Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Be Where You Are!

On my trip I was asked more than once, "What do you miss about home?" I thought about it for a bit and realized that I really don't think about home when I am on vacation, thankfully. I don't even think that it is a conscious thing for me to do- I just immerse myself in where I am as much as possible.

I was in touch with a few people from home by e-mail and cell phone/text messages and I definitely missed them while I was gone, but I tried to really live in the place and the moment that I was physically- to LISTEN to the city and the languages around me, to taste the local foods and drinks, to focus on the people I was with and the conversations that I was having and NOT to think about what I was going back to, what was going on at home or even what I was going to do when I got back. I enjoyed not hearing about American politics.

I mean, now that I am back, it is good to be able to go to Trader Joe's to get my (food) staples and to be able to drive myself wherever I'd like to go but I really didn't think about those things while I was there. (I am very grateful that my diet is back to being balanced though!) I don't even like to like to listen to my iPod in places abroad unless there is something unnecessarily annoying. (I listened to it ONCE on a train when some punk-ass kid was blaring his horrible music in the seat behind me.) I didn't even charge it while I was away.

I don't think that I was trying to avoid any difficult feelings or situations, I just hope that I was taking advantage of being away from the "everydayness" of my life. (Refer to quote at right. And blog title!)

Now, if I could just do the same thing on the weekends and not dread Mondays....

1 Comments:

At 11:49 AM, April 04, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nicole, I know exactly what you mean! Whenever I use to go someplace near or far I must've also done that very thing. You phrased it so astutely- "Be Where You Are", I guess that's what it's all about huh? There were times when I felt "fickle"? that I could go someplace other than being at home with those I love and become adapted there so quickly and absorbedly (is that a word?ha!). Love grandma

 

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