Leaving

Today is important because I am leaving for Copan (in 8 hrs. 37 min.!). Here is my dilemma: nap, or savor my time in the Great PNW?* Napping seems impossible, even ludicrous: in addition to having packing to do and last-minute purchases to make, there is the excitement (and the coffee) keeping me wired.

But then there's the nap. Napping is essential to being alert. If you've ever traveled to a foreign place, you know how important it is to be alert on the first days. These are the days when you form your impression of a place. If you are alert, you notice where this impression comes from. It's like jumping into a swimming pool: for the first minute, you are shocked by how cold (or how surprisingly warm, even though you expected goosebumps) the pool is. Then you start having fun. After dunking your sister, swimming around like a shark, and dropping a few cannon-balls, you barely notice the water any more. It's too late: you can no longer tell your mother whether the pool is cold or not.

I will be a good son and let you know what the first shocking (or surprisingly soothing) dip in this new pool is like. I promise to overcome the obstacles and nap. Expect a report from me soon!

*For those poor souls who aren't familiar, Pacific Northwest.