I know, I know, I've been a bad blogger, missing a few days too many. My apologies. I was otherwise occupied trekking the frozen tundra the rest of the world knows as the Northeast. I was a fish out of water. I looked like I didn't belong, and I often felt like I didn't belong. My fashion sense was seriously put to the test, being in "civilization" (especially some high-falooting shopping areas) I was thrown back into a world I've left behind of trends, excess, fashion statements, and so on. I live in the Keys, and do not shop at the "in" place anymore (where every "it" may be). I'm ok with that, but I was also not prepared for my thoughts on the amount of what I'll call "excess" I observed. So much of everything surrounded us anywhere we went. Excessive choices, excessive food, excessive noise, excessive crowds, excessive traffic and so forth. I am no longer accustomed that environment, and its another reason this transplanted Jersey Girl felt woefully out of place.
I am sure anyone around me longer than 5 seconds was aware of my difficulty coping with that local weather. Its hard to believe the vast majority of my life was spent in an area which really does get very cold, and sees heavy snow at times. My day of arrival, the thermometer did not crack 30 degrees; that was one of the warmer days. I mentioned before leaving I would be traveling light, that was an understatement of immense proportions. Next time I go somewhere cold, I promise to find gloves better than the teeny tiny pink ones I found in my sock box which do not make it quite up to my wrist. I thought I could handle the cold better than I did. I am humbled by Ma Nature yet again.
The trip started off on an ominous tone. As we were driving up the Keys in heavy traffic, we managed to avoid the death fairy in an auto accident, but I found myself wedged underneath the passenger side dash trying to act like "its ok, I planned that." I didn't plan it, and it did hurt. I took those scrapes and bruises into the entire trip. It was a sign.
Our trip was so over scheduled it was ridiculous. Another mental note is that next trip I think we need the "cone of silence" option in the rental car. By last night, Mr. Happy Vegan and I found ourselves in the throes of quite a hissy fit, which lingered on for far too long and of course snow balled (haha) to epic proportions. It began on the final leg of the driving, 3 hours from one place to another in rain & sleet, finally arriving on someones doorstep just before midnight for our visit. Seriously, this was how tight our schedule was. Midnight. For a visit. We expected we'd be arriving about 10:30pm (already ridiculously late for a visit), but were well over 1 hour late due to poor driving conditions and a directionally impaired driver (I shall not name that person in order to protect HIS identity....) We did our best, they were happy to see us, and we kept it brief. We wanted to stay longer, but obviously didn't. So we found ourselves pulling into a hotel about 1:30am the day of our departure, exhausted, cranky and acting like 2 year olds.
My emotions really did not begin to thaw until just a few hours ago. The ride was pretty quiet the whole way home, and I was minding my own business. In the dark, crossing the 7 mile bridge, at almost the same spot where I found myself dashing into traffic to save a royal tern some 10 days ago, I looked over and saw Christmas lights lit up on a scraggly lone pine tree growing through the concrete of the old 7 mile bridge. Yup, I swear this is true. There is no traffic other than foot traffic allowed on that span, its old, crumbling and there's no way I'd ever walk on it. Not to mention its in the middle of the ocean. Yet, someone thought it would be either a) challenging, b) funny, c) necessary or d) all of the foregoing to put solar powered lights on that tree. I couldn't help but mumble to myself and smile. Only in the Keys, a sight like that.
So, I'm home, I'll post random things about my trip I'm sure in the next few days and weeks. For now, I'm contemplating the whirlwind of the last few days; hoping I don't forget any of the good times, wishing I'll never remember the bad times.
Tis the season...
I am sure anyone around me longer than 5 seconds was aware of my difficulty coping with that local weather. Its hard to believe the vast majority of my life was spent in an area which really does get very cold, and sees heavy snow at times. My day of arrival, the thermometer did not crack 30 degrees; that was one of the warmer days. I mentioned before leaving I would be traveling light, that was an understatement of immense proportions. Next time I go somewhere cold, I promise to find gloves better than the teeny tiny pink ones I found in my sock box which do not make it quite up to my wrist. I thought I could handle the cold better than I did. I am humbled by Ma Nature yet again.
The trip started off on an ominous tone. As we were driving up the Keys in heavy traffic, we managed to avoid the death fairy in an auto accident, but I found myself wedged underneath the passenger side dash trying to act like "its ok, I planned that." I didn't plan it, and it did hurt. I took those scrapes and bruises into the entire trip. It was a sign.
Our trip was so over scheduled it was ridiculous. Another mental note is that next trip I think we need the "cone of silence" option in the rental car. By last night, Mr. Happy Vegan and I found ourselves in the throes of quite a hissy fit, which lingered on for far too long and of course snow balled (haha) to epic proportions. It began on the final leg of the driving, 3 hours from one place to another in rain & sleet, finally arriving on someones doorstep just before midnight for our visit. Seriously, this was how tight our schedule was. Midnight. For a visit. We expected we'd be arriving about 10:30pm (already ridiculously late for a visit), but were well over 1 hour late due to poor driving conditions and a directionally impaired driver (I shall not name that person in order to protect HIS identity....) We did our best, they were happy to see us, and we kept it brief. We wanted to stay longer, but obviously didn't. So we found ourselves pulling into a hotel about 1:30am the day of our departure, exhausted, cranky and acting like 2 year olds.
My emotions really did not begin to thaw until just a few hours ago. The ride was pretty quiet the whole way home, and I was minding my own business. In the dark, crossing the 7 mile bridge, at almost the same spot where I found myself dashing into traffic to save a royal tern some 10 days ago, I looked over and saw Christmas lights lit up on a scraggly lone pine tree growing through the concrete of the old 7 mile bridge. Yup, I swear this is true. There is no traffic other than foot traffic allowed on that span, its old, crumbling and there's no way I'd ever walk on it. Not to mention its in the middle of the ocean. Yet, someone thought it would be either a) challenging, b) funny, c) necessary or d) all of the foregoing to put solar powered lights on that tree. I couldn't help but mumble to myself and smile. Only in the Keys, a sight like that.
So, I'm home, I'll post random things about my trip I'm sure in the next few days and weeks. For now, I'm contemplating the whirlwind of the last few days; hoping I don't forget any of the good times, wishing I'll never remember the bad times.
Tis the season...
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