I Got Lost in Australia!
We were staying in an Australian Hostel in the large city of Perth last week. The laundry room wasn't open in our hostel until 2pm. So my husband googled and found a nearby laundromat. I picked up the laundry bag and he told me it is straight down the street and then turn right on such and such street. It's only ten minutes away. Not easy! I put it on my google maps, but it stopped working once I left the hostel's internet service. So I walked and walked. I kept looking where there was a laundromat on a corner where I had to turn right. I never found it, so I turned right on the next street. Then I walked and walked and it never popped up. So then I decided to keep walking and hoped I would run into another laundromat. Nope! I saw a beautiful lake, old buildings, and skyscrapers in downtown Perth. I never saw a laundromat. I never did. Finally, I stopped in a shop and asked if she could point me to my hostel. She looked it up on the Internet and said to keep walking a long way around the lake and I would come to it. Nope! I never came to my hostel after walking over 10,000 steps. My arm was tired of carrying the laundry bag. So I gave up in defeat! I felt mortified. I jumped into a waiting taxi and told them the name of my hostel that I had in my purse. I was pretty far away it turned out. The taxi cost $12 to return to my hostel.
I was on the verge of tears admitting my misadventure in finding the laundromat. My kind husband calmed me down with a worried look. He told me not to walk around strange countries alone anymore on this trip. I felt worried and embarrassed that I couldn't find the laundromat. However, I did successfully get the laundry done at our hostel when it opened. Later, I asked my husband to walk me to the laundromat so I could see where it was. It was around the corner and not visible from the sidewalk I was on. I felt a little bit better.
My poor husband looked sad and upset that I got lost. He told our children which worried them. I don't want to become a big worry to the family. I did bring an ID bracelet on this trip and will start wearing it in the cities. I ordered it from amazon.com with my name and info on it. I feel scared and defeated that I have to wear it now. My son said his friend's mother walked out of a public bathroom through a back door and got lost in a city. Her husband was waiting for her to come out of the door, but she went out a different door by mistake. Somehow they found her, but it must have been scary for both of them.
The reality of this illness is settling in. I feel worried about my future and don't want to be a burden to my husband and children. My husband often looks sad and is coming up with daily ideas on where we can live and get the best care for me. I know we made our wedding vows forever, but I want the forever to be healthy with my memory intact. Is that too much to ask for?
So we will continue on this amazing world trip of a lifetime. We are trying to have fun and ignore my prognosis. However, it is hanging over us and it makes me sad. I just want to be carefree and enjoy each day! So I will try again to push this diagnosis out of my mind and focus on having fun. Today, I went snorkeling with my husband in the clear, blue ocean. We had a Bali lunch on our porch overlooking the sea. We swam in the pool and I just finished another book. It is relaxing and rejuvenating. I guess I'll do my daily Brain App games on my phone now. Life is good and I will do my best to make this a memorable trip. At least I will have my Blog with photos to remember this trip of a lifetime!
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