So staying in one place doesn't really create opportunities for super-fun, awe-inspiring posts, so I thought I would just go more simple and discuss what travel like this (around the world...for nine months) is like.
Conan: could do this every day for probably the rest of his life.
Julie: would fly home right now if you gave her (me) a plane ticket (and my house wasn't rented).
Sila: would also go home but only if he didn't have to answer any questions about why and if he could spend all day playing with his friends.
Hah! The above statements obviously don't capture each the wide range of emotions we each feel, but it's pretty close.
Traveling like this is hard. When we're in more developing countries, our existence turns more into survival mode: Where are we staying? How do we take the local buses/taxis? Where is the nearest grocery store? How do we do our laundry? What is the conversion rate, again? What are the dangers? What should we go and see? Is that man following us? Where are we going next? How long should we stay here? These questions, and many more, run through our heads daily and can be quite exhausting.
Staying put--like we are doing now--comes with a whole other set of contemplations: we've been on the road only 2 months! We have six months left. I wish I were home doing ____. When we get home, we should ____. I miss doing _____. Fill in the blanks, but you get the point. How do we create a routine and have a sense of purpose each day? As you can see, staying in one place creates more mental space to think about what life back home is like and makes you miss it... a lot (except if you're Conan).
So there you go. This isn't the most exciting post, but it's real. I've included some pictures of some of the mini-adventures that have filled our days. We have one week left in Reggio Emilia, and then we're off to a town south of Naples called Salerno. I'll write again recapping this final week, but until then, try to enjoy where you're at--wherever that may be!
#1) Sila's creative time with an old bottle and some rubber bands.
#2) Both Conan and Sila have learned to solve the Rubix cube. It's maddening--some days they talk about it for hours.
#3) Forgot to mention we went to see AJR in Milan. Hard life.
#4) Conan's on a quest of all things Boethius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boethius). He's visiting the town Boethius is buried in--Pavia. There is a street named after Boethius, too.
#5) My travel shoes are kind of my favorite thing ever. So much color.
#6) Excitement of the day--plunging our shower drain that is full of sediment and blockage!!
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