I am going to go ahead and blatantly steal the title for this blog from a Terry Pratchett novel. In this scenario I am the thief of time and I am writing this in the few precious, stolen minutes that I get to myself today. Just me, myself and I.
I am not used to having company 24/7. I don’t want company 24/7 and I don’t need it. There’s no escaping it, however.
Here we go again, the door to my hotel room just opened and my roommate entered. This is how little time to myself I have. So now she’s in the bathroom, the clock is ticking towards bedtime, which I desperately need, because I’m not getting enough sleep and I will have a busy day to myself training a group of people, which will be just wonderful (please don’t make me insert sarcasm here).
I feared the worst coming to Athens. I had no expectations, because I had no reference points. I didn’t anticipate two things, however, the very long hours at work and the constant company. I get to be alone for minutes at a time.
Given that I usually spend a lot of my time by myself and happily so, I am completely out of my comfort zone. On a rather personal level, especially considering that my personal space is rather big.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am having an interesting time. I am not here to complain. I am doing something that I have never done before and that alone is worth a lot. I am quite fascinated by everything and everyone.
I’m not bored and this is an experience unlike anything else I’ve done before. I value that. So no, I’m not complaining.
I’m just hugely out of my comfort zone where my personal space is considered and my precious me-time. I get neither of it and that may mean that I’ll be a bit of a recluse as soon as I am getting back to London.
But, boy, do I miss writing an hour every night at the very least. Sneaking in 5 minutes here and there is not good enough. I am beginning to find it increasingly frustrating, which makes me irritable. I can’t be irritated with the people around me, though. It’s not their fault. They’re my co-workers, we’re here as a team and we need to work with each other and especially supporting each other.
I’m going to end up over compensating once I get the chance. Instead of stealing moments of time here or there in order to write even just an email, which I wouldn’t normally count towards my writing, or now a new blog.
I mean, I’ve not blogged for a few days now and that are at least two days too many. If I hadn’t stepped back from blogging daily, I’d feel extremely guilty by now. I may have even tried to opt out of dinner or social time. But that would’ve missed the point of the trip and as much as I tend to be a recluse, I have to pretend otherwise at the moment, because I am training people and I can’t be an introvert even though that is my natural inclination.
I’m on a peculiar adventure, which requires a lot of flexibility and adaptability from me. That includes accommodating my writing whenever I can. The weekend will be better. If I only get to write one sentence, it has to be enough for that day. I’ll make it up another time. I will, because I have to.
For now I am actually happy to blog something at all. I’m also itching to take my camera out, but had no opportunity at all just yet. Today I just took it with me. I’ll see what happens.
As long as I get a chance to be creative somehow, I’m going to feel a little better about where I am this week. I do need to accommodate my comfort zone as well, otherwise I may lose it and that’s not an option.
By the way, I did not get to finish this the same night I started.
It’s two days later now.
2clouds 