That Thrilling Click (Get Back To Travel)

God, I really don’t know how the hell I came up with this title! It seems like the title of a B movie. Anyway. I like to consider myself as a traveler. But the truth is that while I do travel a lot, I’m not around the world all the time. I got a fucking daytime job to attend to. Nobody is perfect. I’d love to travel more, but to be honest, I also enjoy the coming back home part, most of the time. I guess if I was rich I would get over that. Even better, I could buy four houses in four of my favourite corners of the world, and spend four months a year at each one.

Waiting for that moment, for now I need to come back home. And coming home usually makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. Plus when I say home, that would be here, in Rome. I know for sure there might be worse places in the world, where to come back after a nice travel. Most of the time after a vacation I like playing a tourist in my own city, just to add some more extra time of travel sensation. You know, staring at beautiful buildings, strolling around one of the most beautiful city centers of the world, blending in with tourists. It’s not that bad, is it?

Anyway, having a pretty much ordinary daily life, I’m not exactly always thinking about travels. And like I said in some of my previous posts, it’s not even been a good time lately. That’s why I hadn’t planned any travel in the short run. I just planned my next summer vacation, because that’s a trip I wanted to do since forever. A road trip in the US like the one I had last August, except for this time I’m going alone.

And I’m happy about it. You wanna know why? ‘Cause at least this time I’ll be able to see the pictures I’ll take, once I’ll be back home. I got tons of pictures from last summer in California and Arizona, which I can’t stand to see. When I need to upload a picture, say for my blog, I just try to seek among the miniatures the ones she’s not in. What can I tell you, her sight still hurts a wee bit. But it’s not gonna happen this summer.

Usually, I have a mini vacation before the bigger one in the summer, but due to my recent lowness I didn’t feel in the mood to book a travel. I guess I had still to elaborate some of my thoughts. But lately, I’ve been feeling much, much better, and the first thing I feel when I’m fine is the need to go away. Go see the world and have a new experience. So I did book a flight. Just like that. At least that’s one of the perks of being alone. I just checked the flights (like I do often) and once I found the right prices, the right dates, and after a little study of the route I’d like to take, I booked it. I didn’t have to ask anybody if it was going to be alright with her. Being alone, I just need to keep my credit card handy. So next May, I’ll be spending 5 days between Hamburg and Copenhagen. It’ll be the first time alone after a long time. I guess I’ll have to get used to it again. Actually now that I think about it, it’s not even that long, just a couple of years since my last one. I’m sure it’ll be fun.

So was the booking. Extremely fun. Because you know what? I re experienced the familiar sensation that comes when you get that last click I was talking about. The one that confirms the payment for your flight ticket to get you abroad. The thrill that comes when on your laptop screen appears the word “Confirmed” and the first thing you think is “It’s done. I’m going”. Believe it or not, that click gives you a little adrenaline rush. If you’re a traveler and are used to book everything online like me,  then you’re probably familiar with that thrill. If you’re not, I really suggest you to give it a try.

I know I know. You’re in a relationship so you can’t do whatever you want without consulting your partner about dates and destinations. Been there. But it might only take you a little longer. I promise you the thrill you’re gonna feel after that last click, while the server is processing your payment, and right after you read the word “confirmed”, is fantastic all the same.

John Reese