It’s about a week and a half since I returned from my bike tour. I’ve been recovering the whole time.
Part of it has been physical recovery. I was sore. I was tired. I’m pretty sure my body was trying to use all of that lactic acid my muscles generated over the course of two weeks of hard bicycle riding. Too, my body was recovering from lack of sleep.
But I’ve also previously pondered upon another type of vacation recovery: the I-Don’t-Want-to-Go-Back-to-Reality recovery. I experienced this after a trip to respective trips to the Netherlands and France in past years (more here).
Granted this time it hasn’t taken me as long. Perhaps because I live in a place more to my liking and choosing. But it’s still there.
For nearly three weeks I had nothing but the sounds and sights of nature accompanying me through my day. I was surrounded by water and trees. We rode miles where we didn’t see any buildings at all! Every now and again a passing car or truck would remind us that we weren’t the only ones on the entire planet, at least on the north side of the peninsula. As we headed south, the population got a bit denser.
Sure we heard cars as they passed by. But consistent highway noise? No. Nighttime was silent. Until the birds woke me up at 4:30 a.m., along with the sunrise.
I find that I want to avoid loud sounds. When I’m walking down the street, the beeping of trucks backing or the sound of air conditioners operating is obtrusive. Too many people talking at once feels the same way.
It only took three weeks of being out in nature for me to feel this way.
On the one hand, I’m getting used to all of that again. On the other, I wonder if maybe I should make home somewhere I can get more nature on a consistent basis. Right now I live in a downtown, urban setting. I’ve lived in similar urban settings for a long time. There are places not too far away that I could get a little more nature in my life.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about. Maybe a move is in my not-to-distant future.
Certain thoughts like this show how much traveling can change your perspective.