It’s really terrible when you realize that a carefully thought out plan isn’t going to work. When I decided to participate in Blogtober, I knew that the first week would be rough. The circumstances were far from my normal routine and environment. Although I pre-planned some content a couple of weeks before the month began, there were still too many variables to know if I could reasonably maintain a daily posting schedule while traveling. There was no way for me to anticipate if I would be motivated to write about the pre-planned topics. I also didn’t know how much time I would have to write each day.
It turns out I had even less time to write than I thought. The first three days of the week, I was pleasantly surprised by the content I managed to publish. However; the illness circulating our household, the effects of jet lag and the hectic schedule proved to be formidable opponents. Writing at erratic hours also didn’t make for the most clearly written material. Regardless, I started this post in a Japanese airport during a layover on our trip home. I feared that if I didn’t too many days would get away from me.
The content I planned before our trip also proved to be more challenging to write and publish in one day in the midst of everything else happening. I had hoped to have spent more time by the fourth day reacquainting myself with things I was missing in Bangkok. While it wasn’t as relaxing as I wished, I did still manage to appreciate:
- The energy of NYC and its abrasive masses. It still feels like a magical place. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VFr3k-SS_0&w=560&h=315]
- Postseason baseball, especially when the Yankees are in it. I even felt warm and fuzzy passing the stadium in the car. Just being back in a place where sports I wanted to watch were on TV in abundance was surprisingly refreshing.
- Card culture and America’s cashless culture. I didn’t realize how infrequently I paid for items in cash until moving to Bangkok. I couldn’t even remember my Venmo password because it had been so long since I’d reimbursed a friend for food. I did not withdraw cash once.
I just have to keep reminding myself that tomorrow is a new day. I can start it by refocusing on this challenge – after a couple of cups of coffee.
