............where do I begin...to tell the story...??!!!
I think this first post being written after the return from the great Americas Adventure needs to be a 'setting scene', a 'drawing breath'... a 'get my head straight' kinda thing. Or an overview, if you will.
Points pondered;
I kid you not - there were three undershirts, three pairs of panties, one pair of churidar (leggings), an over top and a sari in my hand-luggage which never got worn! I overpacked. The wash'n'wear routine went well and of course the overshirts can be worn a couple times before requiring laundry. It's the best way to travel, particularly for anything under a month. Once I had handed out the little gifties which had also been packed, there was space for the few items I permitted myself to purchase (or was given) to come back with me.
I think this first post being written after the return from the great Americas Adventure needs to be a 'setting scene', a 'drawing breath'... a 'get my head straight' kinda thing. Or an overview, if you will.
Points pondered;
- definitely overpacked
- definitely feeling my age
- definitely did not have enough time
- definitely plan to return
- definitely glad to be back at Voovoo the Vaio's keyboard
Am not a souvenir-gatherer, mostly liking to keep brochures and such like from my various visits to places as memory-prompts; however there were four five bulkier items which made their way back over the pond; a hand-woven scarf, a piece of quilting (both from my visit to Peninsula), a pair of moccasins from Perth, a pullover from Pier 21 in Halifax... and Omaira the Moose. Of course there HAD to be a stuffy, right?! (Yes, that's a baby moose on her back - born with complete set of antlers apparently - gives a whole new meaning to the term 'prodigy'... jus' sayin'...)
One thing I did truly have lodged into my brain at last is that the body is well ahead of 'me' in aging; there was stuff I just could not attempt to join in, or take off and do myself, because the legs just would not comply. Then there was the bed thing... more on that very soon.
When planning the trip, the focus was, necessarily, the BAR weekend; the other things just kinda fell into place behind that. There was a lot of brow-beating and head-scratching and map-reading which went into trying to work out the best way to maximise area covered v. allotted time. Actually, it all ran amazingly well - but realised after that I could well have done with extending a day or two both in Cincinnati and Perth... and as you will discover, in Nova Scotia.
It was a peculiar thing - and maybe part of the aging thing - but this was the first trip since my early years of journeying out alone, that there was a sense of trepidation prior to the embarkation. To be frank, would probably never have ventured towards the USA were it not for all the lovely connections made through bloggering!!! The trip was 'people-driven'. Boy-howdy am I ever glad of that!!! A major memory will be that every single one of the folk I met proved to be as I had hoped from their blogs (and emails) - and the extras who appeared from the wings were equally as adorable. Yes, there is stuff about the States which fills me with a sense of angst (and the whole Orlando thing the first week there was shocking), but I was with peeps who had only Love in their hearts and who understood outreach across difference and my heart and mind were eased in their presence.
Brown County State Park - that's the 'Dood-mobile' up ahead! |
Then there was the incredible expanse and beauty of the country travelled through... I said out loud several times, my head was being messed with, because there was much which resembled Australia - yet much which also was reminiscent of Britain and, consequently, I felt like I was in a combination of the two!!! The thing which made me fully aware that I was in a totally new place was the driving on the wrong side of the road &*> (I only twice made the error of going to the driver's door instead of the passenger!) I certainly would return now to see more of the country itself - and to meet my new friends again... and visit others not seen this time round.
Having returned to Scotland last Friday, it took a couple days to 'land' properly and begin the major image review... the 'Fudge', (I think I may have mentioned) got dropped deadly suffered a fall a couple months back. Since then, the focusing has been a bit 'iffy', particularly on the extended lens shots. It got a tad frustrating, especially where bird-spotting was concerned, and missed some great opportunities due to Fudge being both slow and uncooperative. That said, close to 1800 shots were taken, which meant the prayed-for 5000th milestone for this camera was well and truly passed! Weeding out the duds on a first run through was pretty straight forward, but then began the (self-inflicted) trudge of sorting and sifting and down-sizing and water-marking... sigh... but you don't want to know all that. You're here to read about the trip and all the amazing things I couldn't repawt from over there due to only having the YAMroid as my i'net tool. Great for reading, c*** for typing. Now am back with Voovoo and can get as verbose as I wish, with minimum typos and full editing capacity!!!
Pawpare yourselves then, peeps, the very first post on the BAR and beyond will be up tomorrow... was it all really only a brief four weeks ago???
What a tease TOMORROW ~ Okie Dokie ~ I will be back tomorrow. And yes we would have loved to have had you more days in Nati City.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a friend
Sweet William The Scot
Hari OM
DeleteLike said, had to 'gathermewits' a bit!!! Yxx
We all wanted Yam to visit!
DeleteHow could it already be four weeks? I don't know how the weeks fly by so fast. Again, so glad you got home safely!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
DeleteThanks Mary Ann... yes, it's skeery how the days fly by!!! (Gran always said it got faster when one got older. .. OLDER??? Cripes...) Yxx
So pleased you met with such a good welcome from all the blogging friends - somehow I expected that would be the case. Oddly, I have become a bit more nervous about travel with age. I'm interested in your comments on USA/Oz/UK. I found it most peculiar on arriving in Australia to be in a country where they drive on the left, as I had hitherto associated being abroad with being on the wrong side of the road! But overall, I found Western Australia was culturally much closer to the UK than Oklahoma. (Admittedly I spent two years in OK and only a month in WA, so perhaps not a fair comparison).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, looking forward to reading lots more about your adventures and impressions.
Cheers,
Gail.
Hari OM
Delete...and WA is closer to UK culture than it is to the rest of OZ! The accent is much less ocker and there's a lot of lobster skin... Yxx
Oh yippy, more stories! I love stories and so does Mara (Miss Oswin isn't that bothered, she just wants food and cuddles and mice to chase). We are glad you made it home safe again.
ReplyDeleteBrom and Mara from Norway
OH YA YA we are so happy to hear that you have returned SAFELY from your 87 bazillion Mile travels... WE are thrilled that we were some of the FORTUNATE ones who were able to meet you in the Furs.
ReplyDeleteIs the shadow at the top here of you, or a jolly swagman?
ReplyDeleteLove, K
Hari OM
Delete.... some would say I am the swagman!!! Yx
Alrighty! Already planning another trip. Hope Texas can be in the plan! Looking forward to tomorrow! janice xx
ReplyDeleteHari OM
DeleteYes, Texas, NC/Maryland... All the West coast.... crikey, there's enough for many trips. Just not the $$$ unfortunately... Yxx
I must admit - I tend to travel with the real basics and tend to buy what I need when I get there (good excuse to go shopping)
ReplyDeleteI will be here bright and early to read all about your adventures.
ReplyDeleteYou are brave to go globe trotting alone. But I can tell it was exciting too.
Linda and Astro
We were quite shocked that you were able to pack so lightly and now to know you didn't even wear all of it = shocking!! I'm so looking forward to your take on everything! Yes, it's hard to believe this time has passed and once again we speak in blogs. Oh, but now it is very different cuz it was 3D!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy and Stanley and mom
Pee Ess - Did the YaYa stick?
Hari OM
DeleteOthers may continue to call me YaYa... and am fine with that! Yes, the beautiful thing about reading efurrybuddy's blogs now is that one can picture them in situ... and hear their voices!!! Yxx
Glad to see you are home safe and sound, awful things happening all around the world on the news lately.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should say parts of USA reminded you of OZ I smelled gun trees in parts of America when I was there instant homesickness.
We always overpack, when I went to France with my friend a few years back she took much to much but it was her first trip overseas.
Merle......
We can't wait to hear all about your trip!
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
Sov glad that you got home safely. We all loved meeting you and I was lucky....I got to spend 5 days with you. We did have fun rooming together. Cant wait to hear about your trip
ReplyDeleteDiana
I'm pawpared!!! my dead read the word "overpacked" to my mother 3 times with a weird voice... I wonder why LOL
ReplyDeleteCan't believe it has been a month already!
ReplyDeleteI love all your fans, Ya Ya! xx
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly a world traveler. So glad you were able to come to the US and meet so many blogger. Even though we weren't on your path, it has been fun to learn about your trip.
ReplyDelete