we are now at the state
of being home around a week
i’m getting farther and farther away from
being able to say
“i just got back from Europe”
i’m soon going to have to use terms like
“recently”
and then “last month”
and “earlier this year”
i just want to keep saying “just”
it helps with the fact that
my brain is still 100%
in Europe
my shirt
still kind of smells
like all the memories
made
in Europe
unfortunately
it’s all the mundane
or slightly grungy memories
that this scent evokes
walking and walking and walking
in shirts i’d already maybe worn twice
mixing sweat with deodorant
with sunscreen
with city
i washed this shirt well
put it through an extra rinse and everything
i guess when a trip gets into the fibers of clothing
it’s sort of like a city getting into your own bones
it just won’t go
away on its own
how come i am so hyper-aware
of every moment in time
and how they will become memories
in the next moment
so much so that, even trying to experience them, i am often thinking
fifteen minutes[at least] into the future
i feel like i was barely in the moment
of looking forward to this trip
and only in it
for half a second
and now i’m back
and looking back on
experiences i know took time to have
but now they live only in my
memory
i am going to miss the stunningly azure-blue sky
of Greece
everywhere we went, not a cloud in the sky
seemed like some sort of paradise
[though maybe not for someone as pale-skinned as myself]
i had a recovered memory
[though i still don’t know where it was from]
of dancing [something akin to the] traditional Greek dances
at some other point in my life
perhaps it was a production of fiddler
with well researched cultural expositions
or perhaps a bat mitzvah i attended once
or something else i can’t even remember the context of
but everything felt so familiar
when trying it for the first time
my life has been so filled with experiences outside my own day-to-day
and i so appreciate life that way
leaving my phone in my pocket
in order to experience all the culture coming at me
the dressing
the kissing
the shaving
the hugging
the loving
the familial bonds
and the invitation to observe
felt
so sincere and lovely
and the explanations for why
even more so
learning all the cultural traditions
as we watched
[and listened]
[and eventually joined in]
even the alcohol was more refreshing in Greece
parade down the one road in Kalymnos
car after car after car with white ribbons on the mirrors
blasting air horns and car horns alike
one stop for coffee
[or was it “coffee”?]
and arriving to see and meet even more family
and friends
the bride arriving
surprisingly on time
[surprising for cultural tradition]
and watching the ceremony all in Greek
with an Athens-native whispering to us
what and why things were happening
and even the jokes that take place in today’s ceremonies
all while standing
and waiting
with rice in hand
to shower upon those before us
tying a marital bond
and, similar to American traditions, congratulating afterwards with rice as well,
then swept off for photos
and a reception
but with traditional Greek dancing
for hours before the modern dj’s set
and no specific time for food
[the main course being served at 1am]
and partying, dancing, and talking with folks
until being dropped off at our hotel at 4:30am
to hear the roosters crowing
i’m so glad we made the trip for this
love
needs no translation
[though cultural traditions sometimes do]
and the Greeks seem to all be so willing
to translate and explain
and invite us in
to drink
and dance
and party till [nearly] dawn
what a lovely
wedding
time
disappears
when you spend it on a beach
soaking up the rays of the sun
[through three layers of spf 50
only to burn burn burn anyway]
and swimming in the ocean
[or is it a sea?]
but somehow
there’s no need to be
running running running
we’ll get places when we get there
[and this island is small enough that it is likely
we’ll still be on time
if we leave a little late]
kipventures 