moonriver posted on Apr 16, 2009
| views: 555
It’s early spring.
I see thick masses of clouds below me, occasionally giving way to glimpses of gray-brown patchwork of ground.
The heavy curtain of clouds soon thins out.
I gaze down at the endless stretch of mountains – now undulating, now jutting up so close, as if their horn-like peaks could scrape our plane’s belly at any moment.
My seatmate Maggie is a more experienced, almost world-weary, traveler.
She and I come from the same social background.
We went to the same schools, even worked together for a time.
We are close friends, and we hadn’t seen each other for some years.
So we have lots to talk about, updating each other about our lives during the first three hours of the trip.
But we soon exhaust all topics that currently interest both of us.
Maggie sleeps through the rest of the long flight.
As usual, I force myself to keep awake.
(That way, I had found out, my bio-clock later adjusted more easily to jet lag.)
"Maggie I'm lost," I say, though I know she is sleeping.
Shades of Simon and Garfunkel. Lol.
Anyway, I’m wide awake as the plane descends and taxis into Zurich airport.
Apparently, it snowed earlier that morning, and I see banks of plowed snow beside the runway.
It’s a short stopover, and soon, we’re up in the air again.
This time, I give in to a strong urge to take a short nap.
I wake up just in time to feel the familiar jolt and rumble, as the plane’s landing gears touch ground at the airport of our final destination.
The way out of the airport is a groggy blur of immigration lines, baggage claims, and cash conversion into European currency.
Maggie is in a rush to reach the home of her sister.
That's where she stays when she’s in town.
She certainly knows her way around, but she's worried about me.
“You sure you can find your way to your hostel alone?” she asks.
“Of course. Don’t worry about me,” I reply with some bravado as we push our baggage carts towards the exit. "You might be more familiar with this place, but I've been through more hopeless jungles than you have."
"Haha," she says in jovial mockery.
The cold wind outside the glass doors of the airport wraps around us as Maggie and I walk to different taxi lines.
The taxi driver sizes me up, and talks rapidly in French.
I can only follow snatches of his speech, but I hand him the hostel card and get in with my light luggage.
I carelessly reply “oui” and “escusez-moi” and “je ne parle pas francais” to his series of questions.
And off we go.
The taxi follows the railway and highway, goes through tunnels, passes through freshly-plowed fields.
I force my eyes to focus on my handy map, on road signs and landmarks.
I’ve been awake for nearly 24 hours now, and groggy as hell.
My sleepless mind is already starting to play tricks on me.
The roads here, apparently, are all named Chemin. Lol.
But the driver seems to know his route well, and soon, we arrive.
Lugging a heavy backpack and a smaller one, I cross a field planted to early spring crops of flowers and greens.
In the distance, I see a small baroque-style mansion.
It tells my groggy brain: my map may look wrong, but at least I’m walking in the right direction.
Traces of off-season snow are everywhere on the ground.
I bypass the mansion and some fenced vacation houses, and enter a small mixed broadleaf-conifer forest.
The dirt road is crunchy with last winter’s dead leaves and melting snow.
I’ve been walking for 20 minutes.
I start to wonder if the taxi driver chose the right chemin to reach the hostel.
And then I see it – a small three-story building right near the forest’s edge.
I walk through the open iron-grilled door, and is welcomed by the hostel’s quiet warmth.
The day-duty front desk volunteer looks more sleepy than I am.
She checks me in.
I literally drag my luggage to my 2nd-floor room.
For the first time, I feel hungry, and very sleepy as well.
My cellphone lies there on the bed, forlorn and useless.
I had no time to switch it to international roaming mode before the trip.
I debate with myself – whether to slump down on the inviting bed and get some sleep, or to review my paper with bleary eyes, or to freshen up, go out, explore the hostel and its surroundings, perhaps meet other guests and get something to eat.
My anti-jetlag tactic requires that I try to keep awake for a few more hours.
I’m sure I’d fall asleep if I stayed one more minute in the room.
So I decide to check out the hostel.
There is a wi-fi center, but no good for me, since I didn't bring a laptop for this trip.
There are two desktops with Internet access, but the fellow minding the store doesn’t know the passwords.
I feel a twinge of isolation.
The surrounding forest, fields and nearby mansion look gorgeous and inviting.
But I brought no camera either.
I had other reasons for not bringing both laptop and camera.
Nevertheless, if I wanted to get lost to everyone, this is the perfect setting for it.
My stomach nudges my mind to go look for food.
I see a row of vending machines at the end of the hallway.
Sandwiches, pastry, drinks, chocolate... yum.
My stomach does a little dance inside, in joyful anticipation.
But alas! the machines are the ultimate nemesis of this tough techie guy who fears neither death nor demolition nor digital isolation.
I stare at my measly hoard of coins, then at the daunting price tags.
Then I look at the temptingly luscious displays of food, then back again to my coins.
I glance helplessly around me.
Someone must be around to help my disgraceful ignorance of vending machine protocols.
But I see no one.
Except for the front-desk lady, who is deep into the pages of Da Vinci Code, and I don't want to disturb her.
There’s no one to help me and my hunger.
The vending machines taunt me anew with their cryptic slots and buttons and levers.
I give up the fight with a shrug and a smile.
For the first time in a long while, I feel totally, absolutely, incredibly, wonderfully lost.
I decide to forget my hunger and wanderlust for a while.
I get a newspaper from the hallway, and return to my room.
How did Maggie cope with loneliness when she worked here? I wonder.
I lie down and lazily leaf through the semi-final draft of my paper, then through the local newspaper.
I struggle with the French text, then give up.
“Am I lonely?” my left brain asks.
“No, I’m not,” my right brain promptly replies.
I will quickly make new friends here.
This is what I wanted, what I dreamed about.
A group of South Indians are having a noisy discussion in the next room.
They are smart; they brought a rice cooker and a sackful of rice with them.
Outside my window, the sheen of the lake sparkles in the cold mid-day sun.
Seems like spring thaw here has taken longer than usual.
Just the same. The thin drifts of snow are melting in the fields.
A couple strolls through the trees.
They are holding hands and snuggling into each other's ruddy faces.
The scented breath of love is in the air.
Thus I have chosen this less-traveled path.
I have pages to read and mark in a swath,
and Frost-like miles to go before I sleep.
And countless miles to go before I sleep.
Comments
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queenparanoia said on Apr 16, 2009....
hi moonriver. miss you dude.. where are you right now? youre post is intriguing which part of the world are you now my friend? -
moonriver said on Apr 16, 2009....
yo queenie, i missed you too these past weeks.
i wrote this blog in a way that gives some clues, but intended to keep you guessing for a while yet.
didn't you notice? ;-)
it's part of the mood i want to impart... that of being lost.
if i told you where i am, or was recently, then i'd no longer be lost, would i? LOL
how you been, reina baby?
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wombat said on Apr 16, 2009....
For the first time, I feel hungry, and very sleepy as well. (well, maybe not)
Love riding on the journey with you.......I remember when I thought I had miles to go before I slept.
Keep on rockin'!
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queenparanoia said on Apr 16, 2009....
monnriver: read my latest post. you'll be surprise how ive been... ;-) -
Lioness said on Apr 16, 2009....
Wow. I was mesmerized by the beautiful description.. will be waiting for more! :D -
moonriver said on Apr 16, 2009....
hi wombie.
psst. wanna hear another one of my impromptu writing tricks?
at first i had wanted to write this down as a story with clear plot and characters, so it would be inherently interesting to readers who don't know a lot about me or my past blogs.
but the reality was that i and my sleep-starved mind (plus maggie in a minor role) were the only true characters, and there's no plot at all.
(another story that involves my friend maggie deserves a separate post.)
so there.
for me to stick to a real-life experience and not go over to fiction, i had to write down the piece as it transpired in reality and reflected my mind... vignettes of odds and ends, actually, that blend to create (hopefully) a certain mood.
frost's famous last line neatly said what i wanted to say in the first place:
"and miles to go before i sleep."
i bet you're asleep now, my friend. but yeah, i'll keep on rockin... :-)
hi again queenie.
i've read your three latest posts just now.
i'll comment later.
hi lioness.
like i told wombat, this real-life event had only me (and maggie, to some extent) as the characters.
and the plot (if any) is weak and boring, because it simply retells a plain story of how i go on a plane ride, arrive, and feel my way in new surroundings.
so yes, you're right, what i really needed to share was the complex mix of outward perceptions and inward feelings i went through, as i planted myself into a new place, a stranger in a strange city.
my next posts will be sort of sequels to this one.
hope you will read them too... :-)
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Lioness said on Apr 17, 2009....
IMO, it is not boring but an interesting story in itself.
I know that would be something to look forward to moon, hope you'd tell us your transformations in the new city too? :D -
moonriver said on Apr 17, 2009....
thank you for the nice words, my lioness.
oh, i'm telling you now... my fairly short stay in this very historic city changed my notions about the life and spirit of a city more than i could ever imagine.
any guesses as to what city and country i'm talking of?
((wink))
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beyondtheveil said on Apr 17, 2009....
Weary traveler- Good to see you again mrmoon! My coffee tastes great thinking about the dirt road, dead leaves and melting snow (you can have the heavy backpack).
I have no idea where you are, but will guess Toulouse or nearer the Pyrenees just for the heck of it. Hope you enjoy wherever it is.
(thank you for the answer to my question)
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auroralost said on Apr 17, 2009....
Moon- I enjoyed reading every word of this and hearing you describe the journey makes me want to take my own as well. As you are probably aware my internal sense of needing to wander has been stronger lately and this is really encouraging me on as well. I look forward to reading more about your walk down life's path. -
moonriver said on Apr 17, 2009....
hi mrbeyond.
it's good to be trading comments with you again.
and i'm glad this post is going well with your morning coffee.
although i would have loved to backpack through the pyrenees all the way to tolouse and the camargue, your guesses are too westerly, my friend.
try to move your sights more eastward...
(and i'm always glad to give answers if i can)
hi aurora.
i'm thrilled to know this post is helping you to give shape to that sense of wanderlust.
i'm sure you know that travel isn't all romance and adventure.
there's the mud, the penniless days, even some days when a sense of foreboding and panic comes knockin on the door...
but in the end we are always enriched in more ways than one.
the same is true in this particular episode.
i hope to be reading more of your own explorations, friend.
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Twylarants said on Apr 17, 2009....
You set the mood beautifully, Moon. The vignettes allow my imagination to wander along on your 20 minute walk and create my own scenery. I'm enjoying the image of the mansion, the crunchy leaves, and the sparkling lake my mind's eye is seeing.
I would have missed that had you brought your laptop along.
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the_infernal_optimist said on Apr 17, 2009....
I like this. :)
~Infernal
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secretlife said on Apr 17, 2009....
i guess the guy with the password finally showed up!hope you're having a wonderful trip moon- -
Lucytorial said on Apr 17, 2009....
Now I'm interested, now my mind is searching its own miniature world for where you've gone.. I knwo the city but daren't try imagine the next vignettes that will play out with your life... always leaving a little mystery. -
CreativeWoman said on Apr 17, 2009....
Hello, moon.
The obvious guess is that you are in France somewhere...or perhaps Canada. I really don't know. :-)
You seem to enjoy your travels, but I sense a longing there too.
It's always nice to see you have posted.
CW
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MsStar39 said on Apr 17, 2009....
Wherever you are moon sounds like a beautiful cold place, hope you find food soon, as for the loneliness with your personality that won't last long. looking forward to the next chapter. -
moonriver said on Apr 17, 2009....
hi twyla.
i'm glad you enjoyed the vignettes that i strung together diary-style.
of the myriad images of that particular day that i remembered, it's the walk through the forest, especially the crunchy leaves and muddy snowdrifts on the dirt road, that is most sharply etched in my mind.
maybe because i didn't expect that scene in such an historic and elegant city known for its well-manicured parks?
i really don't know.
thanks for dropping by, friend.
hi infernal.
if you liked this, you must like my next post, a sequel of sorts. :-)
thanks for dropping by, friend.
hi secret.
oh yes indeed. he showed up, and i was able to reconnect again to the world at large.
i had better Internet access at the public library, though...
just a clarification: my first line says, "it's early spring."
that means roughly two weeks ago or earlier.
that part of my endless journey has ended.
but yes, i thoroughly enjoyed it...
especially the unofficial side of it, like bargain hunting at the flea market.
thanks for dropping by, friend.
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moonriver said on Apr 17, 2009....
hi lucy.
you know the city's name?
so go ahead and say it, lady!
i'll divulge it in a little while anyway.
that way, you'll go on official record as the blogger who got it right.
either that, or you'll go on official record as the blogger who dared to guess but got it wrong. LOL
as for my next vignettes, you're right. don't even try to guess! ((wink))
hi cw.
you're getting warmer with france, but not quite there.
i guess you're seeing a pattern here, huh?
there's a recent blog, a page torn from an india diary, where i sort of admitted it explicitly.
yes, there's always that longing for someone to be there with me, to have a share of all the richness of experience that i absorb on these trips.
but there's another part of me that says, "it's best for now to be alone."
but i did join up with friends, old and new, during the latter part of the trip.
thanks for dropping by, friend.
hi msstar.
the weather turned warmer in the following days.
then another cold spell, but without snow.
i hear it will again quickly get warmer in the next few days. (i'm not there now...)
tough luck i wasn't able to swim in the lake.
maybe next time...
((smiles at your comment about my personality's coping mechanisms. i sure hope so... :-))
thanks for dropping by, friend.
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Dauntless said on Apr 17, 2009....
Hey moon, I've just got to say I really enjoyed reading your post.
You have a unique ability to draw in people into your writing, that's a great gift!
You have a writer's touch!
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moonriver said on Apr 17, 2009....
hi dauntless dave!
i'm glad you enjoyed this post.
i often tell others who want to write, that they should (above any other consideration) write about stuff they really know from direct experience, and about stuff they deeply care about.
i think most people can do this, if they have time enough on their hands to actually write and edit.
thanks for dropping by, friend.
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PAPERBACKWRITER said on Apr 18, 2009....
<3
paper ~
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moonriver said on Apr 18, 2009....
ate papel, kamusta?
<3 back to you, and piet, and the 3 musketeers.
salamat for dropping by, friend.
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destinydiva said on Apr 18, 2009....
captivating as always mr river :-) xx -
Dauntless said on Apr 18, 2009....
I completely agree moon! It's so much easier to write about what is in your heart or what affects you, good or bad, in life. However it's a lot harder to articulate those experiences without practice!
I look forward to reading more of your travels and experiences!
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moonriver said on Apr 18, 2009....
hi ms destiny.
captivating? moi? since when? lol
glad to see your own captivating presence again at sc.
thanks for dropping by, friend.
hi again, dauntless.
yes, that too. it's a timeworn cliche but bears repeating: practice makes perfect.
thanks, i'll try to post the sequel within the next few days.
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Me-Myself&I said on Apr 18, 2009....
Howdy Monnriver! i have read this several times now. *smile* i feel like something is missing!? huh.... just me i quess. but you said that ....this is what i wanted, what i dreamed about. was it all you expected? was it all you dreamt it would be?
you know i always enjoy reading about your journeys. well take care of yourself. it is good to see you doing good! *smile* xo ~see ya
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moonriver said on Apr 18, 2009....
howdy too, me-my!
you ask a very difficult question, my friend.
i could state the obvious cliche, "the grass is always greener..."
but let me put it this way:
a mountain looks so majestic and veiled with clouds and beautiful and blue and from afar.
you want to climb its summit, feel how it is there at the top, caress the clouds with your hands, and gaze down at the rest of the world.
you go on a long hard trek to reach it, always inspired by the majestic peak as it looms bigger and bigger.
then you start to climb, struggling for foothold among the craggy rocks and treacherous ravines.
sometimes you can no longer see the peak... just your foot in front of the other, trudging to the next insurmountable ridge.
you begin to doubt and ask, "is it worth it?"
finally, you reach the summit.
you enjoy hours of euphoria, maybe even nirvana.
yes, the feeling of being there, attaining your dream, is priceless.
maybe you want to stay some more.
but you know you need to move on sooner or later.
you rest to regain your strength, you sleep, you dream anew.
the next morning, you enjoy the view one last time, and then climb down to pursue your next dream.
bottom line: dreams can be so elusive, not only because even when we attain them, the reality is always not exactly what we expected, but also because we really don't stop dreaming.
is it my dream city?
in many ways, it is.
do i intend to settle down there?
not immediately. (i'm not there right now.)
but if some of my plans result in long-term work in geneva, why not indeed?
ooops. now you've made me divulge the city's name... :-)
you take care of yourself too, lady.
and always carry that pretty smile wherever life takes you.
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Dauntless said on Apr 19, 2009....
I've gotta say memy, I really enjoy reading Moon's posts and your question prompted another great descriptive post!
Moon, I agree with your analogy on dreams however I don't necessarily think that the dreams need be gone, more-so dreams that you attain are then attained and you make new, fresh dreams.
After you climb the peak and reach the summit you may find you want to set up camp there. So settling there may not be your first thought, explore the area tentatively, feel out the nature of the peak before deciding whether reaching that peak was all you desired then either set up camp or move on to another peak.
Once that anchor is set on that summit, you're then free to link yourself to that point and go in search of new peaks, safe in the knowledge that you are able to return to camp when you need to.
I wish you all hope in Geneva (cat's out the bag lol) being your summit to set up camp! If it turns out not to be, there will always be new clouds to reach on new mountains!
Godspeed my friend!
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Me-Myself&I said on Apr 19, 2009....
*smile* you are talking to a "dreamer". i understand. you are a marvelous writer Moonriver. it's been over 2 yrs now that i have been coming to ....your place here. you never get old or boring! i could hug you to death! ;~) -
gingersoul said on Apr 19, 2009....
Moon....Geneva is in Europe......it seems that both our dreams lead there....:-)
I have been there...i understand why you like it so much.....
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Lucytorial said on Apr 19, 2009....
ahh Moon I don't need to be on official record with you.. besides its fun reading.Just don't freeze your butt off! LOL -
moonriver said on Apr 21, 2009....
hi dauntless dude.
i had expected this intelligent comment from you, friend.
yeah, if you extend the logic of the mountain-climbing analogy, geneva does offer all the advantages of a perfect campsite.
now if only i had more time to haul in a year's food supply... :-)
you bet i'd use it as base to explore the other mountains nearby, especially to the south and southwest.
thanks again, dude.
hi me-my.
2 years... has it been that long?
i still remember our first exchange of comments on your very first blog...
about the old cherokee's advice to his grandson about two wolves.
it's my privilege and great fortune to have gained a good friend in you, my green witch.
(and talking of green, i'm still glad you pointed out that "lapse" in my green drums blog long ago... ;-)
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brit said on Apr 21, 2009....
asian fire monkey!! I just dropped in for one post and man am I glad I picked yours! I have no idea where you are at in this one (I was thinking Germany, then France, then I read other comments and now have no idea!) I will read the next installment as soon as i can :-) -
moonriver said on Apr 22, 2009....
hi ginger.
geneva is in europe??? OMG.
all the while, i thought i was in ohio!
i was starting to wonder why the natives talked to me in this weird, incomprehensible english accent.
and to think that i was hankering for a swim in lake erie!
what am i supposed to do with all these foreign coins in my pocket?
OMFG. Lol
oh well.
the gods of serendipity strike again.
if your dream is leading you back to europe, my friend, then maybe i should scout around for a good campsite somewhere in the alps like dauntless suggested... :-)
thanks for dropping by, principessa mia.
hi lucy.
oh. ok. we can always do it off the record... ;-)
don't you worry about my butt being frozen, my friend.
absolutely no problem in that anatomical respect.
i'm a cheeky heat engine, remember?
haha.
hi brit.
ha. you're so busy, busy, busy nowadays.
i know, my friend. end-term requirements and all that.
psst. the city's name is geneva.
and it's allegedly in europe, according to ginger.
definitely not ohio... in case you're entertaining some bad ideas for the summer. lol!
just to give everyone a glimpse of geneva as it looks to passengers of a plane on its final approach...
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Dauntless said on Apr 22, 2009....
LOL, I love the dude bit! I use that myself!
Thank you for the compliment, you have inspired me to write a new post (I do still take this as the compliment it is and thank you, you'll understand this comment when my post is up!)
I truly hope you find where your heart lies. Even just the few posts we have shared I am privileged to get to know such an interesting person such as yourself and those others I've shared comments and posts with! It is really refreshing!
My best wishes go to you moon! You deserve nothing less than happiness and fullfulment!
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moonriver said on Apr 24, 2009....
hi, dauntless dude.
thank you again, a hundred times, for your kind comments.
my best wishes too, for you and des.
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gingersoul said on Apr 24, 2009....
Moon....oh you.....just stop it, smartie pants....;-pLike i didn't know that you knew that i know that you knew Geneva was in Europe...ummph...*ginger shakes her elegant and very European finger in front of moon's nose*Always there...... poking my ribs....;-P -
moonriver said on Apr 24, 2009....
ginger -- "i didn't know that you knew that i know that you knew..."
stop that yourself.
it's making me dizzy.
well, to tell you the truth, i was searching online for detailed geneva maps for my trip, when a few maps and other google hits came up that disoriented me.
"this map looks all wrong," i said. "i don't see the familiar rues. why is lac leman the wrong shape? and where are the quais?"
then it dawned on me: i was looking at a map of geneva, ohio. lol.
((sniffs, then crinkles nose at elegant european finger))
let me guess, dear friend.
you've been eating gorgonzola dolce cheese again... ;-)
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gingersoul said on Apr 24, 2009....
Moon......LOL.......it sounds like me when i moved here in Texas......i was studying its map and i was keeping reading cities like Rome, Italy, Naples, even Paris ....and for a second i thought ..hey, these are my places......oh, yeah, something was definetely wrong.....lol......
You know.....these Americans.....they are so lazy they can't even come up with original names for their own cities........(love you all, guys!).....;-D
Btw, mister, i do not eat gorgonzola......ever.....blech....it smells like wet dog and tastes even worse.....
So you deserve another round of my elegant and very European finger in front of your nose.....there.... -
moonriver said on Apr 24, 2009....
ginger...
in all fairness, the americans are sooo in love with classical europe and the ancient mediterranean, that's why they adopted all these names...
just consider the state of new york: there's alexandria, athens, attica, austerlitz, babylon, berlin, berne, bethany, bethel, bethlehem... and that's just the letters A and B.
you haven't eaten gorgonzola?
then you must have just given your dog a bath, or taken out the garbage, etc.
((crinkles nose again at the terrible smell))
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wombat said on Apr 24, 2009....
I'm sorry I just got back to reading this! I do appreciate you taking time to comment to me. I just get lost in the shuffle here sometimes, at my own doing.
I am still trying to pick through this and figure out what I missed, because of my own stupidity. (you on a trip to Geneva?) But I thank you for sharing your writing tips---I have trouble keeping myself out of mine--but that's another story. I need to go back and read this all again and maybe make more sense later? I know I missed out by not keeping up, but wow....thanks.
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wombat said on Apr 24, 2009....
Re-read, and watched the cool video of the landing! I turned my speakers up on high volumn to hear the joy and laughter of the approach! (and you write as well as the visuals!) -
moonriver said on Apr 25, 2009....
hi wombie!
no problem about being lost in the shuffle... i'm the in-house expert in that respect, didn't you notice? :-)
wow, you also heard the joy and laughter inside the plane!
i imagine the banter of a family returning home, or of kids excited on their first foreign trip...
i wish i could bring my kids on a trip like this one.
they would have immensely enjoyed it.
psst. friend. my geneva trip is over and done.
it was nice but now it's gone.
finis. kaput. so long, farewell, auf wiedersehn goodbye.
but the experience is still good for maybe a couple of blogs more.
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