Portugal

This post and ones that follow may be slightly different from what I have written in the past.  The reason?  I'm recovering after quitting, cold turkey, something I had consumed in copious amounts for the past ten days.  It just seemed harmless but after just a few hours without it I became cold and scared of the future.  It was around me all day, every day, during the Rotary trip in Portugal and southern Spain and on my bus ride back to San Sebastian I was worried if I could ever survive without it.  But after almost twenty-four hours without any exposure I again am feeling more like my normal self.  Of course I will still have some problems, after all, I have just quit one of the hardest drugs of all.  Americans.  In the United States everyone uses in moderation, some coy sarcasm here, a 'That's what she said' joke there, but it is so common no one worries about their next hit.  In San Sebastian I have yet to encounter a single American who was staying more than a week, so there was not much, but enough to get by.  On the Rotary trip there were forty-five students the majority of which were Americans, and some of which were very potent.  The problem with Americans (as well as a portion of Canadians) as a drug is that it is involuntarily absorbed through the ears and occasionally through the eyes (such as entering a holy building finding the most holy and respected place within that building, and shaking your booty like its your job).  I could be sitting on the bus, trying to make sure that I stayed calm, did not go too crazy, when all of a sudden, in the row ahead of me, a burst of pure American sass with finger waving and head shaking.  The other replies with a good old 'Mhmmmm, knaw whatcha meen mon' (translated: Yes, I understand your situation), and I'm hooked.  It may not all be in one post but over the next few days I will attempt to clear the haze that surrounds the memories of the Rotary trip.  I believe that the blog may be therapeutic, so prepare for the next post to be soon, if not, I may have collapsed in a heap shooting 'Family Guy' and 'Scrubs' directly into my ears and eyes, I pray that I can transition into moderation again without a full blown relapse.