February 6, 2008
Helena, a lovely, talented friend of ours, asked a couple of weeks ago if we were tired of "reinventing the wheel" every place we go. And I thought it might be a good thing to write about because, wow, yes I am.
Traveling is fun, a lot of the time, especially when we like the new place to begin with, but I'm tired of hefting my pack to get on and off public transport, and I'm tired of setting up and taking down the tent every few days, and I'm tired of always feeling just a little bit (or a lot) disoriented, as though the whole world is in on an inside joke, except the two of us. Not that I'm not still enjoying the trip, because I am, and I'm really excited to be in New Zealand. But I'm really tired. I feel as though any reserves of calm, or strength, or patience, or whatever else it is that helps me deal with awkward, annoying or aggravating situations, which, let's face it, happen frequently when traveling, have been completely depleted. Which is part of the reason I'm so looking forward to the next week, starting Saturday, when we're in the timeshare. We seriously plan on doing next to nothing (not quite nothing, since there are some "chores" we have to attend to, like repairing the poor rainfly of the tent which we've managed to rip unbelievably), and I can't wait.
At this point my only regret is that it isn't a two week break, instead of just one. I need a really long nap.
