Things and Stuff

"Comes the morning

When I can feel

That there's nothing left to be concealed

Moving on a scene surreal

No, my heart will never

Will never be far from here

Sure as I am breathing

Sure as I'm sad

I'll keep this wisdom in my flesh

I leave here believing more than I had

And there's a reason I'll be

A reason I'll be back"

- Eddie Vedder

I know I haven't written lately... and maybe some of you "missed" me in this time of hiding-ness. If that is the case I apologize. The truth is, not many "exciting" things happened outside the golf course in my last 2 weeks with Felipe, so I did not have the urge to write and tell all of you about anything in particular... but I did acumulate things and stuff that I believe are exciting, so I might as well share it with YOU, my only audience.

The rain was present the 2 weeks after Portugal, in Castellon and San Roque. Those were my final tournaments with Felipe and it was a little tougher on the legs with all the mud, but they were good weeks overall. Valderrama is truly a beast of a golf course; very beautiful and extremely difficult. With olive trees and cork trees everywhere, gentle slopes and views over the Andalucia mediterrenean sea makes this place special. I am glad and very lucky to have been able to see this course.

We stayed in a house inside the Valderrama community. A beach house belonging to Mark's uncle. Gorgeous house... and I had a room all by myself!

I miss having my space.

After Valderrama, I changed bosses. My agreement with Felipe ended, so I stayed with Mark... and Mane of course! He had to play a qualifier stage for the European Tour between Gibraltar and Cadiz, right where the Atlantic and Mediterranean fuse with each other... and I went to carry his bag and help him in whatever I could. Unfortunetly he didn't play good and we didn't make it to the next stage... guess it is the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

Yesterday after the round I had time to go and take a walk on the beach outside where we were staying. Somehow I keep forgetting how nice those walks are. The last time I had a nice beach walk on my own was in Florida a little over a year ago. It was not a long one, but I discovered some crazy ants, and how they danced, and got carried away... but that's another story. Yesterday I had a LONG walk in Canos de Meca, and I discovered other cool things. Like these rocks that resembled volcanic stones, with porous surfaces. The waves would drag them on the beach and they would fizzle after the ocean left them behind. It was like they were complaining... or maybe happy?! Anyways, I would pick them up and put them against my ear and I could hear the fizzle... very weirdly interesting.

Not long ago I wondered about the possibility of actually throwing to the sea a message in a bottle and get an answer... and yesterday as I walked I found a bottle that had actually something in it. It was not a message and I don't know if it was thrown in a far-a-way land of mitical proportions... or just a moment ago by the drunk next door. I like to think more about the first idea, even though it is the least likely. There was a feather inside the bottle. I thought it was AWESOME!

The week of Portugal I stopped shaving, and for the first time in my life I grew a beard! an ACTUAL beard!!!! it took me 3 weeks of careful and meticulous cultivation, but I did it! Feels weird.. well, now I trimmed it down to a mexican-style mustache which feels even weird-er-er. I am proud of it though!

As I read back into this post I realize I probably am not making much sense and not talking about the usual stuff I have been before... but in a strange way all these little things that "happen" to me are part of the trip I am STILL having and that are making me feel really good about myself and about tackling the next hurdle when I get back to Chile.

So if YOU think I am going crazy, maybe you are right. But as I always have said, I truly believe you have to be a little crazy to survive and ENJOY life...

If any.. just consider this post and the email as a salutation. Just me saying hi, I am good, I am in Spain and I miss my Conway bed!!

keep in touch people, I miss all of you too!

Mo