“Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises. Sometimes that beauty is too much for me to handle. Do you know that feeling? When something is just too beautiful? When someone says something or writes something or plays something that moves you to the point of tears, maybe even changes you.”
Mark Oliver Everett
Mark+nail+head……
So today I cried…. actual tears… lots of them…
Valparaiso, Chile…… this city will remain in the memory for many, many years to come. Beautiful, squalid, crumbling… yet with such a distinct cultural vibe that you stole my heart…
… but that’s not what this post is about.
This morning I awoke without a passport, credit card, but most importantly my notebook…… my precious! The journal that holds all my untold stories, trials and tribulations. To lose that would break me….. to have it stolen would destroy me.
I was destroyed.
Whilst frequenting a Chilean cafe yesterday my bag was taken from beneath my table. Nobody saw anything, “it’s just one of those things”.
Passports and credit cards come and go….. but my journal was my life, my future, my raison d’être.
To have it taken away was too much…
… to get it back was A FRIGGIN THUNDERPUNCH TO THE SOUL!!!
Apparently I’m not so dumb after all! I’d anticipated such a disaster and so wrote a heart warming plea on the inside cover, listing my name, address and multitude of phone numbers (there have been lots!). Thankfully I’d updated the list with my latest Chilean number… and who should call but the most amazing police officer in the world!
My bag had been handed in!
Truth be told I’m still none the wiser as to who lifted it, as his broken English was somewhat confusing… but I was too choked up to actually listen anyhow.
“You very lucky!” Yep, I heard that alright!
“I HAVE MY JOURNAL!”
“And your passport!”
He couldn’t quite grasp my priority levels.
So I make the long, hot walk back to the hostel… an iron grip on my beloved bag. I switch on my phone, fire up my emails and………
You love me! You really love me!!! Win or lose… I am the peoples champion!
And so I wept… and wept… and laughed… and wept some more.
This travelling lark is tough on the ol’ sanity!
Oh no, almost disaster; but averted once again, how lucky are you? I was almost booking the next flight to come and give you a cuddle. Any chance you could put the happy ending at the start of the blog; I’m getting to old for the trauma. Let’s face it, you’re not Maeve Binchy (thank goodness, no one can hug like you). I can cry and have great angst all the way through her books as I know when I get to the end Maeve will have made it all perfect.
Stay strong gorgeous Adam, keep watching the lovely stars and know that your angel is watching over you.
Love and huge hugs
Marie xxx
Oh my goodness Adam. Wow….. A guardian angel is watching over you I think. Xx
Jeez, I was broken for a minute there, too!
Was it actually stolen or had you absent-mindedly waltzed off to watch some lovely ladies busting some Cueca moves and forgot it? Either way i now presume you’ll eat, sleep, live with the think strapped to your chest!
Does the Blog Awards final 10 shortlisting mean you’ll need a representative to attend the award ceremony for you? I reckon you should auction off the rights to represent and stay on the road with the proceeds of the winning bid…
You’re an ideas man!!! I love it! x
Thanks to the mystery man/woman who handed in your bag. May Karma soon catch up with them. The journey goes on with renewed joy in life. Congratulations on the award. WELL DESERVED||||||| From all you left behind here.
You lucky baby face !!!!! Blessed !!! Luv you !!!!