January 2nd, 2020 🌸 Vienna

My dearest María,

If only it were easier, less lengthy and troublesome to get you where I need you to go. Where you undoubtedly need to go. If only this spiral of places and faces gave way to a lighter, more eminent you. Alas I cannot assure a safe journey, only one that is long, and treacherous as they come. It will test you and stretch you until no more bones stand unbroken. Through it you will change, serás otra vez quién fuiste, la que eras y aquella en la que decidiste convertirte. Mais aussi your biggest enemy. Beware and watch your step, or maybe better yet go aloof and as you will. I cannot promise survival, only life lived. A child that will realize itself as it denies itself again and again. We begin then, in the waters of a foreign and familiar sea…

Pienso en tí desde una terraza cualquiera en Viena y recuerdo el olor del mar. El primer párrafo above is directed rather towards myself than towards your person, but I feel having the unyielding symbiotic connection we have gives me the freedom to write to you as I would to myself. This first letter of the year seemed somewhat daunting for reasons that may be later discussed, so I decided to break through this sealed envelope with tenacious force. Tal vez este formato bilingüe resulte algo confuso (though not to you, of course) y es posible que esta carta tenga más de cuento y poesía que de otra cosa, pero dejo todo miedo y pretentiousness aside to bring you my very first postcard. From Vienna, with Love.

Our phone conversation from last night gave me la motivación de ponerme manos a la obra (as the guiding light that you are often does in times of uncertainty), así que aquí te escribo y te invito con ello a responder a most unpredictable and startling question in this time of the year: Resolutions for 2020 - A necessity or a fruitless endeavor? Todavía guardo la lista que hicimos el año nuevo pasado, así que esperemos que no fuese time dully wasted.

Attached are pictures of the gracious yet stern city that awaits you (tiene un aire parisino, wouldn’t you say?) as well as my infinite love and affection. 

Fondly as always,

Irene

PS. A wild Irene is hidden and waiting for you in one of the images, can you guess what her joy and excitement are directed towards?