Ode to Karla

Exactly a year ago, Karla and I sat in front of Madeline's in San Francisco, sipping the best mochas in the world and exchanging the possibilities of moving abroad. Originally, she was going to New York and I was going to Brazil. Somehow, we both agreed that if there was any city in the world that would appeal to us, it would have to be Barcelona. A few months later, we were sitting in STA travel, signing a credit card charge for a ticket to Spain. Neither of us had any idea what to expect, all we knew was that we were doing it together and nothing in the world could stop us. And nothing did.

Six months after landing in Barcelona, I am preparing to see her off to new places, new loves, new experiences. She is the last piece I have that was living and breathing that connected me to the US and to San Francisco most importantly. I didn't know I would grow so attached to the idea of having her here as my buddy, my confidante, the person who taught me to live a little louder and to use my heart more often (when it came to boys anyways).

Who is Karla? Karla to me has become the epitomy of living with your heart bleeding open, she falls in love and doesn't think twice about it, she dances in the middle of the living room, she wears costumes to clean the house, she can handle just about anyone and any personality, she is vibrant, intelligent political and capable of charming just about anyone, men and women, into buying her a drink:)...you know what I'm talking about Karla.

While I struggled with the reality of things, with the ins and outs of life and the thinking and rethinking and thinking again, Karla would grab me and say, just do it, it feels right, do it. And I learned to do it...I don't think I'll ever be able to do it as freely as her, but she has taught me how to let go, a breath of fresh air, in a world that is so caught up in doing things the way society thinks you should. Not Karla, she does it the way she wants to and doesn't regret a thing...plus, she is more in tune with her spirituality than anyone I have ever met, an old soul living in a beautiful body. I will miss my dancing buddy, my late night chats on the terrace of Collblanc...the one person who speaks English to me, her eggs in a basket at 5am, her irrational yet addictive love affairs and experiences, her smile and crystal blue eyes. But karla, I wish you the best...the world awaits you and I thank you for holding my hand through this trek, I question whether I could have done it without you...I doubt I could've...I needed your boosts.
Ciao bella and buena suerte en el mundo de Italianos
don't stop dreaming!