September 26, 2017

Random Roaming Ruminations: the “all three year olds are assholes” edition

I’m travelling alone for large portions of this trip. That means a lot of time to ponder the things that creep into your brain as you are roaming about the world. For no reason whatsoever, other than perhaps you can relate or be entertained, here are some of them so far:

I love travelling alone, but there are moments that you really need a travel buddy. Like when you sit down for a coffee and accidentally find yourself in the middle of a street theatre scene 5 minutes later. I had absolutely no clue what just happened. A travel buddy would have made me look significantly less crazy when I couldn’t stop giggling after they moved onto the next location.
Three year olds are assholes all over the world. They make the same soul destroying noise regardless of their native language and the parents all have the same ‘when will this phase be over and will my angel ever return to replace this demonic being?’ look. Angry three year olds should be used instead of water boarding, much more effective. Not your three year old, obviously.
If your thighs touch, skirts and walking in mid-European summer are not a good pairing. Swap it out for shorts or suffer the chaffing wrath.
People who work in hospitality or service industries in August in Europe have generally not had a day off in about 6 weeks. Be kind to them. They are tired.
Cruise ships might be the things that bring civilisation to an end. Not Trump. Cruise ships.
Get up early as often as you can. It’s always, always better.
Some places (such as Budva in Montenegro) have not heard of skin cancer. They are still selling tanning oil (literally scented olive oil) on the beaches. Oh the luxury of an ozone layer…
There is so much smoking in Greece. So, so much. It gets easier, but when you first land from virtually smoke-free Australia, it’s difficult to cope with the side of nicotine with every meal!
Sometimes the beauty of this world and the ingenuity of the women and men who created things of beauty in it fill your heart up to the point of bursting.
Tomatoes grown in southern European summer are sublime. Like nowhere else. And figs! I need more figs in my life.
When you start to panic you won’t find your Airbnb because your GPS has lied to you and Telstra won’t let you register on a network to turn your data on or make a phone call, it’s important to take a breath and remember that only 11 years ago you found your way around Europe alongside a driver using handwritten route notes and maps with 50 people on-board. Just ask a human.
Technology is a blessing and a curse. It is wonderful to stay in touch and share your journey and it makes research and planning so easy, but the addiction is real. I’m working on this balance.
Saltwater sandals, with their leather soles, are excellent for asphalt Australia. Not so good for shiny, slippery cobblestones that have been walked on for hundreds of years.
My inability to speak a second language is embarrassing and source of regret. One I’m realistically unlikely to redress, but I continue to hope this will change.
It is much easier to panic about stuff when you have someone to voice it to – I haven’t had a single fight with myself about what bus to catch whilst waiting at a bus-stop. I have witnessed many. Solo travel is great for just getting on with it.