Long term traveling can be really hard on a relationship.
Even after 8 years of marriage and 13 years together, occasionally Shaun and I want to kill each other.
So as Valentines approached, we made sure to make a day of it. Romance was going to be our forte.
I used to be against it back at home. The excessive “I wuv you” bears and chocolates made me want to gag every time I stepped foot in the grocery store for some milk and bread.
But you know, it is so incredibly important to take time for your relationship when you are backpacking or traveling for an extended period of time. You need to make sure that you show your significant other that you are thinking about them – besides who needs to make the sandwiches that day or take the disgusting laundry to the cleaners.
So in La Paz, we decided to picnic in the few moments that the sun came out and deliciously licked our skin. It was a good omen for sure. Rainy season seldom affords these moments.
We hit up a specialty food store with our new couple friends Travis and Kara and came out swinging.
Wine, olives, llama salami (which is freaking fantastic!), chocolate, hummus, fresh cheese, goat cheese, crackers, pretzels, plums and gourmet onion bread – quite the find in the middle of South America.
We plopped ourselves down on the stairs of a plaza with our bounty and dug in.
And then “it” happened.
Sky rats. Everywhere.
Whoever spread this vermin around the world needs to have their legacy taken away from them.
Somehow people think they’re cute and feed these fat, disgusting, flying animals.
These kids decided it was great to start feeding them around our picnic and pigeons within a mile started flying into the plaza to participate in the feeding frenzy.
Their beady little eyes started eyeing our food as well. We were kicking, swatting, and panicking as feathers filled the air… landing in our wine, our bread, our hair. Dander was filling the air.
RETREAT!
We quickly grabbed everything and headed for the nearest non-pigeon filled location:
A church across the street.
So yes, we made our Valentines even classier by drinking cheap wine on the steps of a church.
We prevailed. We were determined to keep our damn picnic romantic.
Our next few minutes were spent picking out pigeon feathers from our bag of goods.
Keep it classy travelers.
What a perfect Valetine’s day! I can totally agree re: romance and long term travel. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day things, where you’re going next, where you’re going to sleep, what to eat, running a blog, etc. Johnny and I always try to have one date night a week. We don’t necessarily go out anywhere, just a night where we shut everything off and spend time with each other.
And another note, drinking on steps is the new thing, didn’t you know!? lol!
That is pretty much the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day – not sappy, but sweet and romantic. And the food! The food looks so freaking good! Love grocery store dinners when traveling – they are always the best!
Aww, I love that you guys bought some fun food to set up a picnic! Though you had to dodge the sky rats (what?!), it sounds like it was just what you needed on V-Day 🙂
Oh, My, Goodness. That looks like real cheese! What I would have given to have some real cheese in Bolivia, nice finding guys 🙂
Aww, this is a sweet post! Looks like a wonderful day, minus the flying rats 😉
@Sheryll: That is awesome! I don’t think we quite do it every week but we definitely try to spend time with each other.
Go you lady! You got it!
@Kate: Thank you! It is something we definitely try to pride ourselves in – being more realistic about what V-Day should be about. <3
@Heather: Sky rats! You know! Pigeons and their ugly, diseased selves! 😛
@Sam: IT IS! Seriously. I thought my taste buds were going to explode with happiness.
Extra flavor thanks to the pigeons. That was thoughtful of them. I so want to try llama salami! I’ve had alpaca steak and LOVED it, so I’m guessing llama salami must be killer!