Guten Tag Ya’ll!

It’s been a while since I’ve written. I just got home from an exciting work venture that required long days and exciting nights with international cohorts.This year, in order to accomplish my main goal of doing more, I pressed through demanding graduate-level courses and traveled all around Europe this summer. My original goal was to visit a new country per month. In essence, that should be 12 countries per year. But I exceeded that. It’s not even October and I’ve visited 13 different countries this year and duplicated a few.  I have traveled somewhere just about every weekend of this year. Now, the idea of traveling somewhere this weekend makes me want to groan. It’s official. I am experiencing the symptoms of travel burn-out. I never anticipated reaching this point.

I AM BURNT OUT!

I am coming down off my high from weekend, after weekend of travel, constantly being around people 24-7 for either work, school, or sleeping in open rows of bunk beds.  Finally, I am in my own bed, in my own flat, with my own schedule. And really, I’m not sure what to do with myself. But it feels outstanding!

Now that the influx of summer tourists has departed the continent, it’s prime time for residents to hit the French Riviera. Except, I don’t want to.  I mean I’d love to see San Tropez and Ibiza. But I just don’t have the will to pack and go.

It’s the start of early Fall in Germany! A gorgeous time of year full of cow fests, pumpkin fests, corn mazes, and of course Volksfest and Okoberfest. But jumping in the car or hopping on a plane to go isn’t moving me out of this bed.

Next week is my Columbus Day weekend. Last year, I visited Columbus’ debated home of Mallorca. This year, Oktoberfest is on the menu. But what shall I do with the rest of the four-day weekend?  My energy is strained. This weekend my preferred weekend-get-away location is my bed.

There’s so much to do and see and I just cannot make myself go out and touch it all. I suppose I have a little bit of guilt for not being motivated to take advantage of my location and limited time in Europe.  I suppose I never believed this could happen to be. I believe I have to take a rest on the short weekend trips all over creation and give myself some longer stays. I need to go back to my original plan of one country a month and maybe instead, just enjoy beautiful Germany in the fall.