“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about the width and depth.”  Evan Esar

March 8, 2024

I’ve been plunged into the depths of a cold, dark, and often rainy spring, after months in the heat. I did my best to avoid it, but couldn’t figure out how to adjust my schedule any other way. Any day the sun shines now is wonderful. But that’s here and not the last three months. That period was generally hot and humid with few exceptions. I already knew I liked warmer temperatures but I’ve learned I really don’t like high humidity, it makes you so languid. It’s the antithesis to my persona of the go-go girl, as my mother liked to call me.

When I connect with friends at home, they ask me if I’m weary of traveling. No, I’m not really tired of seeing the world, you kind of get into a rhythm once you get started, it becomes your norm. I do miss my friends and family though and I am very much looking forward to coming home and getting reconnected. My grandson, Arthur, lost his other grandmother recently and wishes I was home to fill the void. A good friend fell and broke her hip and I haven’t been there to support her and cheer her up. Another friend lost her mother and I wish I could have taken her out for lunch or drinks and celebrated her life. Another friend retired and I missed that farewell extravaganza. I also wanted to attend the wedding of two friends which took place at the beginning of my trip. And the time I typically spend with my daughter at home, cannot be replaced with WhatsApp calls, though they do help. I know I’m not present for many other events in my family’s and friend’s lives as well. So I’m missing a lot and that is harder than the wear and tear of the road. Intensifying the disconnect is the time differences from Australia and Asia to home. There are only small windows of time that I am able to call when we’re both awake- at the beginning of the day when I’m trying to get out the door or in the late evening when I’m ready to rest and soon climb into bed. So it was really wonderful that Kandi joined me in Australia and Donna in Bali.

One thing that I am really enjoying, is reading books set in the country I am visiting. I want to thank my friend and yogi, Taunia, for that suggestion. It adds a depth and a history that I may not get in other ways, even if they’re only fiction or memoirs. And it’s always fun when I’m reading a book and doing the same thing that a character is engaged in – that’s happened many times. Although I prefer to read actual books, reading electronically has had some benefits – if my iPad is packed, I read on my phone and then when I get back to my iPad, it’s updated to the new page. Thanks Katherine for the gift of the iPad mini. I love to read and have savored most of my selections.

One of the amusing things I’ve noticed along the way, is the various interpretations of the male and female indicators on bathroom doors. A fun little quirky thing to notice as you wend your way through cities and countries. Although I’ve posted some already, I wish I had started taking pictures of them earlier. Another thing you can’t miss as you travel through Asia, are the huge blocks of apartments -row upon row of massive structures. Sometimes I wonder how they find their building, when so many of the behemoths look alike. This was especially noticeable in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong. And I expect I’ll see even more in Japan and China as the cities get even larger. Something I wasn’t expecting and I’m not sure why, is the number of Asians that dye their hair. It surprised me when I first saw a young, blonde Asian man in Singapore. And it’s not just the young people, men and women of all ages have red, brown, pink and blonde hair here or hair with streaks, rinses and highlights. Now people all over the world dye their hair so I shouldn’t have been startled. In some countries, they dye their hair red after visiting Mecca. Blonde is definitely a favorite of women across America. I guess in the sea of black hair, the colors really pop here, making them a bit more noticeable.

The availability of mass transportation and the acceptance and support of alternative transportation such as bicycles in Australia and Asia, is wonderful. Taking a train to Disneyland in Hong Kong was so easy and inexpensive. And the few days I have been in Japan, the trains are amazing – so comfortable and clean. I have relied on Uber and Grab a lot, but buses, ferries, subways and trains have been available and used in all the large cities – all easy to access and navigate. I do hope that Nashville continues to improve their mass transportation system. I’m going to believe that Mayor Freddie and the Nashville voters can move us in the right direction.

One thing that took a little while to get used to, is no tipping. There is no tipping in Australia because they believe their minimum wage is high enough. Though at one of the nicer restaurants I ate at, the server, when asked, suggested a tip. I think it may be a growing trend. In Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, there is usually a service charge on your bill already, so no tip is required. And in Japan, they pride themselves on delivering excellent service and a tip is not expected. It will be hard to re-enter American life and start tipping again. The few times I tried to tip over the last several months, the recipients seemed startled and thanked me profusely.

Several of my friends suggested I might meet a man while on my journey. And of course I have met many, but they specifically meant a love interest. Well, I did get to spend 5 days with Andrew, a wonderful man from Brisbane, while hiking the Kumano Kodo trail. If circumstances had been different, who knows? I certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, if that opportunity ever came about.

I have just over three short months before I am back home. My trip is almost completely planned, a few final details and I’m done with all the research and decision-making that takes so long – thank goodness. The credit cards bills have been paid and my taxes filed. Ouch, that took a big bite out of my savings. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate those of you who check in with me, I know your lives are busy too, but the emails and texts mean a lot.

Next up: Japan