Aries Moon: 130

The westerners are complaining about the rain and cold, the southerners and easterners are complaining about the heat and humidity. It's summertime in the northern hemisphere. I'm slowing down again, remembering to amble instead of walk so I don't overheat too quickly. We have the air conditioning on every day now. At night, I'm constantly squealing in disgust as I walk Dixie since stepping on roaches is inevitable and revolting. Sure, I'm wearing shoes, but I'm really squeamish. The roaches hang out on the sidewalk, having little roach parties, all summer long. Yuuuuuuuuck.

It's been easier than I thought to stay home all year, considering I've been used to flying off to some exotic destination at the drop of a hat. I have been out of Nashville, once, actually; I went to Berkeley for a week. Zero plans for travel coming up. And yet, I'm not dissatisfied most of the time. Maybe I finally built up a stored sense of travel. Maybe now I can live off my travel-cells until I grow slim and waif-like from staying at home and have to zoom off to Katmandu or New Guinea to bulk up again.

Have I ever detailed all the places I've been? No? Then here's the alphabetical list by country. I'll spare you the list of cities within the U.S.; I've been to all the big ones and most of the medium-sized ones.

Being a travel agent may pay pennies, but it's true that the travel industry offers excellent discounts as perks. Recall, however, that I started my travel career at just over five bucks an hour in 1991. It hasn't changed much for beginners, so it's not a career I recommend for single people with mortgages to pay. Still, it's been a good way to get out of Tennessee whenever the summers become too oppressive.

This year I guess I'll have to settle for dodging the roaches.