Apparently, its possible for me to write and have almost no memory of physically writing the words. Reading back, I found some of the things I had written surprising and others amusing. I copied one example entry here.
June 30th, 2008
Do they know I'm not Dutch?
Can they tell from my timid "Hoi" (Hi in Frisian, not sure of spelling) that that is the only word I know in Friese, and that I only know about 5 words in Dutch (bier being one, of course).
As I walk by farms, I find myself wondering if the horses know the truth. One horse even walked alongside me on the fence, sizing me up and assessing my Dutchness, I think. I'm pretty sure the ponytail is a dead giveaway because I have yet to see many Dutch people wear their hair like that. The blonde hair and semi-tallness does help me fit in a bit, but I'm just not sure its enough. My attire is probably not helping much either, as I'm wearing running pants and an American workout shirt... hmm...
Alright, first of all.... what?! Who wrote that? I was clearly in my own little world of solitude and perhaps missing human conversation so I made up the thoughts of a horse. It makes me wonder, if I have strange thoughts like that after half a day wandering alone, what kinds of things would I think about if I was in a shipwreck and stuck in a deserted island situation...? Like Tom Hanks, I too would probably make friends with inanimate objects... and who knows what else! Honestly, I think it might be better if we never find that out...
In all seriousness though, reading through my journal makes me really glad that I do write. I like going back and reading about thoughts and feelings I had completely forgotten. Sometimes it is informative, to remember an event, date, or feeling that you had. Other times it is inspiring, as it allows you to see how far you've come. But no matter what, it is documented, and therefore more solidified in existence. And I like that.
With amazing vacations like this one, it is hard to hold on to all the feelings you had when you were there as you settle back into your regular routine. Documenting them as soon as possible seems to be the best way to hold on to the memories. These chapters have been my meager attempt to record just a few of my experiences. I just hope you have enjoyed reading them half as much as I've enjoyed writing them... and experiencing them of course. :)
1 comment:
That is exactly why I write too...writing makes it more real, somehow. I love the bit about the horse, it made me smile and reminded me of all the crazy things I have hidden in a box of writing from years and years of craziness...I'm so glad you're writing and that I get to read parts of it!!!
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