lockdown

Moving forward

by 2clouds

I’ve not written for over three weeks now, which was not my intention at all. I’m back at work with my second job, which required a bit of an adjustment. Also, there’s still my freelance writing, which takes precedence as it is paid work.

I don’t feel good about neglecting my blog, however. Instead, I feel guilty about it. Which is not great. It tempts me to sit down and force myself to come up with something new, even though I lack the energy to do that.

Obviously, I have not written anything, forced or otherwise.

I have been thinking. About a million things. Travelling. Relationships. Friendships. Moving on and moving forward. Work. Writing. Work. Progress.

Whilst the pandemic is not over by any means, life is returning to normal. I worked my secondary job full-time in June. I visited my parents for my mom’s birthday. I’ve booked a little getaway for summer, which will mean a few days of taking my motorbike up north and touring around the area.

But a part of me has yet to catch up from spending seven months in lockdown. Priorities are shifting, the outside demand for my time is growing, I’m asked to plan further ahead than just a few days.

Lockdown was difficult. Lonely. I truly don’t need that much time to myself, and I am an introvert. I am ready to get back into things, to make plans, to travel, to pursue goals that have been on hold for too long.

Hence the thinking I’ve been doing for the last few weeks. I suppose, with the sudden shift of normalcy returning, I have been trying to synchronise my mental and emotional state with the outward aspects of my life. There was a lot of catching up to do, which is likely going to continue for some time to come.

But I am ready to get back into it with everything that I am.

Up, up and away

by 2clouds

I recently wrote about ‘Fernweh’, the longing for the distance and missing travelling. At the time I was on my way to Berlin, looking out the window of a highspeed train, watching the landscape rush by.

Right now, I’m sitting at my desk, looking at hotels for the first time in almost a year. That’s a long time for me. Not that I look at hotels a lot. Often, when I travel I’m totally happy staying at hostels or guesthouses.

But it’s my birthday next week and I’m not celebrating. Instead, I’m thinking of a little getaway. Yes, on my motorbike, staying at a hotel somewhere and checking out the local sights and riding around on my bike.

The longing has just grown exponentially.

If thought I’d suffered from Fernweh two weeks ago, I really have it bad now. I don’t even know why it hit me so hard all of a sudden.

Perhaps because I haven’t looked at booking a hotel in such a long time and it is a feasible endeavour again. This is not just me dreaming about a possible future trip. This is me considering a booking for next week. The hotel I like best is about four times the price I would normally spend on two nights somewhere. But it would be my birthday present to myself, and I have rarely felt so much in need of a getaway.

I’m ready to just pack a bag and leave. Now.

Never mind that we’re reverting more and more lockdown measures, getting more and more freedom back and I am back at my secondary job as well. Which I enjoy immensely. Life is beginning to feel normal again.

And travel is a part of my life. Even if it would just be a two-day trip to a town further up north.

It is late now, I’m tired and I had a glass of wine. But I’m fairly certain I’ll be making that booking tomorrow.

Sometimes when you need to travel, you just need to travel.

And I absolutely do.