The moment I stepped into my Airbnb in Cordoba, I felt an instant pang of regret. Not because I was catfished by the listing pictures or because there was a furry uninvited guest scurrying in my bed. I felt regret that whispered “damn, I’m gonna have to leave this place someday😢”.
Beautiful. This reminds me of the few days I spent in Tarifa. It’s a small port city in the south of Spain. I can still hear the water splashing across the rocky divide and smell the fresh fruit outside of my airbnb.
I was following ghost to Morocco and you can catch a ferry from there straight to tangier. Just a hop, skip, and a jump across the strait of gibralter. That whole trip always sounds more romantic than it was. I should write about it one day.
Enjoyed this essay to bits. You’re so funny and yet deep, visual, and engaging. I’m so rooting for a whole travelogue book by you hitting the shelves soon.
I love Cordoba too (and Salmarejo lol) and for many of the same reasons. But that outdoor shower piece was really so artistically conveyed.
And I couldn’t end this without gushing about your turn of phrase. I’ll never forget the idea of Salmarejo being a soup that has a body and then a posture too boot. Or the way we might sometimes stretch enough to tick off a to do list but not enough to really stretch haha!
aww wow thank you! your support means a lot 🥹. the outdoor shower was the highlight of that trip, I'm glad that came through!
hmm I've actually been exploring writing a book for the last month, but the current idea is more focused on the "pre-sabbatical" timeline aka how shitty I felt, the stories I believed and things I got wrong, the success cult, how I eventually left and all the cognitive dissonance etc. But I've gotten a few comments like yours praising the travel pieces! so now I'm considering combining both into one book. the dark side (last year of work) and the light side (travel escapades)....is that something you'd find interesting?
LOOOOL yes it looks like the beans puree for moin moin. Now you've opened my eyes, I can't unsee it. Haha thanks for reading, glad you're enjoying it :)
Beautiful. This reminds me of the few days I spent in Tarifa. It’s a small port city in the south of Spain. I can still hear the water splashing across the rocky divide and smell the fresh fruit outside of my airbnb.
Wow, I just googled Tarifa, it looks gorgeous. What made you visit that town? I never heard of it but it seems quite close to Cadiz.
I was following ghost to Morocco and you can catch a ferry from there straight to tangier. Just a hop, skip, and a jump across the strait of gibralter. That whole trip always sounds more romantic than it was. I should write about it one day.
Enjoyed this essay to bits. You’re so funny and yet deep, visual, and engaging. I’m so rooting for a whole travelogue book by you hitting the shelves soon.
I love Cordoba too (and Salmarejo lol) and for many of the same reasons. But that outdoor shower piece was really so artistically conveyed.
And I couldn’t end this without gushing about your turn of phrase. I’ll never forget the idea of Salmarejo being a soup that has a body and then a posture too boot. Or the way we might sometimes stretch enough to tick off a to do list but not enough to really stretch haha!
aww wow thank you! your support means a lot 🥹. the outdoor shower was the highlight of that trip, I'm glad that came through!
hmm I've actually been exploring writing a book for the last month, but the current idea is more focused on the "pre-sabbatical" timeline aka how shitty I felt, the stories I believed and things I got wrong, the success cult, how I eventually left and all the cognitive dissonance etc. But I've gotten a few comments like yours praising the travel pieces! so now I'm considering combining both into one book. the dark side (last year of work) and the light side (travel escapades)....is that something you'd find interesting?
Cordoba is lovely but can get very very hot. It was 38 degrees when I visited a couple of years ago and I experienced time dilation for real 😂
haha wow, really? what time of year did you go? I just played a football tournament in Bangkok at 38 degrees and it was not my wisest idea lol
It was June. At that temperature, I choose Sangria over Fitness :D
I was there in March ish so less severe
Sounds like you made the smart decision my friend!
I've been reading your Substack for a few weeks now and I so badly want a sabbatical :) i like that i can travel to all this places through you.
Also, the Salmarejo looks oddly like beans puree for moin moin ... 😅
LOOOOL yes it looks like the beans puree for moin moin. Now you've opened my eyes, I can't unsee it. Haha thanks for reading, glad you're enjoying it :)