A friend of mine asked if I could help her with something in Costa Rica next time I went, and since I still had a credit from my New Year's cancelled plane ticket, I thought why not?! Due to my aging kitty being sick with kidney failure I could only squeeze in a week, so I booked a way-too-fast trip to my new "home town" of Playa Zancudo. As I planned this little getaway, I was wondering why I was even bothering because it was so short, but hey, it's better than nothing, right?
Before I got COVID, I was in the best shape I'd been in, in 10 years. I was working out, I lost 25 pounds, and I had really strengthened my back with physical therapy and chiropractic care. I was finally able to fly with my backpack without having back issues.
My travel style is normally one of walking, moving around, adjusting on the fly, and figuring out things as I go. Given the deficits I've been experiencing since having long COVID for almost 4 months now, I was pretty nervous about taking my first trip since being sick. My brain is not too sharp (I do very absent minded things and even simple thoughts seem to be difficult puzzles to put together if I can even get the thought process going at all) and I have very little energy and physical strength. What is normally really easy for me, the logistics of travel, I was suddenly worried that I would screw up something major!
Even though I was a little apprehensive, I still figured I would be in my element so how bad could it be? As it turned out, the trip was pretty disappointing and did turn out to be more challenging than I expected. Or maybe as expected, but I hoped it would not be. Right now the thought of planning any future trips seems like a bad idea. Put ... life ... on ... hold.
Before I got COVID,
I was in the best shape I'd been in, in 10 years
With my newly diminished physical strength, I knew managing my luggage would be an issue. My bag felt around 30 lb. but upon weighing it, it was only 21 lb.! Wow, okay. Even with this light rolly bag (yes, I even used a rolly), my back was already in quite a state by the time I arrived in Costa Rica. I was in the best shape I'd been in, in 10 years
The next day, after 2 hours of packing up a couple of suitcases of my friend's belongings to bring back to the states for her, I felt that I had moved an entire house of furniture. I was exhausted and my back hurt so badly, I could barely move. Lots of ibuprofen and I was stuck in bed and was praying I didn't have to get up to pee. The disappointment was starting to set in.
That was a common theme throughout my brief trip. I was sleepy all the time, and even a short bicycle ride (my mode of transportation) exhausted me. One night I was so tired and spacey that I stood up a dear friend of mine and I left the bar without paying my bill - oops!
Geeze, this is NOT how I travel. :( More stupid absent-minded stuff included not putting on bug spray or taking my flashlight out with me (normally common practice every time I leave the house), leaving some of my groceries out on the counter (I know better - it all goes in the fridge), and not even thinking of doing something simple like buying my hosts breakfast when we were all out. I am now absolutely covered in itchy bug-bite scabs, had to throw away my food once the ants found it, and was a bad house guest. :( I just wasn't myself.
One of the more depressing times when I was trying to plan my trip home (changing plans to make it easier on my back - thank you again COVID for making everything more difficult). As I researched my options, it was like it was just a bunch of individual pieces floating around in my head. I couldn't make sense of anything and certainly couldn't come up with a plan! I simply couldn't think! Fortunately, when I woke up the next morning, the clouds parted and the new plan seemed obvious. I cancelled, re-booked, made new reservations and I was all set. Whew!
Even as I write, this, the number of typos is outstanding, the ringing in my head is distracting, and the idea that this post is probably poorly formed is just something I have to come to terms with.
Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of fun while I was there and enjoyed visiting my friends! I'm so fortunate that I'm alive, but so far my life is looking like it's going to be very different. Full-time travel is the one thing I've been saving for since 2001 and what I've rearranged my life to do going forward. At the moment, I can't see how that can easily happen. Travel will at least have to be a dumbed-down, low-energy, slower version of what I'm used to. Sigh. I guess I'm a bit of a sad sack at the moment.