Hiraeth

This will probably be a pretty short one because since I left Seattle I've spent a frankly ungodly amount of time on trains and then I got a migraine pretty much the day I arrived in Boston.  There's a special kind of frustration when a chronic illness flares while you're travelling.  To be honest There's a special kind of frustration that comes with chronic illness full stop.  I was so excited to go to Boston. My parents lived in the area for several years before they moved to the West Coast so I grew up hearing stories about it. I wanted to go to Salem, Sudbury, and Concord, and maybe Martha's Vineyard. It's the site of the Boston Tea Party and where much of the agitation for the American Revolution happened. I really wanted to try Chowder and Brown Bread.  Instead I woke up feeling severely hungover every day I was there. I really amused the housekeeping staff because they kept finding me lying on the floor with my legs on my bed so I could get my spine as st...

I am pleased to report that zero melt downs were had in the making of this post. I'm not sure whether it's the minimal driving or the fact that I was on the west coast, my home turf, or the fact that I slowed down a bit. But I am pleased to report that no meltdowns were had in the making of this week's post.  On my way into LA I stopped off at the Getty Center, free to enter but 20$ parking although also accessible by bus. I've mentioned a few times that art is not really my thing so I whipped around the galleries at a truly remarkable pace. Before strolling around the gardens much more sedately.  I stayed in the Venice Beach Hostel located about a 15 minute walk from the beach on a quiet suburban road. The beds are exactly as loud and squeaky as the reviews say and I found it to be a little bit of a boys club. But the atmosphere was extremely welcoming with several of the staff members saying that they'd previously stayed at the hostel and n...