“Leave the keys on the table in the apartment.” Carlos’ instructions were clear. Both Joy and I talked about it as we were preparing to leave Barcelona to head to our next destination. Remember: Leave the keys on the dining room table. We were simply to set the keys down and then walk out the door of Carlos’ oasis in the middle of one of the most charming cities in the world, close the door and then go on our merry way leaving Barcelona behind us. Check. Got it. No need to worry, we got this; keys on the table and shut the door behind [...]

Have you ever fallen so head over heels in love with someone that you thought, at the time, there is no way I can ever find another person that I could love romantically like this and then to find out later in life that you indeed could and did find another that lit the flame of your heart? Or when you had your first child and then thought that there was no way you could ever love another human being with the breath and capacity that you had for your first born only to have your heart stolen away by the second born, then third, [...]

We say goodbye to Amsterdam with a heart that is even lighter than when we first arrived. Amsterdam, for her rather bad girl image, actually became a beautifully quaint city whom was in reality a misunderstood good girl. It got me to thinking: how many people have I unfairly judged before truly getting to know their true light? Amsterdam has become a symbol for the moments when I lose my personal consciousness by bringing my own personal gavel of judgment upon the actions and choices of another human being. Our final day was spectacularly simply yet incredibly exciting at the same time. Joy and I [...]

Spring in Amsterdam brings the tulips. Big luscious tulips that illuminate the city and breathes life into a community that has just awakened from a winter soon long forgotten. This is the city that Joy and I discovered as we paraded around town on our first day after our arrival. The smell of marijuana permeated the air and as I looked around I saw a city that seemed exceptionally at peace with itself. All of the things that many of us seem to suffer from, guilt and shame, prejudice and discontent, angst and ambition—they all appeared to be noticeable absent from this fraternal twin of [...]

The flight from DFW to Paris flew by. Before Joy and I even knew it we had touched down at Charles de Gaulle Airport to start our journey across Europe. We were so excited about our upcoming trip that we were five hours into our flight before we stopped talking and then realized when we arrived in Paris it would be 9:30 am and neither of us would have slept in 30 hours. We tried to fall asleep for a couple of hours before we landed but had only drifted off maybe 45 minutes when the wheels hitting the pavement literally jolted us awake. We landed [...]

Scott is drunk. How do I know? He told us so. We met Scott in the Admiral’s Club at DFW as my friend Joy and I awaited our flight to Paris to celebrate her 29th birthday. Scott must have sensed our enthusiasm about going to Paris because as soon Joy and I entered what we thought was our private nook in the club to talk about our upcoming trip soon became a party for three, with Scott as the lead host. “I just flew in from South America and now I have a 12-hour layover. I am pretty drunk, I have been sitting here for [...]

I remember my first trip to Paris well. I was in the midst of probably my greatest personal crisis as an adult. I had been hopelessly lost for years trying to live a life that simply wasn’t mine. It was a life that society always told me that I should desire and no matter how hard I tried I realized it just didn’t align with my authenticity. I was going through a divorce and the ironic part about all of it was no one was really to blame. We had simply grown apart. No one was to blame life had just offered an alternative path [...]

From the heart of the Secret Blue Butterfly THEGEMGYPSY: Hi, Sb2, I have a question. I guess it’s kinda like a life question. You seem like a wonderful person so I decided to come to you for your wisdom, plus to be honest, I don’t really have a lot of friends these days. I am the type of person who always wants to help others (thus, wanting to be a part of your beautiful message). Well, recently I have felt taken advantage of, well not appreciated. I am always helping my family with my time and the minute I need a favor I hear [...]