Driving five or six hours two days in a row used to be easy. That was “taking my time” between college and home when I was younger. Those were the good old days before sitting in a car for that long made my bones ache. Now I can barely walk or squeeze my hands after that sort of physical punishment. My ankles are swollen and my calves and hamstrings have tender knots. You’d never think when you’re young that sitting still would be so damaging.
I also used to like staying in hotels. Like really, really liked it. I barely slept at all last night. The bed was uncomfortably firm, the smell of bleached sheets was overwhelming, and I just felt out of sorts. I expected to zonk out after the impromptu drive, but it took hours for me to unwind and power down.
I didn’t enter through the lobby last night. The Mr just met me at a side door, and I went straight to our room. As we went went to breakfast this morning, he said something about the hotel looking like it was an old Holiday Inn. I asked him why he thought that, and then we entered the lobby. Oh. Yeah. He was right. It was like stepping back into the 1980s, right into my youth. The pool was in a central court area, with rooms lining it, two stories high. Welcome to the Holidome! Memories of countless church and band trips came flooding back. How did these places survive us? We were so obnoxious. I don’t think any of my trips landed at this particular Holidome, but the familiarity was undeniable. I could picture myself staying up late playing cards at a table in the courtyard with the Presbyterian youth group. I could still feel beer soaking me from the time when I was lying below the railing next to the pool, and a bandmate was trying (and missing) to pour it in my mouth from the upper floor. I had forgotten all of these hotels smelled so strongly of pool chemicals. It was kind of sad that this one didn’t still have tables set out in a big social gathering spot, begging for future groups of misbehaving teens to keep hotel guests awake and to annoy the snot out of hotel staff. I guess people just don’t travel like they used to. Pity.
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