Only two weeks in, and I craved something other than delicious Italian food. Something with spice, something with fresh vegetables, something with powerful flavor. Our savior caught our attention when we were out walking late one night. Was it our imaginations, or was that a burrito?! Upon closer inspection, we saw that it indeed belonged to the burrito family, so we asked the burrito munchers where'd they'd gotten them. With a laugh at our sincerity and dilated eyes of intense interest, they pointed two doors down and encouraged us to get one.
The kabab shop is a small, one-manned operation. Abbey ordered us what I had been fantasizing about for two days, and I watched the guy make four of them with great anticipation. He is a bit of a prankster, and he made me feel like a fool, but in a friendly way. With a sheepish chuckle, we left with our heavy plastic bags of our booty to find a perch on some nearby steps.
This was certainly not a burrito like I'd ever had before. Yes, it was a filling wrapped in a large flour tortilla, but the flavors were decidedly new. Crisped, savory meat meat sawed from the rotating spit before our eyes only minutes earlier was mixed with a shredded slaw of lettuce, carrot, and cabbage. Add fries and a delightful curry mayo and spicy red sauce, and you have enough flavor to create a bomb. On a subsequent visit (now we only have three punches left on our punchcard!) we knew to ask for "molto salsa picante" to really fill our spice void. That first bite of warm tortilla and umami meat complemented by the crunch of fresh veggies made my eyes roll to the back of my head in delight. The slow burn of the heat made my body respond in ways I'd forgotten about, and it was as if I were experiencing eating for the first time again. My lips and tongue and throat were being reawakened and I felt alive all over.
Your body is a temple, they say. So why deprive yourself of the pleasures and spices of life? Why not feel at home in your temple?
From the outside, Italians seem to know how to live life well (aside from the lack of spice). Here, I am surrounded by beautiful buildings, gorgeous people, gelato on every corner, happy dogs, couples kissing and loving each other, and a pace of life that emphasizes the good parts of life instead of the stresses. I want to experience this life deeply so that it'll be imprinted in my temple as an Italian fresco. My body is a free temple: I can move around and position myself in places around the world, decorating the inside and outside with stories, adventures, people, and food. I want to share my precious soul and be a humble and kind example of a grand temple. I will be satisfied if I have a beautiful patina by the end of it all.
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