I hadn’t seen a real bustling city for a long time, and when I stepped off the train in central station today, I felt I’d landed in a full-fledged metropolis. There is something about the sound of taxis and the smell of bus exhaust that makes me feel invisible yet right at home.
I walked the 15 minutes to my very first hostel with my 20-kilo backpack hoisted atop my sweaty and bus-scummy frame. It was a workout.
I didn’t see many friends to be made at 9am in the hostel, so I immediately made my way back to central station to catch the train to the beach. The beach! In a city!
I have been looking my entire life for a real city (meaning public transportation and a real skyline [read: not LA]) that hosts a nice beach, and, hark!, I have found it.
A few stops on the gritty 2-story train and I had arrived at Bondi beach, the bluest, whitest, most beautiful beach I’ve seen. In the middle of a city!
I spent 5 hours on the sand. It was like lying on pillows.
As I waited in line to catch a bus back to the hostel when I saw some people enjoying a Sunday Funday on a roof overlooking the beach. And my brain had a conversation:
“You should go have a margarita up there.”
“You have to get back to check in.”
“Yeah, it’s 4pm. They will be expecting you.”
“Who will be expecting you?”
“Oh. I guess nobody really.”
“But you planned to get on the bus right now.”
“But you made that plan. Can’t you change it?”
And I stood there stunned. It hit me. I don’t have any plans. And nobody is expecting me to do anything.
I had a margarita. It was 17 dollars, but man was it worth it.
PS Please note how well i am balancing that ping pong ball on my head in this picture. I took a class at the beach, and it’s really helping me make friends here.
{ 2 comments }
you’re a dork…and i love you! and miss you!!
But but but you lived your childhood next to a real city with a skyline and a beach – Chicago!!!! Beach is a bit frozen right now, but that’s a temporary set back – happens every year!