Driving, Buena Vista Social Club, and Family

I set out on a long journey today to visit my mom for Christmas. Traveling alone, I naturally caught up on phone calls, smoked a pack of camels and listened to music. I borrowed a Buena Vista Social Club CD for the trip and ended up listening to it throughout the entire drive, despite the fact that I had 5 other CDs in the player.

As I drove along, I wished I was dancing on a beach somewhere in Latin America. Buena Vista Social Club brought me to a completely different place where drinks have umbrellas, no one speaks English, and mosquitoes eat you alive. I drove through Alabama for hours pretending that I was in Mexico and continually tried to translate the Spanish lyrics in my head.




Needless to say, my journey was wonderful and I enjoyed the giddy solitude. As soon as I went over the long bridge from Slidell into New Orleans, I knew I was about to be surrounded by love. I got so happy as I drove down the main drag to my mom's house. For the first time ever, I felt like coming to my mom's house in New Orleans was like coming home. A weird feeling in retrospect, considering that I have never lived here.

After hanging with my mom for hours, I headed out for a game of pool to close out the night. A full day indeed!