Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty–his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure. – Aldous Huxley
Thursday, March 8, 2012 (DAY 4)
Awoken to the radiating heat from my skin, I know the sun had got the better part of me from the previous day. The magnifying rays upon my back while hovering just beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea, I probably should have put on some sunscreen but it is already too late. Moving more slowly than a Sunday driver, I gather the energy to pull myself from my bed all while shrieking at the thought of putting on a shirt. My face grimaces as I slide on one of my neutral colored tanks. Watching me, Valentina’s face tells the entire story, the lack of having a mirror nearby only leaves me with mental images of a lobster red back.
The ability to bear this discomfort exists only in search of calming the grumbling of my empty stomach as my shoulders are distinctly on their way to becoming the tone of the locals. Taking the first step into sunlight, it feels as though the temperature of my skin rises several degrees. As I prepare for the discomfort of the hot sun beating down upon me from a cloudless sky and I am already wishing for shade. Our breakfast comes with another beautiful view of the ocean, but this time the waves are much more calm and the blue from the sky merges over the vast horizon of the distinct blue-green tone of the waters as they meet. The grey skies that carried with it torrential rains are now a thing of the past as the imaginable expectations of island weather prevails creating the promise of paradise, it is just a shame that I am dodging the sun like an ex-girlfriend you just happen to spot at the bar.
Awoken to the radiating heat from my skin, I know the sun had got the better part of me from the previous day. The magnifying rays upon my back while hovering just beneath the surface of the Caribbean Sea, I probably should have put on some sunscreen but it is already too late. Moving more slowly than a Sunday driver, I gather the energy to pull myself from my bed all while shrieking at the thought of putting on a shirt. My face grimaces as I slide on one of my neutral colored tanks. Watching me, Valentina’s face tells the entire story, the lack of having a mirror nearby only leaves me with mental images of a lobster red back.
The ability to bear this discomfort exists only in search of calming the grumbling of my empty stomach as my shoulders are distinctly on their way to becoming the tone of the locals. Taking the first step into sunlight, it feels as though the temperature of my skin rises several degrees. As I prepare for the discomfort of the hot sun beating down upon me from a cloudless sky and I am already wishing for shade. Our breakfast comes with another beautiful view of the ocean, but this time the waves are much more calm and the blue from the sky merges over the vast horizon of the distinct blue-green tone of the waters as they meet. The grey skies that carried with it torrential rains are now a thing of the past as the imaginable expectations of island weather prevails creating the promise of paradise, it is just a shame that I am dodging the sun like an ex-girlfriend you just happen to spot at the bar.
Even though it is the first day of beautiful weather, I am content with using this time to embrace the laziness that has eluded me in the past few months leading up to closing out the previous chapter of my life that I cannot help but wonder if it will ever be reopened. This brief thought passes quickly as I am more interested in my options, taking a late mid-morning siesta or reading until I fall soundly asleep as the ocean breeze passes from the far open window across the room to the one that is just above my head, these are now the choices that plague me.
If you can’t beat them join them, the wonderful advice of Valentina. Night has fallen and the hostel is alive with the boisterous sounds of conversation, each one louder than the next as sleep becomes a distant memory. I pull myself from my bunk and claim a chair around the table, inserting myself in the mixture of varying accents and laughter. Tim, a friendly Canadian from Vancouver with blonde hair and blue eyes, is the first to begin the series of the typical questions among travelers. Answering and returning the series of questions, I come to find out that he is traveling with Char, a girl with an infectious laugh that reminds me of my friend Julie. Little did I know upon meeting them that we would form a trio that would stretch over two countries, hundreds of miles, several weeks full of adventures, and an endless amount of inside jokes–the foundation of a truly wonderful friendship.
If you can’t beat them join them, the wonderful advice of Valentina. Night has fallen and the hostel is alive with the boisterous sounds of conversation, each one louder than the next as sleep becomes a distant memory. I pull myself from my bunk and claim a chair around the table, inserting myself in the mixture of varying accents and laughter. Tim, a friendly Canadian from Vancouver with blonde hair and blue eyes, is the first to begin the series of the typical questions among travelers. Answering and returning the series of questions, I come to find out that he is traveling with Char, a girl with an infectious laugh that reminds me of my friend Julie. Little did I know upon meeting them that we would form a trio that would stretch over two countries, hundreds of miles, several weeks full of adventures, and an endless amount of inside jokes–the foundation of a truly wonderful friendship.
RSS Feed
