Anyone who has traveled across timezones knows the discombobulation of getting off an airplane and feeling like you were tossed from a merry-go-round back into reality. I wake in the night, jetlagged, and wonder where I am and sometimes even who I am and where did that chair across the room come from. After 24 hours or so, the letdown of re-entry begins. Get up (hours early), walk the dog, buy groceries, dive back into work projects, go to bed, repeat. I am almost like a zombie at this point, making my way through the day on auto-pilot. Nevertheless, I try to embrace being back when all I really want is to hit the road again. I’m grateful for my life in California where so much natural beauty and culture are right outside my door, but if I could get on a plane or in our VW van immediately after finishing one trip to start another? I would.
Our recent trip to Italy and Paris still plays like a slideshow when I close my eyes. The temperatures were in the high 90’s (and even over 100 occasionally) during our trip and it didn’t matter. We just slowed our pace and absorbed where we were at any given time.
sitting in front of a fan in the window of our (sweltering) paris apartment and taking it all in….
and when we did venture out in the heat of the day, ducking into cool, peaceful churches for a break from the sun …
waiting til cool(er) twilight to hit the Paris streets in search of ice cream and things to climb…
walking from fountain to fountain to splash our faces in assisi and venice…
strolling with the dog as the day cooled in the Marche countryside…
taking advantage of every moment of our 16 hours in Rome…
and occasionally taking video snapshots, like this one from our water taxi in Venice where my 11 year old aptly stated: “This is the only time this moment will ever happen and I’m in it.”
Once we returned home, recovered from jetlag, and reconnected with our regular life, it wasn’t long (two weeks!) before we hitched up the horses (our VW van) and headed for the hills again. Literally.
Because sometimes we like to change up the view and our own perspective so that real life – both at home and on the road – feels doubly blessed. And it makes re-entry feel just a little gentler.
Happy summer, all (’cause there’s still some left to go)!
cheers,
kim
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images and video: iphone6
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Goodness, these are so good and full of summer happiness! Yes to more summer!
I have loved seeing some of my summer destinations through your lens. It still kills me how close we were to meeting so far from home, but I have been dying to see more photos of your trip and our near miss.
And how wonderful to be full up on wanderlust, and be able to hit the road again – if only for a brief stint. Very jealous of that!