4/11/04 -- Arrived to Vancouver at around 10:30pm Pacific time, or 1:30am Eastern. Tired but delighted, spaced-out but with great expectations for the coming days. The temperature is a mild 50F or so, and the next day turns out to be perfect. Its a bit poor timing that it is a holiday (Easter Sunday) as there are fewer things that I can accomplish.
The urgent "Maslow-ian" things have been taken care of; a warm place to sleep (about 400 square feet, with a killer view), stop at the grocery store. Wireless internet access. Where's that go in the hierarchy?
The set of things that need to be done (some soon, some whenever) is just incredible, and the stimulation of the city, the "task list", the variety of stuff to read just about the stuff to do... overwhelming. I want to take it in all at once -- but soon realize it'll take a while. Fortunately I've got 4 months.
We travel a lot, and increasingly for longer periods of time, and a certain pattern of what "makes a house a home" is becoming more clear. I don't think Kathy has as strong an urge to "make a nest" as I do, although for me it really depends on my sense of permanence in a place. I can live out of a suitcase for a week; after that I need whatever place I'm staying in to feel like home?
This begs contemplation of what "home ness" is: I need my computer and an internet connection, it is a link to everyone "back home", and a huge source of information about my new digs. I consistently note how much I miss having music around, so I have a little external speaker for the laptop, and a collection of 1100 or so favorite tracks (from my CD collection back in NH) on my laptop's hard-drive. Music plays softly in the background. There're familiar foods in the frig. Clothes are organized, at least a little. My tasks are prioritized (sort of) and reading laid out so I can go thru it later. For now -- the weather's just too good. Its time to beat feet on the street.