A little over a year ago (thirteen months, to be exact), I wrote a blog post with the title Closed for vacation, from the same place where I am right now: my happy place (thanks a million, Javi and Fátima, for welcoming us these days).

In that article, I wrote about the many changes I was going through at the time, and the new phase that was beginning for me and my family.

A year (and a month) later, again I feel it´s been a hectic year, full of changes, and with even more changes on the way, some of them chosen by us and being planned for, and some that I´m sure will come along to surprise us.

(I´m a year behind with my photos... This one is from last summer, and it still doesn´t do justice to the gorgeous sunsets in this place).

Next school year is going to be interesting, with two university students at home (we´re so excited about you joining us, Isabel, we will sorely miss you, Quique), and a few other things I´ll tell you about in due course. For the moment, we still have the month of August to enjoy.

Not surprisingly, I found a quote that I think fits perfectly with today´s topic. I heard or read somewhere that we don´t come to this life to be happy, but to solve problems, and I completely agree, though I also think that through those problems we solve and those challenges we overcome we acquire the ability to be happy, no matter our circumstances.

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with,
but whether it is the same problem you had last year.

John Foster Dulles