I knew spending the night at Frankfurt’s airport was likely my only option. I couldn’t be bothered with the logistics of getting into town, finding a hostel or hotel, getting back to the airport … it just was not something I had any desire to put myself through. I was so close to being home.Continue reading “Sleeping in airports — part two”
Category Archives: Europe
The slow return to America
I arrived to the Zadar airport way too early for my liking. “This is the bus you have to take if you want to get there in time for your flight,” the receptionst at the hostel informed me. It got me there more than three hours before my flight. Maybe there will be something toContinue reading “The slow return to America”
The days after death
“These feelings won’t go away … they’ve been knocking me sideways …” For the two days after Grandma died, I walked around in a haze. Numb. Listening to the same song on repeat for 12 hours and not once getting sick of it, not once singing along. It was just background to my grief. “There’sContinue reading “The days after death”
Love, life and loss … while on the road
On September 13, 2010 at 6:15 a.m. EST the world lost an amazing woman, my grandmother. She died in her sleep and in no pain, surrounded by her husband, her son and his wife, and her daughter, my mom. And I was thousands and thousands of miles away. I knew it would happen. The possibilityContinue reading “Love, life and loss … while on the road”
Backtracking
I pulled up hostel after hostel, bus schedule after bus schedule, as I sat on my bunk bed in Zadar. I had wanted to go up the coast to the Istria region of Croatia, to hop some islands before I boarded my flight from Zadar to Frankfurt, and from Frankfurt to Washington, DC. No hostels.Continue reading “Backtracking”
The final reunion
A wave of happiness rushed over me as soon as I saw Katie, sitting under an awning at the yellow bus station in Trogir. The bus ride from Split to Trogir had taken a little longer than expected, and I had told her I would do my very best to meet her there by 10:30Continue reading “The final reunion”
Realization
I never imagined my brain would tell me I wanted to go home. Early. But, it did that night in Split. I had 10 days left of my trip. Originally, and for months, I had planned on extending my adventure, heading to Spain (for the sixth time), back to Merida to see my friends andContinue reading “Realization”
Getting over Split
I walked slowly, silently and solo back to CroParadise and crawled into my bed. I looked across the bed to where Katie had been. Empty. Then, as if on cue, Carl walked back into our room. “Heya,” I said, looking up from my laptop to see him standing next to his bed. “Hi,” he replied.Continue reading “Getting over Split”
“See you soon,” the Split version
“Katie,” I mumbled, waking up from my semi-drunken slumber the next morning, “what the hell happened to David?” Katie looked at me from her bunk. “What?” “He never came back to the bar last night. I hope he’s ok,” I said, images of him laying in one of the narrow UNESCO alleys of Split beingContinue reading ““See you soon,” the Split version”
Backpacker shenanigans
Katie, David and I walked together back through the old city of Split after hugging Danica goodbye. Rain clouds had begun to make their way from the mountains to the coast, rolling in slowly and ominously. We hadn’t made any reservations for hostels, so we just started dropping in to places. Our first stop wasContinue reading “Backpacker shenanigans”
D Travels 'Round 