It was like seeing an old friend again, for the first time in 14 months. First there was the excitement (“I can’t wait to do this!”), then the worry (“Is this the right choice? Going through with this?”), then the anticipation (“This better go well… what if this doesn’t go well?”), then the reassurance (“Of COURSE things will be fine!”). And finally when you meet again, all those feelings get mixed together like a pool of hot bubbling paint and you just gotta dive right in and hope you emerge feeling warm & colorful rather than burned & sewage-brown (because let’s face it, all those paint colors mixed together don’t always produce Majestic Mountain Purple).
Okay, maybe this isn’t a very good analogy because I’ve never encountered any pools of bubbling paint in my lifetime. Really I’m talking about booking & staying at a hostel. (more…)