The Truth About Tapas

New plan hatched.

To distance herself from her dating doldrums, Segunda followed her nose, which led her - accompanied, of course, by trusty sidekick Lady Piola - to the tapas capital of the world, Spain. But apparently they never received the memo that these bite-size treats were designed to encourage conversation by taking the focus away from eating an entire meal. Instead the pair began to devour each morsel as if an essential truth lay buried within.

And maybe, in a way, there will be.

I, too, decided to feed myself both literally and metaphorically, by boarding a plane to Spain. The thought of tapas may have enticed me to go, but it was my rekindled sense of adventure, post-divorce, that motivated me on a deeper level. As the plane climbed, I watched home (and its constant reminder of all my responsibilities) disappear beneath the clouds. It was exhilarating. Like Segunda, I ate with a speed and voracity that hinted at a growing feeling that I needed to make up for lost time. So, I hatched my own version of Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. And it appears Segunda has, too. This week she eats. Next week, well, we'll wait to see what trouble she gets into...

Meanwhile, how do you get away from your day-to-day responsibilities? Have you experienced any exhilirating moments recently? And what foods reconnect you to yourself?

Gaby