a bazaar of pleasures

We spend so much time analyzing our feelings, decrypting situations and over-thinking everything, that we tend to forget that many of life's pleasures have absolutely nothing to do with having a partner. While it's true that there will rarely be a top three pleasure list that doesn't involve the words "love" or "sex"  , the list has all kinds of other wonderful experiences that are sometimes better than love --and sex.

So when you've got the blues, when you feel like nothing has any taste, color or scent anymore, I suggest you pack-up your bags, grab a friend or two, and fly out somewhere to rediscover the immensity of pleasures the world has to offer.

Over the weekend, I discovered the pleasures of Istanbul. I have to admit that before hopping on that plane last week, I was feeling down, blue, and overly anxious [especially about the part where I had to be on a plane...] but it was nothing 2mg of Lexotanil couldn't fix. After that, it was me piling up the pleasures one by one. Food, for one, is way up on my list of life's best pleasures, and in Istanbul, it did not disappoint! And it was nicely paired up with a lot, a lot, a lot of wine [which I never thought of as a "pleasure" but it turns out drinking alcohol really is]. Laughing with friends in a Turkish "Taksi" where he doesn't understand you and you don't understand him, where they drive even more crazily than in Beirut, and where even getting ripped off $200 ends up being a funny story.

Walking around in the Grand Bazaar, the colors of the Turkish Souk put rainbows in your eyes, and the scent of the Spice Market just make you feel like every sense you have is fully awaken. I felt alive for the first time in months, and the feeling didn't involve anyone but me.

The grand finale was an amazing massage that I wish could've lasted forever --because, I have to say, it felt better than sex. So after six days of pleasure dipping, I can safely say that happiness is there if you just look for it, and you just shouldn't always look for it in another person. Just let yourself rediscover that life is good.