MW Journal 01:
A Little Bit of the Mediterranean Every Day

It's 6:38 on a Tuesday morning and I'm gripping my alarm clock under my pillow to muffle the inevitable. Somehow I manage to throw my leg off the edge of the bed to induce a slow and familiar tumble towards the bathroom for the morning routine. Squint, scratch, yawn, stretch and, "Oh, my... it's late." It's fine, keep calm, focus...I tell myself. I can shower, brush, iron, dress, feed dog, skip breakfast, make lunch and escape the house all in time to make the illusive traffic break so I can get to the park and ride on time.

The rest of the day typically follows suit. By mid-morning, I have really kicked into gear on projects that are past their deadline. Around lunch I become aware that the steady gnawing in my stomach means that it's time to grab a burrito from the lunch cart and eat it while I surf the Internet for mind-numbing yet informative material. That's when I noticed an advertisement for a Mediterranean cruise. I started to imagine what it would be like to spend time at a slower pace--enjoying the scenery and customs of a distant life. Why is it that my lifestyle is so far removed from what I wish it could be? Why would it be so hard for me to model my life practices after a culture that lives so heartily yet healthy?

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