When you travel, naturally, your habits change. You might be waking up early to catch a train, or eating ice cream twice a day, or sleeping in the middle of the afternoon because well, when in Rome. I’ve definitely let myself go, so to speak, swinging this way and that following what is customary to the city I happen to find myself in. Yes I slept at least two hours each afternoon I spent in Italy. Yes, I had two scoops of ice cream before dinner yesterday. And yes, I’ve bought 3 new pairs of shoes. Gone are my reservations (not that I had much to start with), and, with each new day, increased instances of delighting myself in the pleasures of the planet. But with my inhibitions, seem to have gone my concerns for maintaining certain standards for living. It appears I may have left them stateside.
We started to notice it on the road trip in France. First, we were eating cheese that was being kept in no such refrigeration and the same goes for the wine; Shaking our yogurt into oblivion to make it drinkable. We were sleeping in the car, and using public pools and café bathrooms to substitute bathing. But it continued when I left France. In Italy I had sweat so much on my pillow before the train even departed the station that I should have turned it over, but I didn’t. Then, Sasha and I were eating watermelon that had been sitting out in the kitchen for an undetermined amount of time. At the beach, if you had to go, you went in the sea, even though it was full of jellyfish. If you don’t like Czech food, well, you eat it anyway (the worst). Your beer is always too warm, and your showers may be too cold. In one hostel, I actually used my Navy T-shirt to dry off and then I wrapped my hair up in it. Now, I’m using my Italy shirt as a pillowcase. I’ve been cycling only two pairs of socks; And just once, I used toothpaste to wash my face.
So now you know it’s not all double rainbows over here. Although, those aren’t complaints; In fact I am amazed how when the bliss outweighs the bad, it really makes everything feel all right. I am impervious to the ungood and magnetic to the fantastic. You would be too it you’d tasted that glace pistache I had yesterday. Yummm…
