This week, immediately after the week 12 webinar, I started on my cards. As I grabbed the index cards and pen, I wondered where I would start, but as soon as the pen hit paper I began to write, and just kept going. The more cards I wrote, the easier it became.

Pretty soon, I had to open another package of index cards, my pen ran out of ink, so I had to grab another pen. Later as I was shuffling and going through the cards, one of the cards I had written read “Learned to make pan de jamon.”

Pan de jamon, is a traditional Christmas season bread in Venezuela. It is a bread filled with ham, bacon, olives and raisins. Up until four years ago, when I finally learned how to make it, I hadn’t had it since I left Venezuela several decades prior.

Yesterday I decided to start baking some of this bread. With my color shapes, my pocket-sized movie poster, my compass all at the ready, and of course all the ingredients for the bread also at the ready, I began the process.

Finally, as I was singing some Christmas music, I took the bread out of the oven, let it cool for bit, and then I cut the first slice. Seeing the slice of bread and all the filling, feeling the warm slice of bread in my hand, the distinct smell of fresh bread, ham, bacon, raisin and ever so slight smell of olive.

Then, I took the first bite. With all the senses engaged all at once with one piece of bread, I was immediately transported to my grandfather’s house in Caracas on Christmas eve.

I’m writing about this experience because it is helping me tie in as many senses as possible, which helps me better attach feeling to my DMP. As the sit with my friend becomes more and more detailed, I’m finding it easier to add more and more fidelity to the senses in the adventure I’m telling my friend about, thus the feelings are more and more powerful.

What a great week!!!