I'm finally getting over the nasty cold I brought back from Ireland, but I woke up this morning still coughing like crazy and feeling exhausted. After walking the dog, I fell asleep on the couch for two hours.
Now that I've traveled once post-COVID and I'm feeling better, I can't wait to get back on the road. First up is a 7-day writers retreat in Bolinas right before the election. It actually ends on Monday, November 4th. The theme of the retreat is learning how to deal with difficult times, and the leaders promise to teach skills to deal with a possible Trump victory.
Being in Ireland and off the beaten path was a much needed break from the constant Trump frenzy. Although we had our phones (friends texted us to let us know that Trump had been convicted in the hush money case), it was fun to read the Irish Times and The Guardian on the train to Galway, each with just one photo of Trump. When we got back to Dublin, the Uber driver who took us from a budget car rental in the south of the city to our hotel pointed out a man leaning on his motorbike at a big roundabout in the city centre, waving a giant Trump banner. The driver said the man was a regular at the area. At first we could tell he was trying to gauge our feelings about Trump, but when we expressed our disdain he told us he was just a terrible bully. Oh, if only that was all we had to deal with!
I'll be honest, doing this trip alone would have been hard. Technology is everywhere, even in a small town like Ballycastle in Northern Ireland. I had a really hard time figuring out how to make a phone call. Checking into our Airbnb came with complicated (for me) instructions on how to find and use the keys. We also didn't have much cash, so when we wanted to add a tip to the bill, I couldn't figure out how to give it. Plus, we had to drive on the other side of the road, which I didn't think I could do well, so my daughter did all the driving. Just figuring out which way to look when crossing an intersection as a pedestrian was hard.
Usually when I come back from a trip, the moment I cross the Golden Gate Bridge, I remember how beautiful my area is and I'm excited to go home. But this time was different. I just didn't travel long enough. I was only there for 8 days. My therapist asked me the other day what my favorite memory was and I couldn't think of one. I enjoyed every bit of it. I felt sick after coming back because I remembered what I was doing on this day last week and I felt disappointed that I missed out on a great week of experiences. Right now (it's Tuesday as I write this), on this day two weeks ago, I drove south of Galway, bought smoked salmon for a picnic lunch, stopped at an Irish chocolate factory, visited a remote sheep grazing farm and watched a Border Collie put on a great show. The day was cloudy with some rain showers. When I got back to Galway, I ordered a gluten-free pizza to go, made a green salad and watched Netflix. I was in bed by 9.
Right now I’m thinking about doing a writer’s retreat at the end of November, followed by another yoga retreat after that, and I feel like my solo travel days are over.
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