I think I've reached a point in my life where I don't like to travel anymore.
I was away for 10 days, part work, part vacation, and upon returning I've slipped into a dark funk that I can't seem to fight my way out of. Part of this is the inevitable "I have nothing to look forward to" feeling that I almost always get after a trip. Part of it is I didn't really like this vacation.
I went to New York City again. It really is the greatest city in the world to me, but this year's trip was dampened by a couple of things. First off, let me say I saw my dear friend Laurel again, and we got to spend a great day together, so that was the highlight of the whole trip.
But this time I had to stay in a different hotel, purely for financial and availability issues, and I didn't like it. As hotels go, it was in a great location, relatively quiet and clean but the room itself was tiny and depressing, with a bed that was situated right by the door (it was the only possible layout in the room, but still very disconcerting). Tiny I can live with; depressing...well, let's just say I don't normally need any help in that arena. I would have much preferred to have my old hotel back...and maybe next year I'll spring for the extra money and do so.
The flights were on time and uneventful, but I was really struck with how annoying the flight attendants were on both of them. On the way from San Francisco to NYC on the red-eye, they failed to do the second drink run that's supposed to help to wake us all up. For the most part they stayed in the back of the cabin and kept to themselves. On the flight from NYC to San Diego, the two male ones would NOT. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. and treated a visiting flight attendant, who was hitching a free ride, like she was Queen Elizabeth, waiting on her hand and foot. After we landed, one of them told the attendant who came on the plane to restock it (it was doing a red-eye return to NYC) that they had sold $590 worth of packaged meals, and that the airline (which shall remain nameless) had changed the order of how they do things, so they sold the meals first, thus pissing off everyone who wanted free drinks and snacks. As he put it, we all BITCHED about it. And we did.
I would not want to babysit a flight of about 130 people--including babies--for 6 hours. And I understand the frustration of being bitched at by people. It's okay for this flight attendant to vent, but he shouldn't be venting in earshot of one of the customers. It's entirely unprofessional. And this brings me back to my original point: I think I don't like to travel anymore, especially cross-country.
Beyond all this--I know, bitch, Bitch, BITCH--I developed another huge set of blisters on the bottom of my feet from my poor--and cheap--choice in footwear. That really put a damper on things, since I love to walk in NYC, especially Central Park. I ended up doing very little of that--and subsequently taking very few photos--because I was in pain most of the time. So the whole trip was a little ruined because of that...and I'm still in pain.
So maybe my New York days are over, maybe I'll just take small trips with quick flights, like to San Francisco or maybe even Seattle. I really don't like flying those long flights. But I'm also sure when next October rolls around, I'll be on a plane again to NYC, maybe with a better hotel and much better shoes.
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