Train Thinking

I do some of my best thinking on the train. I think it's the gentle rocking and soft hum of the motion. So it's a good time to journal. 

We are on our way to Switzerland now. Last night I found Jeremy and we both took showers and got some food and spent the evening playing cards at the hostel. We were both SOOOO ready to leave Munich. It hit both of us yesterday- the dirt and trash, the homeless and beggars, the crappy hostel. So this morning we were delighted to wake up at 6 am and get outta there. 

This ride is so beautiful. We are literally going past lakes and mountains. I love it. 

It does make me home sick though. I am feeling so homesick recently. Most of the time I just block out thoughts of home, but that's really hard to do when you don't really love the place you're in. Munich was a very cool city but I didn't love it. All the stuff I mentioned on top of a series of little things that aggravated me made it a bit of a mental struggle. Just stupid things like my laundry didn't go well, etc. 

So the past few days have been hard mentally. The concentration camp visit probably didn't help either. 

I can't wait to be back home in my house, with my stuff, surrounded by trees and nature, with my best friend 10 minutes away. I can't wait to visit South Carolina and all of my wonderful friends, and to see the lake and all of my familiar places. So soon, I tell myself, but at the same time I don't want to wish my trip away! Being homesick takes away from what's happening right now! And that's silly because what's happening now is so cool most of the time. I don't know, it's a balancing act I guess. And when I let myself be homesick for a few hours or a day, I seem to get it out of my system for a while. 

I was also thinking the other day about what it has meant for me to be such a germaphobe doing this trip. For those that know me well, you know that this is all quite hard for me and a real test. I think it's starting to wear me down though. I just feel a little more anxious than I did a couple weeks ago. Maybe it was just Munich, and Switzerland and Italy will be ok again. 

I thought about writing a whole post on How to Backpack Europe if You're a Total Germaphobe. But then I realized how weird some of you would think I am sooooo I decided not to include that post. :) but if you're interested we can talk about it when I get back! I'd be happy to share all my genius ideas I have developed to avoid the germyness that surrounds me 24/7. 

I was also thinking, as I wrote at the end of my Munich post, about all the records I have broken for myself. I thought I'd just mention a couple here. 

This is easily the longest I've gone without tv since before my "Barney and Friends" days. We watched Sound of Music in Salzburg.... And that's it. There is occasionally a hostel or train station tv playing MTV or news (not in English). So yea, on either side of Austria this is easily the longest I've gone. I miss the escape and the pleasant company. I am not really a tv watcher but I am SUCH a tv-have-on-er. I just like the easy company I think. 

This is soooo the longest time I've gone without a hug. Not in a feel-bad-for-me-I'm-a-lost-puppy way. I just realized this yesterday and was a little surprised. Aside from a hug to Kian and his wife, Katja, and Prague friends... I have literally gone weeks without a hug. That is so weird to me!!! And has really never happened before. Moral- when I get back, there will be hugs people. (Mom- this is not permission to suffocate me)

Longest time without cooking or eating in a kitchen... You know I really expected more hostels to have kitchens. It's a little disappointing actually. Most don't even have a microwave. So we get snacks but I mean- we are eating out 3 meals a day recently because hostels have been charging for breakfast. I am SO sick of it. So sick of it. Can't wait to cook or, you know, make a freakin sandwich. 

Here's a positive one- longest time without any homework/work/chores/obligations. This is a blessing and a curse. I'm on "vacation" so there's less to think about in that respect, but I'm also getting a little stir crazy. Feeling like I have lots to do when I get home, and like I need to get back to real life and being a productive member of society. I am very much looking forward to getting back to my projects. But it has been nice to just take this time off. 

You would think it was, but it is not my longest time without driving a car. It is definitely Jeremy's, and for a guy who loves driving so much that he did it as his job, it is hard for him. He can't wait to get home and drive. I don't really care. I've gone this long easily at school before I brought a car down and in DC where I lived for 4 months and never needed a car. 

It's obvious but so weird to accept- longest time without class. I graduated in May from college and here it is September 8 and I haven't sat in a class since. The time that comes closest is the summer after DC. Classes ended in late April but I  still started back in mid August. 

I guess it hasn't really hit me that I graduated.  This is the first fall since I started in the 2-year-olds class at pre-k that I am not going back to school. This is the first time in 20 YEARS! Crazy. 

Some other little ones...

Longest time without wearing jeans in my memory. 

And shopping. 

Most soda consumed, easily. LSAT prep was close but this trip wins. 

Longest time without sitting on a couch. 

Longest time without being in nature. Even if you count parks, any time between them wins. I am going crazy watching forests and meadows pass out the window. Let me outta here!!! I wanna smell the fresh air!!! Interlaken will be nice I think. 

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there are tons more. 

So it's September 8th. I have 23 more nights in Europe, and then after the 23rd night I wake up early and fly back to the States. So in 2 days it will be three weeks until I'm home. 

Time moves slowly during the day but when I realize I have been abroad for 5.5 weeks it's like WOW! That's a long time. It doesn't feel that long. 

Well over half way done. This is day 39 out of 62. So I'm 63% done. And there I go counting days again. 

Those are all of my thoughts. If you've been reading along for the past 5.5 weeks, THANK YOU! Really, thank you. :)

More from Switzerland. 

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