 "When do you transition from a tourist to a guest and is it possible…the long answer is yes, the short answer is no. Does that surprise you, because it did for me." On my first trip to Spain, I was trekking through Europe for a month with family and friends. It was an amazing journey and one that provided a lot of retrospective analysis. I was hotel hopping, going in and out of shops in Malaga, Barcelona, Madrid, Naples, Rome, Civitaveccheia and others. Hopping on the rail, taking buses and moving with the ease of an experienced traveler. Then it happened, I was in a small bodega in Barcelona and speaking my semi broken Spanish to the waiter, and quietly enjoying my Sangria, when during an ear hustling moment, someone was speaking in a language, that bordered on Spanish but not…she was speaking beautiful Catalan... and it changed, in that moment. I’m sitting here and wondering where has this language been and how with all of the Spaniards, Puerto Ricans, and Argentinians that I knew and NOT one of them knew this language. Come to find out it is an "intimate language" spoken by select residents and there was the moment when I discovered that in the smallest part of the largest countries, in the small moments, you take notice of the nuances of the country. I had become transformed from a tourist in Spain to a guest because those small moments define an experience. When I arrived in Italy, it happened again, on the train from Rome to Tuscany, speaking yet again, this time my broken Italian, I found that certain words have multiple meanings and this discovery provided another pivotal moment. Again, the feeling of discovering something so innate that distinguishes a person from just a traveler to a guest in a country. Armed with this knowledge I continued to expand my surroundings and take note of the smallest of details, body language and I began to feel more like a guest who was discovering and pushing boundaries. Fast forward to now and I have been to Europe several times with Tuscany being my base. There I have planted roots in a small town, where the locals are friends, we go to their homes for dinner, sharing great wine and talking about all things Italian and American. Who would have thought this possible, I know I didn’t and I don’t take it for granted. Now traveling for over 25 years it is a richer experience and one that I share with the next generation, developing their ability and discovering the nuances of traveling as a guest, not a tourist. The colors are more vibrant and the experiences richer. Can’t wait for the next adventure. 
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