Saturday, April 24, 2010
Lost In Translation
It hasn’t happened often, but unfortunately I have lost my way while running out of town. The first and worst happened during a weekend in Alexandria, VA. Shannan attended a conference and I went out for what I intended to be a 10K in a lovely city park. I really enjoyed their path system and meandered off my standard out and back course. The overlapping paths and immense size of the park caused a great deal of confusion. This was painfully apparent when I decided it was time to return.
Being hard-headed (perhaps caused by my XY chromosome) I refused to stop running or to ask for directions. The result, over two hours of running, severe dehydration, a sore ankle, bruised pride and a terribly uncomfortable evening as I joined Shannan at a reception and dinner party.
We had to get up and out early as we had an internal flight to Izmir on our first morning in Turkey. At 4:30 AM I lit out for a short run along the Marmara Sea. As I ran through the labyrinth of streets toward the water, I worked hard to make mental notes of businesses, buildings and landmarks. Unfortunately, I had not slept well the night before. I was groggy and the morning was much colder than I had anticipated. I note this as my psychological state focused on the lack of sleep and the weather rather than the cobbled roads. When I did pay attention to my surroundings I realized how narrow, isolated, quiet and eerily dark everything seemed.
Happily, I emerged out on a main thoroughfare for a jaunt by the sea. I didn’t enjoy it much, though, as I knew I hadn’t been careful in the maze of darkened roads from the hotel. I decided to turn back early, only to discover that all the streets looked the same, especially in the dark. Is now a good time to mention I didn’t take the hotel key with me? Moreover, I had no idea of the correct pronunciation of the hotel name. I ran up and down streets for twenty plus minutes before I luckily happened upon the hotel.
No time for a shower, I toweled off and hurried out for a for a travel and tour day.
Take personal information. Take the hotel address. Take care.
Tom
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