Savy Enemy

- Vienna: Nov 20 to 24 -

Late starts. It's hard to wake up when you don't have anywhere to be, and you don't know what you're going to do. Every morning is a struggle with this feeling of aimlessness; If I wake up now or in another hour, what difference will it make? No goal, no drive. I can deal with cold, I can deal with hunger - but the two basic sensations that bring me down the most are tiredness and having to use the bathroom. So I've been getting up late. I think there's a deeper lesson here about choosing to get up every day without the need for a goal. I think goals are a little delusional; there's nothing that's so important that it must be done before I die. I want to be creative though - I want to be at least a little productive. As I walk the streets, I try and write songs in my head. I plan to take a cafe day in Venice tomorrow and maybe write some stuff down. I fear that if I don't at least produce a little bit of creative product, I'll feel that I've traveled for nothing.

Point: If you get home from traveling and have nothing to show for it, why did you even leave in the first place?

Counter-point: No, no, no. The lesson to be learned is that life is to be enjoyed, and creativity comes as a natural by-product of enjoyment and experience.

Okay, counter-point, I'll try to enjoy myself.

Vienna's great. I love the alleys of the old town. I attended the Critical Mass bike event, had some dinners, lunch and brunch with more Couch Surfers. I'm slacking a little on my host-finding - I used to do it at least two weeks in advance, but now I don't know where I'll be in a week. In a way I'm okay with this, because I'll get to see both sides of the planning coin: the nicely planned side, and the not very well planned side. I feel like there's something to the idea of just going somewhere, and not knowing anything about it, and just finding a place to stay. If I can't find a host, I can always stay at a hostel too.

So Vienna. Okay, nice host, though I feel guilty about getting my late starts. I'm sitting here typing away in the afternoons when there's a city out there. I feel like it's shameful behaviour. I am ashamed. But I have seen a fair amount.

We went out to several small Christmas markets here, which is good fun. I'm really quite fond of the smells and lights at night, especially with the snow falling. And gluvine is something else I've grown quite fond of. Perhaps a christmas tradition I'd like to bring home.

I checked out the museums here - there was a Van Gogh exhibit that was not to be missed. I don't know - I got to draw on my host's wall as a parting gift, and I pretty much called it a night on my last night here before catching the night train to Venice. Oh, I also had sushi for the first time in months. Mm-boy!