Spain -

• The first country I traveled abroad to (other than crossing the borders into Canada and Mexico).  

• When I was a senior in high school, our Spanish class took a group trip to Spain and traveled to Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Córdoba, Granada, Sevilla and Málaga.  I fell in love with the architecture, the food, the music, the beaches, and the girls (I was 18).

• Where I met my wife.

• I went back to Spain two years later to study abroad in Sevilla.  This is when I really fell in love with Spain and the province of Andalucía.  I was there for 3 1/2 months but it seemed like 2 years (in a good way).  I met my wife there, who was studying abroad in the same program but coming from a different university (George Mason).  We traveled together to Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Nerja, Maro, Cádiz, Ibiza, Formentera and Morocco.  We went to soccer games, flamenco performances, Semana Santa (Holy Week), Las Ferias de Abril (April festivals), ate lunches by the Guadalquivir river, frequented cafes inside narrow streets, strolled through beautiful city parks…   If this sounds nice, know that I”m not the only one I know who fell in love in Spain!

• Where I went on my honeymoon

• Five and a half years later I went back again, this time for my honeymoon!  We had a layover in Madrid, left the airport and went to Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and stopped at a café for bocadillos and coffee.  Then we headed to our destination of Ibiza, an island known for parties, but known to us for it’s calm and beauty.

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• Where I draw inspiration for artwork

• I could probably spend a few years making paintings based solely on the cultural influences of Spain.  The other night, I was listening to Niña Pastori, a Spanish singer with a very flamenco-like voice, drinking some Spanish wine, and decided to paint something that is Spanish-influenced.  So I went to our photo albums from studying abroad and saw a cool photo my wife took at a bullfighting event in Sevilla.  A few hours later and I have myself a nice little painting that I’ll reveal tomorrow!