6 months on a ship with 1000+ crew. Always someone around when you need a hug or a friend to talk to. On the flip side it's hard to find a minute alone. It was a rough contract, I had some conflict with colleagues. It was an great contract, I made 2 or three good friends, and I learnt a lot this contract.
3 days in Vancouver in friends. Too little time, running round getting ready for vacation in Peru. Some friends didn't even know I was there, please don't feel I was ignoring you. I feel bad I didn't even phone to say hi.
4 days travelling with Michelle. It's the first time we've done a major trip together, I think we travel well together. Neither of us needed a set schedule and we were happy to go with the flow.
4 days hiking the Inca Trail with a group of 12, 2 guides and 14 porters. One of the hardest things I ever done. The two guides had the patience of saints, and I certainly could not have got through this trek without them. Michelle knew when to be encouraging, when to let me vent, when to leave me alone and when to give me a hug. I'm so proud that we finished this together.
2 more days sightseeing with Michelle. Well not really sightseeing, we were holed up in a hotel room while a protest when on outside. Good thing we don't mind spending time together.
Now? Now I'm on my own
in a gorgeous hotel room (seriously might be the fanciest hotel room I've ever occupied)
in the historic and beautiful city of Cusco, Peru.
I've just hiked the 4 day Inca Trail. I've just spent a day at Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the new 7 wonder of the world, a place some people only ever dream of going. I should feel ecstatic. There's a hundred things I could do tonight. Walk down to the main square and enjoy a drink on a balcony, find a restaurant and treat myself to a lovely meal, go to the observatory, find a pisco sour making class, have a bubble bath...
All similar to things I've done before. But for some reason tonight I don't want to be travelling on my on. I want to be with a partner, a friend, a group of friends, some family members or even someone I've hiked with for the last 4 days but don't really know. Sometimes I like to be a lone, but I don't like to be lonely. Tonight I feel lonely. I just want to curl up in bed and cry.
I'm not looking for sympathy, I know I lived a charmed life. I can afford to travel and do exciting things. I don't have a family or house or obligations. I am work hard and I appreciate that I am able to visit wonderful places like this. I'll get over it by tomorrow but today it makes me sad.
I just need to focus on how incredible it felt to be here just a few days ago...