Homecomings

How much has my life improved since I retired? Fucking hugely. Almost all my daily annoyances have disappeared. Every one of them connected to work. From irritating colleagues, rubbish food, crowded trams and just simply having to do what some other fucker wanted for 8 hours every fucking day. I'd had enough.

The difference when I come home from a trip is enormous. Trip, currently, means South America. In the past the USA. Both long transatlantic trips. I never really looked forward to returning. Not because I wasn't delighted to see my family. It was the spectre of work.

I flight of three piscos.

Shortage of holidays and scheduling concerns at work meant I'd often land at Schiphol at 6:30 and be at work a couple of hours later. Not something any normal person would look forward to. Though, returning to work a day or two later would have been almost as depressing.

Going back to being a wage slave. After being somewhere where you were a someone. At least for a few days.

What a difference to now. After a week of continuous heavy drinking, sorry, judging, I'm looking forward to seeing - even if I don't immediately recognise - my wife and kids. That, and not having to fucking work immediately, have made my homecomings so much happier.

However much I've enjoyed my travels, I'm unequivocally happy to be back.

I'm enjoying the happy time while it lasts. Because nothing lasts forever.