Just left arrived in Prague from Berlin. Did anybody know that I actually hate traveling? The actual sitting on a plane/bus/car/train is the worst. I like the being somewhere far away part. Although, I do like riding a bike, walking, sailing, or any other less boring mode where I want to read or write or draw or sleep but can't because I get car sick or train sick or bus sick...
Joe warned me that it would be really hard to be productive while traveling. It is true. Yesterday, we spent the whole day just packing, eating, waiting for the bus, sitting on the bus, trying to figure out the metro in Czech, not figuring out the metro in Czech, instead, walking around and getting lost, trying to find food, and accidently ordering 2 giant fried mozzarella wedges instead of a bowl of pasta...
One of the things that takes the longest while traveling is finding food. Trying to figure out what is not too expensive and avoiding fast food chains (at least, I avoid fast food chains). I feel like a hunter gatherer, because you first have to think about food, then find an area that seems to have the type of food you like, figuring out why certain places are closed at odd hours (in Spain, the siestas) or why everything is closed? (holiday), and mostly just eating baguettes and Nutella until you can find something decent to eat. I find myself being really hungry really often. Why do we have to eat so often? Three times a day is a lot... Unfortunately, I don't care about art when I am car sick, hungry, sleepy, carrying a heavy back pack while walking around, which is a lot of the time.
Another challenge I have found is finding places to sit for a couple hours to make art when it is either really cold, raining, or both outside and your hostel room mates are smoking in your room or your couch surfing host is at work.
Moving around every few days aggravates the process because you have to start over...
So it is true, it is hard to be productive.
Good things...
Couch surfing is great! Really really great! I have had many great conversations with hosts and their friends about my topic and more (the meaning of life, religion, politics, you know, things they say you shouldn't bring up at the dinner table, but always makes for very interesting conversation). They show you good places to eat or you can make food together and obviously, show you what the real Berlin, Paris, or Prague is like for locals. The idea and the experiences are so simple but hard to beat.
Also, I have gotten better at knowing how to experience a museum. At the Louve, I tried to have a glance at everything because I didn't want to feel like I may have missed out on something. Don't do it. I ended up being completely exhausted and didn't enjoy the experience at all. Now I read up on the descriptions of each exhibition, prioritize, and then walk through the last ones quickly if I have time and energy for them. I had a really great experience at the Hamberger Contemporary art museum in Berlin. I spent 2 hours sitting in the main temporary exhibition, only spending 45 minutes on the rest, and that was the most meaningful experience I have had so far in a museum.
I don't know how to end this post. Bye.
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