thoughts around a bonfire
Last night at a small party, I told my friend that "Michal and I are planning an epic bike trip through Central America next year."
She said, "Oh that's nice. That will be great." I don't think she realized what I meant, and apparently she wasn't interested in finding out more specifically what I meant when I said "epic".
She and her boyfriend are flying down to Mexico to go surfing next month. I'm a little jealous that my partner doesn't choose such relaxing and comfortable vacations for us. Not that we are going on a vacation - I realize I am mixing apples with oranges and I'm totally judging my friend and her travel style.
A vacation is essentially different from a Bike Trip. A vacation is an opportunity to leave your job and commitments for a week and focus entirely on pleasurable activities: eating nice food, trying new hobbies like snorkeling, spending quality time with your loved one.
A Bike Trip is an opportunity to leave your job and commitments for two years and focus on challenging activities: fixing flat tires, avoiding thieves and bandits, learning to speak Spanish, looking for water sources, missing your family, getting lost, finding new remedies for diarrhea, giving up all your former hobbies like quilting or painting, and arguing with your husband about whether you can afford $6 for a room that night or do you have to sleep outside again and risk getting robbed or run over by a llama train.
As we stood around the bonfire last night, I thought about this little group of people and how far away from them I may be next year. Perhaps they will read this blog and think of us in Central America, sleeping with the cockroaches and crickets. Perhaps they will discuss the latest post from Anya and Michal when they stand around the bonfire next year.
She said, "Oh that's nice. That will be great." I don't think she realized what I meant, and apparently she wasn't interested in finding out more specifically what I meant when I said "epic".
She and her boyfriend are flying down to Mexico to go surfing next month. I'm a little jealous that my partner doesn't choose such relaxing and comfortable vacations for us. Not that we are going on a vacation - I realize I am mixing apples with oranges and I'm totally judging my friend and her travel style.
A vacation is essentially different from a Bike Trip. A vacation is an opportunity to leave your job and commitments for a week and focus entirely on pleasurable activities: eating nice food, trying new hobbies like snorkeling, spending quality time with your loved one.
A Bike Trip is an opportunity to leave your job and commitments for two years and focus on challenging activities: fixing flat tires, avoiding thieves and bandits, learning to speak Spanish, looking for water sources, missing your family, getting lost, finding new remedies for diarrhea, giving up all your former hobbies like quilting or painting, and arguing with your husband about whether you can afford $6 for a room that night or do you have to sleep outside again and risk getting robbed or run over by a llama train.
As we stood around the bonfire last night, I thought about this little group of people and how far away from them I may be next year. Perhaps they will read this blog and think of us in Central America, sleeping with the cockroaches and crickets. Perhaps they will discuss the latest post from Anya and Michal when they stand around the bonfire next year.
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