Dona E. Bowens

I’m feeling a little sorry for myself because I’m experiencing my first fall🍂 and winter❄️ since 2024. I recognize that, if wearing a jean jacket against the autumn breeze is my biggest concern, I’m doing pretty damn good. Actually, I welcome the cooler temperatures arriving because I haven’t turned on the A/C in over a week and that means lower utility bills. I’ve entered the penny pinching phase of this adventure and that means the little miracles have amped up in my life and I’m awed by how, if I keep chasing the crazy life🤪, doors open.

Take my apartment for example. Roberto, my handsome and cosmopolitan landlord asked me, “Do you like your apartment?” Well indeed I do, Roberto, Why do you ask?

“If you agree to stay through the end of the year, I’ll take $50 off the rent each month.” That’s what the man said. I ask you, when have you ever heard of a landlord LOWERING the rent? Never. You’ve never heard of a landlord lowering the rent. I’m paying less rent now than I did in the 90’s. Who does that happen to? Me😊, that’s who this happens to. I’m sitting deep in my witchy-woo-woo vibe, grinning and and daring the universe to do that shit again.

“Challenged accepted,” the universe said. “Watch this.”

Here comes dear friend Rosa inviting me to her 60th birthday🎂 soiree in Barcelona. Rosa said that she knew it would be difficult to attend but she really hoped that I could make it happen. I wanted to make it happen. Y’all know Barcelona is my first love❤️ that I can’t forget. Not just the city but my friends…and the food. Any excuse to get back for a moment, but my money so funny it’s got its own NetFlix Special. Then the universe took me down memory lane to teaching da English in Barcelona and I came across Edu.

Edu became my student over a decade ago when he was in his last year of the university studying to become an engineer. He became an engineer and got a good job engineering. Between engineering he spent his freetime down at the airport watching the airplanes🛫 come and go. One day he asked me if I thought he should give up his engineer career and go to flight school. Hahahaha! Oh sweet summer child Edu. He already knew what I was going to say. Follow your bliss, damn it. The universe will meet you halfway because it’s witchy-woo-woo like that. Edu became a motherfucking pilot👨🏻‍✈️. We’ve kept in contact due to our mutual love of Harry Potter and futbol…poor thing supports Espanyol, the other team based in Barcelona.

You see where this is going, don’t you? Yeah, Edu hooked his old teacher up for a pittance of what the normal price would be for a roundtrip flight. And here’s the cherry on top. Edu is going to pilot my flights!🥹 I’m so proud. Universe said, “Do you see my work?”

Indeed I do see your work…but I bet you can’t do it again. I triple-dog dare you.

“Challenge accepted,” Universe said.

Hotels were running in the thousands💸 for the nearly 2 weeks I’ll be in Boogie Down Barcelona. Oof. Well, the flight is so cheap I was ready to grit my teeth😬 and press “Book it.” Then here comes Rosa talking about she was going to treat me to the hotel for the 2 days I’ll spend in Mora de Ebra celebrating her birthday. And when I asked Lisa how many days I could crash in her office between Oct. 2-11, she answered, “Oct. 2-11.” Then Norma, a student-friend, offered without my needing to even hint, “If you need somewhere to stay, we have the extra bedroom.”

“Abundance!” The Universe shouted. “You’re gonna learn!”

I’m learning, I’m learning…but maybe I could use a little review to make sure the lesson sticks?

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