the little things

I don’t cook a lot these days. In fact, I don’t cook at all. On one hand it’s great: the restaurant provides all my meals and I don’t have to spend money on groceries. I eat well and try dishes I would never think to concoct. On the other hand, cooking is one of my prized ingredients for overall wellness. I thoroughly enjoy cooking. It exercises memory, invokes problem solving, stretches creativity, relieves antsy fingers, and fine-tunes taste buds. It’s one my favorite stress relief strategies. And I miss it dearly.

That’s not to say that I’ve been stressed out lately. Quite the contrary. I’ve been more at peace and relaxed than I think I’ve ever been. There’s something about Bariloche that breathes tranquility. Maybe it’s the snow capped mountains. Maybe it’s the deep blueblueblue lakes. Maybe it’s the green leafy landscapes. Maybe it’s the Argentine attitude. Perhaps it’s all of the above. Whatever it is, I like it.

The winter season peaked last month, so these days the are more laid back. Fewer tourists, fewer tables, more hours to listenthinkobserve. I’ve come to the conclusion that energy in a restaurant is super complex. My position as waitress gives me a great pedestal from which I can easily observe interpersonal relationships of all kinds. From restaurant personnel dynamics to vacationing families. Lots of people coming and going with different expectations and experiences. It’s a fun real-life social psychology experiment.

One thing I’ve learned is that attitude is contagious. A smile can lift up a dreary afternoon just as a harsh word can plummet positive energy.

For example, the nicest moment of the winter season was when a Haitian family waved me over to their table. I thought that they had found some mistake in the bill, but was pleasantly surprised when I found them thanking me. For what, I wanted to know. For everything. Just like that, that simple gesture, those kind words lifted me higher than the highest ski lift on the highest mountain.

Sometimes we are so caught up in the daily grind of stress and routine that we forget to take a moment and appreciate what we have around us. Something so simple as a compliment or a hug can go further than we think. We can connect with those around us: friend, foe or stranger in positive ways just by the domino effect of a kind act.

The worst moment of the winter season was when five gorgeous models promoting Camel cigarettes arrived from Buenos Aires for a promotional event and flaunted their portena attitude at me. The big city mentality of needing everything their way right at this very moment struck me harshly. And keep in mind, I’m from a very big city. I understand that icy cold rushrushrush attitude. And every time I encounter it, I thank my lucky stars that I was able to get out of it.

I remember that I used to be a stressed out adolescent. Worrying about this exam or that social justice protest. I used to care about my image. It used to bug me if I was five minutes late for a meeting. I would worry if this-or-that was going to work out. And it took its toll. Physically and mentally, stress and its adverse effects added to the vicious self-propagating cycle.

But then I started traveling.

And I felt myself changing. I found with every subsequent trip my NewYorkCity bubble slowly starting to pop. I discovered other cultures. I discovered other lifestyles. I discovered the unhealthy stress exists only because we create it.

And that made me inexplicably happy.

So these days I’m super laid back. I make a point to smile at trees, at the crisp breeze, at a really yummy cheese, at the dog with fleas, and at sweet snap peas.

Speaking of peas… My indoor mini experimental garden is adjusting nicely to my new house. There isn’t as much direct sunlight, but I can tell that the plants are much happier. And, yes, plants can be happy. Why they’ve told me so themselves.

I have tomatoes, cabbage, kale, spicy spicy chili peppers, broad beans, parsley, spinach, chard, carrots, arugala, and… peas. And after months of leaves and a few flowers, I was absolutely delighted beyond belief to notice a nice pea pod last night. A PEA POD! Something edible!! This gardening deal actually works. Wowowowowow! Needlesstosay, I can hardly contain my excitement.

More to come. Including photos??