Eat, Pray, Love

I have a new resolution.  I started it yesterday, and so far I have done an incredible job of sticking to it.  My goal is to try every single kind of pastry in my favorite pastry shop.  I'm 3 for 2 so far (two chocolate muffins, I couldn't help it), and the way I interpret it is that I'm doing exceptionally well :-) 
I (quickly :p) came to the decision to make this resolution while making the painful choice of which pastry I wanted yesterday.  I figured, I love the pastries, I hate making decision, and I'm in Spain.  So I embraced the calories and decided to make it a challenge. 
My next resolution is to run 3 times a week.  I figure it's the only responsible thing to do.  Julia Roberts may look fantastic with a few extra pounds, but I'd much rather stay where I'm at.  And fortunately running in Sevilla is always exciting.  It's like going exploring in warp-speed every single day!  Although I may not do exceptionally well with this resolution, I think I'll do just fine. 
It took Elizabeth awhile to embrace the idea of Il dolce far niente, the joy of doing nothing.  It's Italian I know, but it's a universal idea.  I have been in Spain for exactly one month today, and I am finally figuring it out.  The thing that's so crazy about the concept is that it's so simple.  For everything I do I think, 1. Is this important? and 2. Does this make me happy?   I don't like my class about Cervantes and in the grand scheme of my life it won't make any difference.  So guess what.  I'm not going to try to get an A.  I don't want to waste my time and happiness slaving over something that I don't care about or need.  And the world isn't going end because I didn't get a perfect g.p.a.  I would much rather sit in the plaza, toma el sol, and listen to my favorite street performer play guitar than sit in my room and study an old dead author.  So I do.  While eating a chocolate, creme-filled muffin :-)