Travel & Thank: Day 8. Getting Upset is Not an Option

Today was the day when I fully and truly realized the impact this year of thankfulness had on me.

I thought I was comfortable being alone before… Compared to now, this must’ve been another kind of comfortableness, because now I’m superiorly at ease with myself. I don’t even notice the difference in my perception of myself and the way I carry myself when I am alone or with somebody else, if you know what I mean.

So, back at home I booked a one night stay at a lovely boutique hotel located at the town’s most beautiful bay – the main idea being to occupy a perfect sunset watching spot (remember how I confessed I’d never done that?). I was obviously to go alone, and this was fine until I arrived and it felt as if I’ve been here million times before. While chilling by the hotel’s pool somehow I could just sense that everyone around me was being a whole lot more self-conscious, watching their step, thinking what others think of them etc. And me? I was just truly enjoying myself.

Another new thing is, I don’t even get upset. I only just realized I even forgot getting upset was an option when upon arrival I was told I wouldn’t be getting the view I wanted, which was uber important since the whole reason of me being here was to watch this sun set… (I got a room upgrade as a compensation though, but frankly, do I really need two bathrooms when I’m here alone and for one night only?). I totally forgot getting upset was an option when it turned out I was given wrong information and thus was late to watch the sunset from their restaurant’s balcony - the new sunset watching location they suggested. Instead, I enjoyed what was left of it – the sky was still full of beautiful colors. While at it, I also found out I was too early for dinner, but as I happened to chat up the right hotel person about this whole sunset thing, I was treated to a truly private dining experience. I was seated at the restaurant’s sofa (where they don’t even serve food) so that I could watch the leftover sunset, and I was served before the opening time as I mentioned I was hungry already. There just was something truly exceptional about eating in an empty restaurant, something very home-like - a feeling of being very welcomed. And that was when I realized all of what I’ve just confessed.

Maybe the day and night didn’t quite go according to plan, but I am thankful for the alterations that happened. I just wouldn’t be able to plan and execute something like a room upgrade and a very special dining experience, and maybe I wouldn’t have had a chance to become so aware of how easy it’s finally for me to just be me.

Disclaimer: Travel & Thank™ is a mini-project within and is part of The ‘Thank You’ Project blog ©2009-2010. Travel & Thank™ updates are featured twice a week, are pre-written and not made in real time - each post was created during the author’s actual vacation in the mid-fall of 2010. For privacy reasons the names of the persons, places and geographical locations may have been shortened, abbreviated or changed and are not subject to disclosure.