Part 1.
Well, we're on our way to the Netherlands. We're somewhere southeast of
Greenland as I write this. After a somewhat disorganized day of packing,
during which I decided -- correctly, as it turned out -- that my nice new
Travelpro backpack wouldn't fit under a seat, so I re-packed my drugs,
headphones, charging gear, laptop, and shoulder bag(!) into my old red
REI backpack (nicknamed Red, of course). Where they fit perfectly. And
realized that the stuffable Eddie Bauer dufflebag I was using for my CPAP,
jacket, etc. was going to be too awkward, so I re-packed that
into my old MEI convertible backpack/suitacase, where it also fit
perfectly.
That backpack is old. Older than my kids, I think. It holds about as
much as my Travelpro 21" (or is it 22) carry-on. Which I checked.
But it's a lot less densely packed, so it's manageable without wheels.
For some reason my laptop won't connect to the onboard WiFi. And N is
borrowing my phone because she left hers charging in the car. So I'm
getting by perfectly well on some preloaded DW posts, onboard
entertainment, and emacs. I watched Everything, Everywhere, All
at Once, which was just the right sort of madcap action and
heartwarming ending that I think I needed just now. I decided on music
rather than trying to break the mood by watching Dune. Maybe on the way
back, two weeks from now.
The plan is to deliver j to his apartment in Leiden, where he will be
attending University in the fall, spend the night with N in the Golden
Tulip (where we stayed last trip), then spend the rest of the time in the
Cove Centrum/Passage in Den Haag. (That's Dutch for The Hague; despite
speaking less Dutch than a toddler at this point it's still easier to use
Dutch for place names. Saves time in train stations.) We will be going
back to Leiden occasionally -- j needs a new computer for school, among
other things -- doing paperwork, and looking at houses. It's rather
unlikely that we'll find anything this trip; we're booked into short-term
housing in Den Haag starting in October.
Part 2
It's weird. As I mentioned last week, my brain seems to have turned a
corner somehow, a couple of weeks ago, and a great deal of my depression
seems to have lifted. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm not
complaining. I don't think I know how to even talk about it. (See also,
alexithymia.)
My cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment may have something to do with
it. I don't know long I can expect to live -- it could be anything
between five and twenty-five years. Or I could get hit by a bus a week
from now. But I've gotten used to the fact that I'm mortal. And, perhaps
not entirely unrelated, non-binary.
We'll be flying over Ireland in a little while.
Part 3
... and now we're in Leiden, after a very long day. It's 10:30 am here.
I'm going to post this and try to take a nap.
