After commuting for something like 36 hours I finally arrived in Luxor, Egypt last night around 9.30pm. It is now 8.30am and I've been up since 6am. I was instructed to sleep - no working allowed on this first day, but the adrenaline of being here, the red light pouring in through my window and the time zone confusion woke me up at 6. I have to say it - I am thrilled to be here. Last night, my heart was heavy with travel and a bit of anxiety, I went to bed with a racing heart and my stomach raw. I wanted arms around me to take me into sleep someone to comfort me and beyond a few chat messaging sessions with my dear friends there was only me myself and I in my big new bed. I put on the ring my mother gave me, she had said, "so your father can be with you now" with his birthstone in it. When she had given it to me in the States I could not imagine wearing it, but now it has taken on new meaning. It is my protector in a sense, but also a way of not being alone. I have told myself that this year is for me, that it will be a meditation on getting my life together, on developing a career, on becoming more grounded and adult. This means, obviously, not fretting about men and boys and relationships and not meditating on lonliness. So wearing this ring, I almost feel like I've been married off, like I don't have to muck around in all of that anymore, that my goals are real and in front of me, guiding me through this place. Maybe it will also prevent some haggling out of respect for the sanctity of marriage. That would be an added bonus.
For now, I will try to get some sleep in before we go off to the temples where I'll be spending the next 9 months. Once Owen, the other photographer who travelled with me yesterday from New York awakes and eats breakfast, we'll be on our way. He was able to sleep in it seems.
More soon. Very soon. There is much to be said for this place.
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