2/11/09

At O’Hare, and on the plane :

I love the feeling of traveling to a new place, especially on my own. Though I will be meeting Christine at her university in Zurich, and then continuing on with her from there, I like to think that there is still a slight element of uncertainty – and danger – in my passage. In Lusaka, I somehow navigated frightening bus depots and slums, came inches from cholera, HIV, malaria, and TB, and haphazardly made my way to Livingstone to see the Victoria Falls (the bus broke down, so we reached there after dark, at which point I stumbled around trying to find an ATM – of course I hadn’t brought enough cash – and then a hostel at which to stay, became extremely ill after falling into the Zambezi [while rafting] the next day, and then fainted in the middle of a walking safari on the final day). In retrospect, I can’t believe I did all that without sufficient planning, and without at least one other traveling companion, and I think I must be CRAZY to have taken such a trip... but the uncertainty of not knowing exactly where I’m going, and how I’m going to get there, and how I’ll negotiate for shelter, and find food for myself, is what makes the experience so exhilarating for me.

And so I’m going to Switzerland and Greece, without the details planned out exactly, and looking forward to another (hopefully) epic adventure. It will be easier, since Christine has mastered so many languages, is at home in Switzerland, and is a traveling pro. But it’s the uncertainty of what we’re going to do that has got me SO excited.

Alright, I’m going to watch Vicky Cristina Barcelona on my flight … yes, I know, it’s tragic that I haven’t seen it yet. Haha, a perfect beginning for my own ‘Kaya Christine Athens’ trip.

ps. at the time of this posting, I've safely made it to Christine's house (it's a converted mansion overlooking all of snowy Zurich, as well as Lake Zurich!)