – the Centennial Student Union, picked up my registration materials and found a seat in the front row for the opening ceremony and keynote.

There, I met ML and R who immediately asked me about my astrological sign and my numbers (the first I knew, the second I didn’t). They quickly calculated my number and told me I was a Heirophant, which means I am a student/teacher and always swinging between the two roles. (Well, that felt right on the mark.)

ML went on to say that I was in the middle of a rerooting/rebuilding year which is a time for going back to starting places and sorting things out. I certainly feel like I’m looking for the next step or project in my musical journey and that I have received a LOT of input in the past few months and am working to integrate it all.

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Dr. Akasha Gloria Hull gave the keynote taking me back to one of my former careers (I used to work at a rape crisis center) as she talked about the relationships between sex, sexual violence and spirituality.

She was funny and vulnerable admitting that after proposing her speech topic, she had changed her mind and decided she wasn’t going to talk about sex and spirituality. (Why do I have to be the one to talk about this?) But she reported, saying she sensed the Universe at work, that the coordinators didn’t get the email with her new topic until after her original title had been announced and the programs had been printed. She accepted that she was meant to proceed with the topic.

She asked why what we hear about the sex lives of church (and political) figures is about their transgressions. Why we only talk about the scandal of sex, not the spirituality. She talked for about an hour and then signed books for us.

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After the keynote, I left my new friends ML and R to go find lunch and get my room (and head) together for my afternoon workshop. I found my room, which was literally off the map, and set up my materials.

Both Songtaneous sessions were great fun. I reconnected with a few people from last year’s conference and met lots of new singer friends. Two women were guided to my Saturday session when they couldn’t find the workshops they were trying to attend. They graciously sat and sang.

We sang, connected and laughed (oh, how we laughed!) and I felt like I had slipped on my favorite robe and slippers. Comfortable and at ease.

I drove home Sunday afternoon exhilarated and exhausted. Today, I rest.

Tomorrow …