Ok, I have been talking on this blog about how magical travel is and how much I have always wanted to do more of it. This time, I am going to talk about some of stuff that isn't as picture-perfect.
And I am finding out on my journey that one of the biggest things you need when you travel is a little resilience.
Case in point: suitcases.
Everyone, from my best friends to Rick Steves, always tells me to pack light. Every time I ignore their advice. I cannot decide between various tennis shoes. I need coats for tough weather, etc. My suitcase this time was smaller than usual, but still not small enough. So I have been paying the price... quite a bit.
My London rental said it was "first floor". Unbeknownst to me, that meant three floors, two of which were a windy little narrow staircase. Getting up and down was a challenge with the suitcase. And, this darned suitcase has been very botherson on my train journey. Every stop, I am schlepping this thing around. I have to keep taking lifts (sometimes broken) and then haul it God knows where so I can store it somewhere and explore the town. Here in my request: if we are friends and you are reading this, you have my permission to remind me next time to PACK LIGHT!! The worst thing is I feel so American with my big suitcase. And I have not worn half the stuff. Sgh.
Second challenge: learning the train system has been a challenge. I am quite proud of myself for figuring it out, but sometimes it is a bit touch and go. I have been on wrong trains, gone the wrong way, got confused, etc. But I gotta say, folks here are lovely. They are so helpful. And a coulple of young guys offered to carry my suitcase on a few staircases. I choose to interpret that as them being raised well (rather than them thinking I am old). By the time I am done, I will be an expert.
Going to another country can be a challenge for your brain in other ways. My place in Bath seemed to be like a nightmare of things I didn't understand. I can NEVER figure out the showers here in the UK. Today I ended up spraying the whole bathroom with a nozzle and could never figure out how to unplug the bath. I couldn't figure out the coffee machine so had to boil water and try to come up with something. I couldn't figure out where they kept things or how to turn lights off. My favorite challenge today was breaking a wine bottle into a thousand pieces while packing and not knowing where the broom was... so I tried to sweep up pieces with a towel. This was dumb, of course. Suffice to say, no emergency room required but lots of blood left behind.
Of course I came down with a bad cold two days ago, so that has left me a bit grumpy and out of sorts. But I feel proud of pushing through that, too.
So yesterday I saw Oxford and Bath. Today I stopped by Bristol and I am now headed towards Liverpool, where I get to be parked for a day or two.
And I don't want to be all negative. have seen some amazing things here. Bath was as incredible as I always imagined. I even had tea at the famous Pump Room and saw the Roman Baths.
But the challenges are part of the journey too, right?
So now, as I take in the countryside while heading up to Liverpool, I am taking a big breath. I am going to order a glass of wine (if this is possible, which really hope it is...) and try to take in the trainride.
Travel is not simple. It has challenges and sometimes you get frustrated. And I have to say, it can be tough doing it alone sometimes. It's just me figuring it out.
But I am utterly proud I am doing so.... and this is why I think I need to keep traveling. We have to face the logistical challenges and keep getting out there, because one day the logistics start feeling like too much to face. I know I have a long way to go and a lot of travels ahead before that happens to me.... in the meantime, I am going to try to find some humor. Whether that is about lugging big suitcases, cutting myself with glass or spraying myself with a shower nozzle. It's all part of travel, right?
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