So I went on holiday 2 weeks ago and it was a bit more of an adventure than I’d anticipated. I just got round to writing about it now because there was a truckload of work and study waiting for me when I returned. I’m going to pretend some of it still isn’t there so I can write this out in peace. The vacation almost didn’t happen. The night before my plane left, I was working late and didn’t get home till 11 pm. I ate dinner and decided to lie down for a short nap. My short nap turned into the cab driver’s call waking me up at 4 am to ask for directions. I hadn’t packed, there were dirty dishes in the sink, laundry in the washing machine and I was still in my underwear. I wish I could have recorded the next 45 minutes, as it was a miracle to behold. I hung my laundry, did the dishes, packed 2 suitcases and dressed up with 5 minutes to spare! I rewarded myself with the biggest bar of chocolate I could find in duty free.
Once I concluded the usual ceremony of hyperventilating and reciting the Lord’s Prayer relentlessly as the plane took off, I finally became excited about the trip. I was on my way to a place where I wouldn’t have to look at my laptop or check office emails for a week! I was tired by the time I arrived and just managed to log myself onto my airport shuttle. I’d booked myself into a quaint hotel in Sliema, on the northeast coast of Malta, which had sounded exotic on the hotel site but looked far from it in real life. Nevertheless, I checked in, changed and went out like a candle.
When I woke up the next morning, I was ready to channel Indiana Jones. I threw on my holiday clothes and my brown "so fly" floppy hat and hurried down to the lobby. After the receptionist confused me with several thousand brochures, I picked a bus tour round Valletta, the capital city. It sounded simple enough but the day was far from simple…..
To Be Continued
