Diet Comes After Decadence in the Dictionary

Last updated on June 12th, 2024 at 02:05 pm

It seems like yesterday when I was living my travel dreams in Spain and celebrating Spain’s World Cup win in San Sebastian, cheering, dancing, and kissing strangers in the streets.

My days and nights were filled with mini-adventures and moments of pure beauty: watching the sunset over the breaking waves while drinking vino tinto with friends, savoring my first bite of torrijas, a traditional Spanish dessert made of sweet bread dipped in milk and caramelized sugar and lightly fried; wandering the streets of San Sebastian and stumbling onto another beautiful church at the end of another colorful street of historic buildings with ornate facades, wrought-iron balconies overflowing with flower pots.

I went sunbathing topless on La Playa de la Concha, the city’s largest beach, ate pulpo (octopus), and sampled pastel vasco, a small cake made with almond flavor and custard that is a traditional favorite of the Basque region. I danced to live bands, watched capoeiraists perform in the street, and took a side day trip to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a charming little French village with red-tiled-roofed buildings and stunning beaches.

Every day was a new adventure, full of new tastes and experiences.

Home Again…

After such a full three weeks, it feels grounding and comforting yet also strange to suddenly be back in Troy, NY, settling back into my “normal” life and routines. I have a book to finish and a house to clean. I am only partially unpacked. After three weeks of eating too much bread, cheese, dessert, fried foods, wine, and just too much rich food, my poor body is craving salads, fresh veggies, fruit, and water.

Taking It Easy Spanish-Style…

During my three weeks in Spain, I climbed to the top of the hill featuring the statue of El Cristo, went to the gym twice, and went for long walks with my niece – and that was about as rugged as my activity level got.

Here in NY, I am going to the gym regularly again.

In Spain, we started drinking at lunchtime because you can. Restaurants offer a menu that includes an appetizer, main dish, dessert, and sometimes a whole bottle of wine—a whole bottle of wine for lunch! Needless to say, I would sometimes just cork the bottle and bring half home with me.

Sweet Treats on the Streets

I ate ice cream cones on the street, often — dulce de leche, avellana, chocolate con naranja, Ferrero Rocher. I allow myself to indulge more often when I am on vacation and traveling the world. And yet, I must return to healthy routines if I want to look and feel my best, which I do. So, I am back to healthy eating and exercising.

I need the energy to jump back in and write my book, set up public speaking gigs, and reach out and tell my story in places that will make a difference. To make it all happen, I must first take care of myself.

Decadence and Pleasure…

That said, I am a firm believer that it’s important to experience pleasure regularly, and I won’t deprive myself unnecessarily now that I’m home. I’ll eat healthier and head to dance classes at the gym, yet I’ll still have that occasional glass of Spanish wine and eat a little dark chocolate daily.

Strict diets have never worked for me. I am perhaps a wee bit curvier than when I left for Spain.

Yet I know myself well enough that feeling deprived and making a long list of what I can’t eat often only makes me want to eat more. Instead, I focus on eating what I DO want, which, in this case, is healthy food. My body is craving it. I want green leafy things, fresh fruit, and lots of water.

When I got home from Spain, I went shopping and filled my fridge with fresh fruits and veggies, hummus, multi-grain bread, Greek honey yogurt, and soy milk.

Being Healthy Feels Good…

Feeling healthy is one of the great pleasures of living. I love having a strong, healthy body and treating it well. Of course, eating light and exercising will also help me trim off the Spain indulgences–that little extra belly I didn’t have before I left. With all that I have to do now that I’m home, my body is begging me to treat it well, so I’m energized and ready to move forward with all my dreams.

I edited my book while abroad, on long plane rides across the Atlantic. Yet now it’s time to dive back in and write the book’s last section, further crafting and polishing it before handing the whole manuscript to my writing coach in October.

There Is Time For Pure Pleasure…

I have spent the last three weeks giving in to pure pleasure—food, wine, friends, adventures, beauty—and now I want to focus again on creating something for my future. I don’t regret a second of the decadence—it was divine to fill myself with delicious food, wine, and desserts in San Sebastian, known as one of the world’s gastronomic capitals.

Life is all about the ebb and flow. After a few lovely, luscious weeks of simply being and living in the moment, it’s time to settle into my normal, healthy routines and get back into my writing practice.

Of course, I can carry that spirit forward, enjoying every bite of an arugula, avocado salad, and sweet ripe cherry and still challenging myself to try something new every day. I can keep the spirit of adventure in my everyday life. Yet I am also ready to feel healthy again because it gives me the fuel to live my dreams. I am at my best when I’m truly aligned with my body, spirit, and mind, taking care of all parts of me.

Living The  Travel Dream…

Traveling the world is one of my longtime dreams, and I’m living it. I travel internationally at least twice a year, and I’m so thankful for the opportunities and the places I’ve visited. It’s extraordinary to live for a time in another country, to experience the culture and cuisine and speak the language, to get a taste of another kind of life. Now it’s time to focus again on other dreams, including finishing my book. I’m up for it and ready to take on the challenge.

Spinach and broccoli shake for breakfast, here I come!