traveling alone

I feel like a gipsy. I love feeling like a gipsy. I was at the farmer's market in Santa Monica again. It is my weekly haunt. Today I went to the bank to get some Euros for my trip. I walked outside the bank and sat on a sidewalk to count the money that the bank teller gave me. Here am I in tatty clothes and tussled hair, counting out E1,000. I prefer to use cash when I travel, so I wouldn't have these pesky credit card bills following me home. I look like a begging gipsy and I love it. I guess that's why I love traveling so much, there's the anonymity. The exchange rate sucks so bad. I don't think the bad exchange rate and high ticket prices have stopped people from traveling. I called Air France just now to secure a seat assignment. The agent told me it's a full flight and all the window seats are taken. Fine with me, I'm an aisle seat person. I remember my first trip to Paris. It was at the same time when I spent Christmas in London with family. I took Eurostar and headed to Paris. It was pretty intimidating, it was cold and gloomy and everything was new. It was a very liberating experience. I watched French people going about their business, I listened in on conversations in French not understanding a word. No matter. Paris is supposed to be a romantic city for couples. It is just as magical being there alone. There has been lots of other first, to Provence, to Sevilla, to Rome, the list goes on. This Saturday I'm embarking on my 14Th trip to Europe, to Sicily for the first time.
Ciao, a tutti!