A Whole Lotta Nothin’

Day-by-Day Link: 25 May – 31 May

Back in Indonesia I started to realize I was tired. Not tired of traveling, but just plain bone-tired. It occurred to me that I should take a break somewhere, relax, let myself not be a tourist. Then I went to Singapore and Nepal, and didn’t rest in either place. In Israel, my first week was spent with my parents and we kept very busy after a one day break for me.

It was bound to happen and with luck, it happened while I stayed with friends: I crashed. Literally. The last five days have been spent eating, sleeping, reading and taking short (if any) walks around the immediate neighborhood. Seriously, besides a brief and icky bout of stomach problems, which was cured by Deborah’s magical chicken soup, nothing of note have I done.

And it’s been great. I really appreciate that Deborah and Noa, both of whose places I’ve stayed at in the last week, have let me be a completely boring lump of a visitor. It’s exactly what I’ve needed and today, finally, I feel as if my batteries are recharged. Today I took a three hour walk around the city, visiting nothing in particular but taking it all in with pleasure. I also had coffee in the early evening with Michael, an American traveling in Israel who just recently joined Couchsurfing and wanted to meet up. It was my most active day by far since my folks left!

Of course, I have done a bit of thinking and planning during my lazy days. I signed up for a volunteer program where I will help out with menial chores on an IDF base. I’ve researched kibbutzes and ulpans and other volunteer programs. I’ve corresponded with some friends. I decided to revisit Nepal in August to see how things work out with Rimu.

So while I haven’t gone shopping or seen more of the tourist sights, I haven’t visited any museums or lectures or taken any tours, it has been a most restful and productive week of doing a whole lot of nothing! Tomorrow I head north to Nahariya to take up residence in Paula’s guest room again. On Thursday I plan to visit Ma’agan Michael, a kibbutz, to join a group of Couchsurfers doing a beach part/campout. And after that… well, I haven’t started planning THAT far ahead yet!

--Z