Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always easy. And sometimes it catches up to you. I think it’s important to plan some space for rest. Because no matter how much you love traveling, you will need it. There will be a day when you just can’t even any more. And if you don’t make a little room for that in your schedule and you try to just power through, you run the risk of ruining everything that comes after. And for me, today is the day where I had to just stop.
I picked up the flu minus the aches in Albania and took it with me to Florence and now that I’m in Copenhagen everything has caught up with me.
Since I’ve been sick (probably from day 3), I’ve had a sore throat, a nose that cannot be used for breathing and lots and lots of coughing. The kind that keeps you from sleeping. I knew part of it was just because it’s so cold in Albania and I hoped I’d get a little better once I was in Italy where it was actually warm inside. But until then, I tried to tough it out like the rest of Albanians.
This is the day that it snowed. Albanians finally wore scarves and hats inside. Which meant I look pregnant because I literally have on everything I brought. But I also ate 14 pieces of Baklava. So maybe it’s both.
I also wanted to be intentional with my time, so I was with people pretty much all the time. I didn’t want to miss out, after all it had been 3 years since I had seen them and I don’t know when or if I’ll be back so I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity. Yet I still ran out of time to see everyone. But between being around people literally 24/7 and having to think and speak (I use the term speak very loosely) in Albanian, I was getting mentally tired. But onward to Florence.
The trek to Florence. Man. It was rough. The plan was to take an overnight ferry (without a bed or room because I’m a budget traveller) to Bari, Italy. Then a bus from the port to the train station followed by a 7 hour train ride to Bologna where I would switch trains and take a 30 minute train down to Florence. I had a 3 hour gap planned between the ferry arrival and the train and then 25 minutes between the two trains. I opted to do this instead of fly because it was a little cheaper and plus, I’d get to see the countryside. Ironically, I saw nothing.
The ferry arrived late, unloaded super slow and when I looked around, I noticed Albanians were basically just walking off every chance they had. So I of course joined them and finally got off. When I talked to one guy in Albanian, he kept me by his side until we were past all the port workers. Then it was every man for himself I guess. I still don’t know why they weren’t letting people off the ferry though.
I made it to the bus stop right outside the port and I asked about the bus to the train station. Someone informs me the bus isn’t running. I’m assuming it has something to do with the recent snow and the solid ice on the roads and sidewalks. So I decide, given that I had no other choice, to walk to the train station. It’s only a mile and a half away (and this is why I always travel light).
It actually would have been fine except I was kind of pressed for time at this point. I tried to walk fast but it’s rather difficult to do on ice. So I went as fast as I could and though I had many many close calls, I never fell – which is a miracle for me. I arrived at the train station right as the train was supposed to be getting ready to leave. Then I notice a 30 minute delay.
Normally, I wouldn’t mind but my connection in Bologna only gives me 20 minutes. I just pray the train will make up time and that I will manage to make it.
An hour later, the train arrives and everyone gets on.
2 hours later, it takes off.
And loses another hour on the way.
So instead of arriving in Florence at 8 and being done with my travel day, I arrive in Bologna at 11 with no more trains headed to Florence until the morning. My travel day just turned into travel days.
Luckily my friend called a friend who had a friend who let me crash on their couch and then I headed to Florence first thing in the morning.
So between whatever I picked up in Albania, not sleeping well because of a horrible cough and stress (physical and mental) of that travel day still lingering, plus just the mental strain of trying to operate in another language and culture and being around people pretty much every waking hour, I headed to Copenhagen mentally and physically exhausted. So exhausted that I actually tried to go through immigration when I’m traveling within the Schengen. I felt pretty dumb. Especially since the line looked like this.
Except the sides weren’t ropes you could duck under…it was plastic. So I had to walk up and down the rows to get out of immigration. It was the longest and most embarrassing walk of shame I’ve ever done.
So I made the decision to take today off. In planning the trip I thought I’d make it to Stockholm but it turns out, Copenhagen is where I will need a break. So tonight will be full of quiet time, processing and resting.