Things were not off to a great start when we arrived in Philly. When we entered our Airbnb, it had a foul stench lingering in the air. It was really poorly equipped for a longer stay; many of the essentials were missing, the bedding smelt like stale cigarettes and the pillows were dreadful. When I went to open my suitcase, the padlock wouldn’t open. I tried multiple times and for whatever reason it wouldn’t open even though I had the right padlock combination. »
It’s hard to know even where to begin with describing New Orleans, Louisiana. NOLA. It is unlike any other city in the US. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what makes it so unique but when you learn that the food, music, architecture and language has been influenced by French, Spanish, native American, Caribbean and West African cultures, you start to understand how this beautiful melange created the place it is today. »
The first week of travel was not ideal: a bout of gastritis, travel sickness, bad sunburn and persistent jetlag. The downsides of travelling. But it’s great to be out in the world. We arrived in San Francisco, 8am local time, about two weeks ago. After waiting a few hours in the hotel lobby for check in we finally made it to bed, around 4am home time, for a few hours’ snooze. »
I sat in my hotel room on a Sunday morning, alone, feeling rather anxious. I looked at the clock. It was 7.22am. I was being picked up sometime between 7.30 and 8.00am. I checked my packing list yet again, as if hoping it would provide some comfort. I got up from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed, noting it would be the last time I’d see a real bed for a week. »
The sun is out, a bright halo in a brilliantly blue sky. The air is crisp, cold enough to refresh the lungs but not so cold that I can’t feel the sun’s warmth on my face. The light is bright behind my closed lids. My cheeks are flushed, maybe from the wind whipping my face as I rode down the mountain, or maybe from the third aperol spritz I just finished. »