Introversion is a hard thing for me to explain. Yes, there’s the shyness in certain social situations, and yes, there’s the need to recharge your batteries (so to speak) in private, but for me, it’s more than just that. I go through phases where I absolutely dread communication with other people and need to be completely alone. I’m not talking about just barricading myself in my room (although I have done that before), but rather an intrinsic need for solitude, physical and otherwise.   So my lack of posting the past several months is not an indication of a loss of interest in writing or traveling, but a need to be by myself for awhile, internalize my feelings and emotions, and get a chance to feel sane again.

Now that I’m refreshed and feeling up for dealing with the world again, I plan on sharing my adventures since my last post with you and getting back up to speed

For those of you who’ve stuck with me, I appreciate it more than I can say. And to both new and old friends, enjoy.

So where were we…..? Oh yes, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens. When last we left off, I had toured their gorgeous gardens while completely congested due to over-the-top allergies.

While I enjoy flowers and winding paths as much as the next person, the real showstopper was the Jaume Plensa exhibit. Plensa is a Spanish sculptor best known for his figures.   At the time, Cheekwood was boasting an impressive series of his works, both outside amidst the gardens and inside the mansion itself.

My favorite work was Silent Rain. It was almost hypnotic, what with the letters streaming from the ceiling and catching the light in the process. Silent Rain was interactive and I spent quite some time weaving in and out of it, immersing myself in the letters and words, trying to read as much as I could.

The wooden face sculptures were equally impressive. They were so realistic that it seemed that if someone were to lightly brush their cheeks, they would awake from their slumber and open those massive owl-like eyes.