Day 14: A Vacation from My Vacation

Today had potential to be the worst day so far. Thankfully, the good moments of the day, though they were short and far between, outweighed the bad parts.

I woke up this morning with a headache. Something that happens from time to time. I let it ride out like I usually do, but this one just stuck with me throughout most of the day. I think that combined with the heat today (reaching over 100 degrees, according to Dave's thermometer) nearly drove me crazy.

I couldn't do much, so I decided to spend my time by the lake again. Thank goodness I had that option too, this would have been five times worse if I was, for example, still in the congested city of Rome. I laid down on my shirt, for lack of a towel, to keep the grass from scratching at my skin. I rested my head on my backpack, and relaxed. Even though I had sunscreen on I stuck to the shade. The sun was far too strong to be in for long.

Another blessing for today was that I had already committed myself to going in the lake. The water was very cold but it was a relief from the hot sun. The travel checklist continues (Visit the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, check. Tour the Colosseum in Rome, check. Swim in Lake Zurich, check...).

I focused most of the day on reading and relaxing, trying to eliminate the headache. I took a light nap that helped somewhat. I finally picked back up Stephen King's The Stand and made some progress on that. But progress in that book is minuscule, as it is around a thousand pages long. I will vow to finish it before I return to the United States.

The headache was not far off, and after some time it returned. And with the physical torment came the emotional. I felt a strong homesickness for the comfort and familiarity of home. A comfortable bed, friends and family, a kitchen stocked with food. I learned in this moment that I needed to take a step back and realize "hey, I'm in Switzerland right now. That's awesome." This thought helped me get into the right mental place, but it still couldn't help with the physical headache.

The lake was the best place to be, but it still couldn't get rid of the ache completely. So as the sun started to set, I packed up my stuff and found some dinner. I wasn't feeling too hungry but I knew it was important to eat.

What saved the day was a thunderstorm rolling in. I was sitting outside at dinner, and I watched the dark clouds roll in for about twenty minutes. Then came the wind, and finally drops of rain. I brought my plate inside to finish my meal. Normally this might have been annoying or stressful, but it was exactly what I needed. The excitement and irregularity of it helped me take my mind off of how bad I was feeling, and the headache started to go away. At the same time, the storm brought with it much cooler air, something Zurich and I were both in dire need of.

I got back to the bed and breakfast just before the rain began to fall harder. But once inside, Dave couldn't resist taking a break from the heat to go out in the rain just for a few minutes. It seemed like such a good idea, that I tried it out myself. It was exactly what I needed. I stared up into the sky and let the cool raindrops land on my face. After a long day, it was a relief. As I write this now, I feel like my normal self again.

Thankfully, I was able to pull myself out of the deepest pit I've encountered so far on this trip. Now hopefully I will be much more prepared if this does happen again.

On a brighter note, here's a glimpse into the small community that has been established on the third floor of this bed and breakfast. Since my first night here, the bathroom has been tough to get into. Dave finally discovered why tonight. An old man across the hall has been doing his laundry in the sink and / or bathtub. I can actually hear him doing it through the wall now as I write this. Dave and I had a good laugh about this after Dave saw him walk into the bathroom carrying a duffel bag full of clothes. It is funny, but who knows how long it will be before anyone else gets to use the bathroom. Someone else already used the kitchen sink to brush their teeth. I don't mind though, I have a day to write about.

Today was my last day in Zurich, tomorrow I take a train to Munich, Germany. Despite my rough day today, I will miss this place. I think what I enjoyed most was watching how much of a community the lake created. Every day of the week, it seems, hundreds of people gather at the lake shore to go swimming and cook food. It reminded me of Colt State Park back home in Rhode Island. But with better swimming.

Or I guess kinda like a beach. But nobody really grills dinner at the beach, so not quite.

I am excited to head to Munich tomorrow, who knows what kinds of adventures wait for me there. It is helpful to know that I have this to look forward to at the end of every day, no matter what happens. Sincerely, thank you for reading, and here's to tomorrow.

I'm gonna try to make "here's to tomorrow" my catchphrase at the end of each post, so let's make it work.