Hubert Gasser - July 20, 2006

My jet lag has, for the most part, subsided. And so has another rather bizarre phenomenon.

When Jess and I were in Austria and Germany, my role, among others, was navigator. First, because it’s usually my role. But in this case, since I was the only one who had even a remote grasp of German, I was the only one who could be relied upon to purchase train tickets, ask someone for a subway map, or… directions.

So when it came time to move to the next city, or even to find a certain museum in our current city, it was all me.

It was during this trip that Jess began to refer to me as “the anxious traveler.” It’s true. I’ve become a bit of a control freak in general, a fact I’m not pleased about. But with regard to the traveling, I think I managed to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy for travel mistakes (on my own part).

This is not to say that it was a successful policy. Far from it.

I think, though, that it did manage to get in my blood. Because on our first night back—the night where my circadian rhythms were probably most out of whack with when I needed to sleep—I woke up at least three times in a state of panic. I couldn’t remember which city I was in, or where we needed to be. This was with my eyes open, sitting up in our very own bedroom. On at least two occasions that first night, through the waking haze of sleep, I needed to literally get up and go to the window and look outside before I realized where I was.

I thought it would be a one time thing, but on two subsequent nights the same thing happened, although with less and diminishing intensity. I think last night was the first night that I don’t recall it happening at all.

Comments

Gorgeous golden light in this, the rain adds much to it. I really like the almsot dreamlike feeling from the photo of the woman, mournfully looking out, trapped forever in her world in the window.

Posted by: Jeremy on July 20, 2006 10:23 PM