July 13 - Trappings of My Not So Old Life

I’m finding myself thinking a lot about home today and I have not shaken the trappings of just a few weeks ago. Several time I find myself wondering how my parents are doing. My mom has a spot on her lung that was being checked out this past weekend and I’ve not been able to communicate with them on the phone since the 4^th. I’ve sent a few short e-mails but not received anything back before I stepped behind the dark side of the moon in Botswana. Even if I could talk to them right now they would not know anything but I can’t help but think about it multiple times today. I got the news from them the weekend before leaving so it has been in the back of my mind since. Once I am in South Africa and Peru I should be able to communicate more but in the meantime I am in a total blackout until I can get a wireless signal.

I’ve also wondered about work and home today. It is Monday and the start of the 2^nd week since I left and I find myself going through things that needed to be done and wondering if they have anybody to take my job yet and if anybody is sitting at my old desk or if it is still empty. I wonder about my condo and how that is going with Quinn, the guy taking care of it for me while I am gone, my car sitting in my brothers garage, hoping that a tree falls on it and smashes it flat. Sorry my VW is nothing but problems. And the old car sitting in storage in Rockford, riding my bike along the lakefront, going to Starbucks, eating Chipoltle, and so on. I’ve not shed the rhythms of my old life just yet. Added note; Even though it has been a while since I have been involved in it, I dreamt about home and rowing during the night too.

I definitely think about sleeping in my bed and miss that. As well as being able to take a hot shower and not having to worry about using too much water. Thirteen more weeks on the road before heading back to Chicago, I am guessing I will have broken the rhythm by then and will have to start all over again setting new ones.