Living like a Cat

Well. I have been back from the big 10 month RTW trip for almost and what do I have to show for it? still not working...not even thinking about it...tax return might keep me in this lifestyle for awhile yet. I have worked my way back into my house, started eating my favorite foods more often (salads, yogurt, cheese, Propeller beer), cleaned up some nagging problems with the house and its finances and started working out and stretching more consistently.

My head was completely scrambled when I got back, and my physical stamina was below zero. Once I let my body know that it could do what it wanted for a few weeks, the change was dramatic. I'm sleeping 9-10 hours a night, not counting an hour or so a day in the tub, usually followed by a nap. I am shocked at the lack of stamina. I do something for a few hours and have to lie down for awhile. That being said, after a few weeks, I notice the gas tank is doing much better. I am doing some running, walking, biking and badminton and each session doesn't mean the end of the day anymore.

Getting lots of reading and crosswords done. My reading was mostly junk novels along the way (I didn't carry books with me). Now its NYTimes daily along with a host of online sites. I am reading a few books (Livingstone, Zimbabwe the past 20 years, India during the Boxer Rebellion), as well as the NYTimes Sunday magazine. Also getting back into the habit of crosswords everyday and the big NYTimes on the weekend.

So, where am I going? No idea and don't care just yet. Once the body freshens up, I'll start casting about for ways to keep employed. I have started working on a friends website and working with the Google Maps API, just keeping my feet wet. Also culling thousands of photos and movies to come up with a workable slideshow of my trip (as long as you want to sit thru 400 photos)

I am shocked at how easily I slid into the old lifestyle, with all its comparisons and expectations and our usual coulda/shoulda/woulda talk. I need to start working on who I am in this new phase of life, what i want to put into it and what I expect/need out of it.

This living like a cat is a real treat and I'm not looking for it to end real soon, but it does have a limit and I need to see the other side before I have to go there.

If you told me I could go work as some sort of volunteer/paid person in an under- developed country (Ecuador?) in September...I'm sure I would jump on that. I am burnt out from my last trip, but definitely not burnt out from travelling.

Simpler is Better? You bet.