Dear Oprah

So it was your birthday on the 29th and I didn't say a word. What a good friend I am!
Happy Birthday Oprah. May your days be blessed with health and happiness.
I really forgot about your birthday and just remembered because I saw a photo you published on Instagram.
I love everybody's birthday but mine.
I can remember two good celebrations on my 58 years.
Once, it was my husband's cousin birthday party (my birthday is on the 9th and hers on the 7th and as the 9th was on a saturday the party had place exactly on my birthday) and nobody knew it was my birthday. I forbade him to tell anyone that it was my birthday and we had a great time.
Another time I was in Rio de Janeiro because one of my friends was publishing her book and she was going to autograph books in a very important bookstore in Rio. Later we went to a bar and one of her friends that I had just met went to a bakery nearby and bought me a cup cake with a single candle and we stayed there singing, drinking and laughing all night long.
I know I'm not very kind saying this but I also hate Christmas and New Year's Eve.
I used to love Christmas when my husband was alive but after he passed away...
New Year's Eve is even worse. I can't see the point on what people think is so important to make so much noise, throw parties, fireworks, etc. if the next day everything is exactly the same.
I am cynical. I know but there's nothing I can do about it.
My daughter says I am too realistic. That I don't dream.
I dream!
God I have many dreams!
Sometimes my dreams come true.
Last September I travelled to Hawaii.
That was one of my dreams.
When I was a kid my parents used to watch Hawaii 5-0. The original, do you remember it?
That's when Hawaii became an obsession for me.
I had to visit that place and see all that incredible beaches and forests and volcanos.
We (my daugther, son-in-law and me) spent 10 days there. 5 in Maui and 5 in Oahu.
I read that you have a house in Maui. Lucky you!
Maui is more than words can say about it.
If I could choose a place to end my days it would be there.
I liked Honolulu. It's beautiful but Maui is... everything!
I prefer a million times spending my money travelling than throwing parties to celebrate my birthday.
Even my wedding was very very simple because my husband thought exactly like me: travelling is more important than parties.
When I'm going to buy anything I ask myself if I really need it (everything but books) and if the answer is no the money goes straight to my savings for a trip.
I would love to travel the world.
And travelling for me is not staying in fancy five star hotels. Of course I like a comfortable room and beautiful surroundings but I am as happy with a clean room with bathroom and clean sheets.
I love going to places where locals go. Cafés, restaurants, squares.
Visiting museums and historical places is important but what I really like is to observe how people live around me.What they like doing. Where their kids play. Where their old ones like to get together.
My husband was a traveller just like me. Together we visited many countries and sometimes we travelled by motorcycle.
They were the travels I liked the most.
We never booked hotel rooms. Never. We would simply jump in the car or moto and go and when we got to the chosen place we tried to find a room.
Once we went to Barcelona during the Olympic Games and Gosh we had to travel 200 km further to find a place to spend the night.
The problem was that we had tickets to the games opening so we travelled 1000 km from Paris to Barcelona (we stopped in Andorra for 2 hours), arrived in Barcelona for the opening ceremony and afterwards travelled 200 km to find a room to sleep just to go back to Barcelona the next day. (we were travelling on motorcycle).
And I swear I loved every second of that trip. Even if I was beaten tired it was fantastic.
I love Spain.
I have never been to Portugal but from all the European countries I've travelled Spain is my favorite.
Today is Sunday. I went to the market, made something to eat for lunch and after I read.
Now I'm going to watch a movie I downloaded and wait for Monday.
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.