I woke before dawn this morning, early enough to see the yard emerge from darkness, early enough to hear the first birds calling. 

Speaking of birds, the day after we arrived home, I spied a male cardinal at the feeder. A common occurrence. But I saw him with new eyes. 

Do they have cardinals in Madeira or mainland Portugal? I saw none. So I imagined seeing a cardinal for the first time, resplendent in his red coat. Gleaming red coat at this time of year. 

Here is a gorgeous bird I take for granted, and I’m seeing him as if for the first time. Isn’t that what we hope travel will give us, the ability to see our own world again — only with fresh eyes?

(Turns out, I don’t have many good cardinal photos. I need to remedy that.)