When will I learn?! When will I put my foot down and say, “No honey, I am not a human guinea pig. I will not eat, nor drink something just because the fine people of La Rioja like it. And yes, I do love you, and I do appreciate your fine moral standards to try everything once, but love shouldn’t translate to my eating fried pig ears!” I say this having ingested one big, slimy, hairy and juicy bite of a pig’s ear last Friday night after thoroughly enjoying a round of perfectly sauteed mushrooms! The thought of it still makes my stomach churn in disgust; praying that one day, the image will disappear from my mind.

This isn’t the first time I’ve caved in after seeing Ryan’s eyes light up in fire, furious that I would succumb to my psychological fears. An open mind for me, means that I respect other people’s choices, as long as they don’t hurt themselves or others. Ryan, on the other hand, is fiery and passionate, a major reason why I adore him. No matter how grotesque a beverage or food item might be, he’ll happily take on the challenge, eager to research what others find appealing in the experience. And if those around him crave his respect, they best approach life like they were participating in Survivor, consuming anything that is even remotely edible. He’s not masochistic, requiring you to finish it if you don’t enjoy it, but he does ask that you try everything, once.

And against all logic, I’ll continue to follow his lead! I love his ridiculously high standards that he asks of not only himself, but others. I love his passion …