I went to turn on the car, and then realized I was sitting in the passenger seat.

Often children stories we think are helpful for children, but watching Inside Out recently was a reminder of how much more relevant the children stories can be for adults,

The bright green base was no bigger than the size of my hand.

It was three years ago this past week that I had moved spontaneously to Portugal, without much thought, without knowing anyone and without a plan. 

The destination was a Michelin star restaurant that stood quietly alone near the top of the Swiss Alps, but I had no idea that’s where we were going until I got there.

“Over 100 countries”, he said when I had asked him how many places he had visited in his lifetime. He didn’t even appear that old. 

“Do you like the heat?”

I was in Paris for the Olympics recently, and the city felt like it had come alive in a way I’d never experienced before.

“Thank you for your request but the restaurant has the day off today”

“Are you done with your phone?”

“Is your time yours?” has become my opening question when meeting new people.

The scene comes maybe two thirds into the story.

Six months ago, I was overwhelmed by a constant sense of annoyance living in Portugal. Every little thing seemed to get under my skin.

Walking the streets of Lisbon recently, a family of tourists asked me to take their photo in front of one of the many city lookout points.

One minute he would be in tears and the next he would be laughing and playing with his toy cars.