At last I come up for air, gasping, still gasping...in big gulps...
surpsingly not much has changed in the last month and half...
Unfortunately my writing abilities have failed miserably in the last two and half weeks of our trip, simply there were no words, energy or desire to attempt or bother adequately describing the experience. Since Paolkastriska (another ship ride), I have been through Italy (endless kilometers of tracks), the South of France (namely Nice, VilleFranche, Eze, Monaco, Marseille, Lyon) after which I returned to Paris to fast the longest one-day fast I've ever done in my life (i had to start on the 5:15 am train and ended it 11:45 pm Parisian time) traveled to London (by yet another train), went back to Dublin (by plane), took a 3 hour train ride to Galway (they have cereal!)followed by a two hour bus ride in the most beautiful country I've ever seen (Western Ireland)to a little Gaellic village called Clifden (my future summer locale), from where we hitch hiked to Cleggan to go horse back riding (along the cliffs and beaches) and took it all back to Dublin for one last night of Guinness and fun (and left while it was freezing, pouring 15 degrees outside).... (apologizing for the profoundly horrid run-on).
Needless to say when I retuned to the States (after three stop overs and no on-board entertainment) to my cheering family and friends I was thrilled to go to Parksville for a little brain-quieting... I will stay here, alone (with ice cream, books, coffee and Crispex), for the week and finally attempt to put everything properly to paper (I've kept a log but it needs a bit of polish), still and organize the many sounds, colours, tastes and impressions floating in my cerebellum.
While some people believe I enjoyed every aspect of this trip to the umpteenth degree, to the point that I sounded unrealistic (i belive the term was 'gushing Kate Holmes'), I can only say that this trip, amazing as it was, was extremely challenging, not so much physically (although running with a 35 pound back pack to make a train/bus/plane does make you a tad sore and eating avocados, tomatoes, Coke Cola Lite, grits and peaches tends to have interesting gastrointestinal ramifications) but mentally...then the 'stress'(or form of) is balanced by unbelievable high in the overt assertion of one's independence, once you're home, taking a shower that's actually relatively hot, for longer that 45 seconds, with shampoo AND conditioner, your body and mind suddenly feel the strain of six weeks of excessive movement. It was a brilliant trip, a wonderful experience, an amazing challenge... Ladies and Gents i am officially ready for Survivor.
Now, in my nice long week ahead of chicken raising, bike riding, lake dwelling, swimming, pretty much the full exploitation of summer...all the best- and shavuah tov... rest, peace, and a beautiful summer week to all.