Another excellent post, Emily! And thanks so much for the shout out. You gave me a real lift. ❤️ My entrée to Euro showers was on a college tour to Europe with my friend, Dana. At our first stop in London, we bunked with a stranger—a very skinny, introverted, and shy young woman who asked to shower first. She proceeded to take an insanely long shower (insert: cartoon hands spinning on a clock) and soon a deluge of water streamed out from under the door into our room. It was crazy, like a levee had burst. We pounded on the door to alert her and either she had water in her ears or just DGAF. Honestly, we were kind of scared something had happened to her. But we felt like we couldn't possibly bust in while she was in the shower as that would be traumatizing. We raced to other rooms and borrowed towels. It was bonkers. Eventually she came out, completely unfazed as if nothing had happened. I can still picture her wrapped in her towel, blinking at us in surprise, like a dazed bird that had fallen out of a tree. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from traveling is to just do it as often as you can. You've really inspired me with your adventures, Emily. I'm always putting off travel for various reasons—money, familial obligations, my elderly pet etc . . .but it's so healing and inspiring to go to a new place, immerse yourself in someone else's culture, and meet new people. It also makes me appreciate my shower and bed at home a lot more. Thanks for sharing your musings and lessons with us.
Of course, Hilary! I love your work! This story is amazing hahaha; the dazed bird imagery is perfect. This basically happened to me at my Airbnb in Rome. I was washing my hair one moment, and mopping up water in the kitchen the next. And thank you, so much, for your kind words. I'm really, really lucky to have had the chance to do all this traveling, and I recognize it's not the same for everybody. All the things you listed are perfectly valid reasons to not travel. As I'm starting a new part of life, I hope I'll be learning about new ways to find healing and inspiration and culture and opportunity while staying in one place. You are so sweet.
OMG re: shower doors, my first European trip I encountered this and my roommate and I were so confused. I’d be less confused if there was a drain in the general bathroom floor, in addition to the shower part, but nope, just pooled up water with not enough towels. 😅
I know?? Thank you for empathizing! And not enough slope in the shower, either, to guide the water toward the drain. And then, like, one half of one towel. I guess there are good things about coming home. I GUESS>
Really enjoyed this as always and always loved reading your blogs about Spain! Also yes as a European (well, a British one) I can vouch that we definitely don't hate Americans en masse!
Also completely agree with the shower point, I've had some terrible travel showers. Hope you'll be writing about life in Colorado!
After a lifetime of travel, most of it abroad, and much of that in difficult places, the one thing I know for sure is that no matter far we travel, we can never get away from ourselves. I once thought, and I know many people who also thought, that an airplane ticket to an exotic destination is transformative, but there we are, when we arrive, still our same old selves we thought we could leave behind. The best we can do is to humbly search the new place for clues on how to plug the gaps and holes in our lives as we try on new ways of living and seeing the world.
I really enjoy reading your blog, and this wrap post was marvelous! You really seem to craft from the heart. Nice to have you back in AZ, please remember you and Jeff are more than welcome to visit us here in San Diego if you have some time!
Another excellent post, Emily! And thanks so much for the shout out. You gave me a real lift. ❤️ My entrée to Euro showers was on a college tour to Europe with my friend, Dana. At our first stop in London, we bunked with a stranger—a very skinny, introverted, and shy young woman who asked to shower first. She proceeded to take an insanely long shower (insert: cartoon hands spinning on a clock) and soon a deluge of water streamed out from under the door into our room. It was crazy, like a levee had burst. We pounded on the door to alert her and either she had water in her ears or just DGAF. Honestly, we were kind of scared something had happened to her. But we felt like we couldn't possibly bust in while she was in the shower as that would be traumatizing. We raced to other rooms and borrowed towels. It was bonkers. Eventually she came out, completely unfazed as if nothing had happened. I can still picture her wrapped in her towel, blinking at us in surprise, like a dazed bird that had fallen out of a tree. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from traveling is to just do it as often as you can. You've really inspired me with your adventures, Emily. I'm always putting off travel for various reasons—money, familial obligations, my elderly pet etc . . .but it's so healing and inspiring to go to a new place, immerse yourself in someone else's culture, and meet new people. It also makes me appreciate my shower and bed at home a lot more. Thanks for sharing your musings and lessons with us.
Of course, Hilary! I love your work! This story is amazing hahaha; the dazed bird imagery is perfect. This basically happened to me at my Airbnb in Rome. I was washing my hair one moment, and mopping up water in the kitchen the next. And thank you, so much, for your kind words. I'm really, really lucky to have had the chance to do all this traveling, and I recognize it's not the same for everybody. All the things you listed are perfectly valid reasons to not travel. As I'm starting a new part of life, I hope I'll be learning about new ways to find healing and inspiration and culture and opportunity while staying in one place. You are so sweet.
Love your work too and always look forward to reading your posts.
OMG re: shower doors, my first European trip I encountered this and my roommate and I were so confused. I’d be less confused if there was a drain in the general bathroom floor, in addition to the shower part, but nope, just pooled up water with not enough towels. 😅
I know?? Thank you for empathizing! And not enough slope in the shower, either, to guide the water toward the drain. And then, like, one half of one towel. I guess there are good things about coming home. I GUESS>
Really enjoyed this as always and always loved reading your blogs about Spain! Also yes as a European (well, a British one) I can vouch that we definitely don't hate Americans en masse!
Also completely agree with the shower point, I've had some terrible travel showers. Hope you'll be writing about life in Colorado!
Thank you for your support! For the record, I didn't meet anyone who seemed to not like British people -- that's just what I heard haha. I will be!
Love this Emily and love you!
Love you too! Thank you!
After a lifetime of travel, most of it abroad, and much of that in difficult places, the one thing I know for sure is that no matter far we travel, we can never get away from ourselves. I once thought, and I know many people who also thought, that an airplane ticket to an exotic destination is transformative, but there we are, when we arrive, still our same old selves we thought we could leave behind. The best we can do is to humbly search the new place for clues on how to plug the gaps and holes in our lives as we try on new ways of living and seeing the world.
I really enjoy reading your blog, and this wrap post was marvelous! You really seem to craft from the heart. Nice to have you back in AZ, please remember you and Jeff are more than welcome to visit us here in San Diego if you have some time!
Thank you so much, Susan! I'm sure we'll be around soon. Jeff's family is from San Diego. :)