Am I a boring pete now?

 

Am I a boring pete now? I've been wondering that for weeks. This question comes up every holiday. No, I do not get into the car, plane, train or bus abroad. Not for the 'nice' weather, because you don't have to. In my younger years, the summer holidays could really be disappointing. Due to too much rain and too cold days. Then I mused about enjoying the sun for a week or two. Then global warming was not as palpable as it is now.

Although the feeling remains that the urgency has not yet dawned. Many experience the current temperature here as pleasantly warm, to enjoy.

Then I also found the summer holidays too long, after a while I started to get bored. It could easily be a little shorter. Even then I enjoyed a holiday in my own country. At camp in the Ardennes with the ABVV youth.

Also every day for about four weeks by bike to Boechout to prepare the annual world music festival as a volunteer. Maintain the park, mow the grass, close the pond, place Heras fences, set up tents. With the highlight during the festival itself for two days and nights, tapping and dragging pints with empty and full barrels of beer. Blessed!

The bookcase in the attic is full of leaflets, booklets and maps with mapped out cycling and walking routes. On my Google Maps there are still a lot of flags with 'I still want to go'. Mainly positioned in the Flemish landscape. With the occasional one in Wallonia. The same applies to the mapped out routes on my account of 'Flanders cycling country' and 'Walking routes & hiking nodes in Flanders'. The number of routes still to be walked or cycled is increasing rather than decreasing.

There are still so many places in our small Belgian country where I have never been. Where I want to go someday. My vacations are still sufficiently filled for the next 25 years. The same applies to national train journeys. Take the train from Antwerp for two hours and you will find yourself in a completely different environment. That could be the only argument for staying here in the city and not moving to the coast.

But the question remains: "Am I a boring pete?" When I go back to work after four weeks of vacation in early September, I can't exchange heroic or exciting adventures in the far south or the far north with my colleagues. On social media I see that the Scandinavian countries are becoming more and more popular (this aside as a side effect).

But to be honest: at the moment I just love to enjoy the (slightly) too warm weather outside on our own terrace. With a view of a very nice city garden. Currently also in relative silence. And now and then a short trip with my wife.

Holidays are especially slow for me. Probably also partly recovered from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As an easily overstimulated person, I really need that. Certainly not with those million people to the city for the many festivities. The fun of it completely escapes me.

Not even with the crowd with an overfull suitcase in line at the airport or on the crowded French highways. Not a big exodus for me, rather a pleasant entry. Just don't have to do anything. That's all it should be!