You’ve got to roll with it.
Like days at home, there’s good and there’s bad on the road. The pendulum can swing back and forth pretty quickly. I know that technically I am not allowed to complain about anything, on account of the not having to work thing, but it is what I do best.
Good: tracking lions on safari. Obviously a great start to a day.
Good: looking at beautiful scenery in Blyde River Canyon.
Bad: adding a new category to our budget – shakedown fees – after a police officer kindly suggests that a small donation to his wallet would be a win-win for all involved instead of a more costly speeding ticket.
Bad: everything affordable in Graskop, where we planned to stay, is booked.
Good: there’s delicious pancakes in Graskop. Very good. Very good, indeed.
Good: finding a spring stone sculpture in a local artist’s shop with resident kitties.
Bad: discovering, after it is too late and dark to bother finding another, that the hostel room recommended in our guidebook in the next town over is basically a glorified room in someone’s garage.
Just another day on the road.
As a fellow long-term traveler (who is now home working most of the year), I can reassure you that you definitely still have room to complain about the bad. Even though you’re not working right now, you’re still living! And sadly, sometimes life comes with a few sour grapes thrown in. 🙁
The super neat thing about traveling, though, is that amongst all the bad, it can be super easy to find the good (like you guys have above) because you’re experiencing so many neat things every day!
(And now we might have to head to Graskop just to get pancakes…but we’ll definitely be avoiding the garage you guys stayed in. LOL!)
There is always good and bad. I often felt that I shouldn’t be feeling the bad b/c I was so ‘lucky’ to be away for an extended trip…that’s not true…some days just simply suck…and that’s the way it is!
Wow, that really sucks you have to pay the cops. Cute cat. Can’t wait to read about Japan!
I am glad my fellow travelers understand! Jessica, we may need to send you to Graskop for something other than pancakes. I have a bad feeling about our sculpture. The shop was supposed to email me when it shipped. We haven’t heard from them…and they never responded to the email I sent inquiring about the status. We may need an investigation!