On Homesickness – Friday Night, October 5th.

I’m leaving on my yearly trip out of the country (I’m currently en route to Mexico) and admit I am already homesick. I already miss my routine, my dance classes, the familiar setting. But mostly, I miss my bed. I made the mistake of changing over to my winter comforter this week and it, combined with the greatest of mattresses, makes for a very cozy bed-time experience. “I miss you already, I said, patting at the top of the blanket after I straightened the bedded before leaving this morning. At least it will be waiting for me all tidy when I get back. There is nothing finer than getting back from a trip to a nicely made bed.

Another cause of the homesickness, in a away, is thy I’m travelling on my own again after years and years of having travel buddies accompany me around the world. I sort of ran out this year, or rather, all my previous travel buddies have other travel buddies. No fear! I also travel alone! Only I notice that it’s not as fun. Having a travel buddy means having someone to plan with (or do all the planning for the both of us) and someone to hang out with during long layovers. Not to mention having someone I know in foreign countries.

When I first started travelling I did it alone and didn’t think anything of it. There were places I wanted to go and I didn’t want to wait for the schedules and budgets of friends. But then these things, in addition to people noticing I travel to places, led to a series of travel buddies. Traveling alone and with travel buddies are great. I like traveling.

But it’s been a while, and I have panic, hesitation and doubt that travel buddies would usually help to distract me from. Panic because of new situations I have no control over (I might be in control of them at the time, but there’s no way to prepare before hand). Hesitation in trying new things while being in new places; talking to new people. Doubt in my ability to handle all aforementioned; that I won’t be in the right mood when I get there; that I won’t feel right, emotionally and healthily. But I go anyway.

Things that help: a tradition of calling Mum from YVR (today accompanied by wine); the things that can and have been planned in action; my wee travel colouring book; phone charging stations

Mexico. Day One. Playa del Carmen – Saturday morning

I get an actual full day as my first day here because I landed at 7:30am. I went right to my hotel, and bonus they had a room ready for me. I dropped my stuff and have “found” a vegan restaurant just a few steps away. “Found” because I saw it on Google maps during research into my trip. I had my order ready in Victoria, but now in the heat, I had to amend to a smaller portion and a cooler drink. I’m hungry.

I’m hungry because I flew with WestJet and they don’t have many options I can eat from their on-board menu, or their pre-pay menu. A couple snacks maybe. It was an overnight flight so I wasn’t too worried: I filled up on a pad thai at YVR. Also, only a 5.5 hour flight so I survived on a granola bar.

Also, I didn’t sleep more than a nappish/doze all night so I’m flakey this morning. My new method for sleeping on the airplane is: a) neck pillow b) pashmina c)warm socks d)podcast i have on but don’t really listen to because I’m dozing. I’m fond of the poscast. “Casefile” for this. It often has multi- part episodes that run for a fews hours and i set them to run continuously. On the way to England last year I half-listened to a really long one about Jamestown. Today was one about some serial killer who I still know nothing about becauae I slept through it. He killed 40 people, probably more (I woke up for that statistic). (“Casefile” is a true crime podcast, which you might not think is good for sleeping along to; however, the narrator has a nice voice.)

I had a super bowl at the vegan place. It was beautiful to start but being sleep- deprived and hungry I dug right in before taking a picture. A picture is no good now because it looks like sawdust and snow:

There’s coconut and granola and a banana in there somewhere and you can see a couple blueberries. The wooden spoon is pleasing.