Sirens and Trains

IMGP2979
Originally uploaded by Christiane B

Back in the days, in small town Germany, I used to love to fall asleep to sirens, trains or some other distant commotion. It reminded me that there was an unexplored world out there, a world beyond the grasp of a kid that was just coming to grips with the idea that the universe did not revolve around its little life. I used to wonder about those souls on those trains, in those ambulances or laughing at those parties, walking along our road. It was all so intriguing because I was forbidden and plain unable to part take. My imagination gave my town a lot more credit than it deserved. Only a few years later I was able to answer my own question regarding what goes on in those night hours to which the answer is a resounding: nothing.

Of course in German there is a word for everything including the longing or curiosity to take of in the middle of the night just to know what goes on in the world. The word is Fernweh, meaning the opposite of homesickness (Heimweh); I guess loosely translated it means, farawaysickness. The English word according to the interweb is wanderlust, wait a second, I thought that was another German word? Whatever.

So last night I was trying to fall asleep to a bunch of ambulance sirens dashing by our house, your odd night bus coming to a screeching halt, people throwing bottles around in our neighbors front yard. A typical Friday night. Nevertheless I was building it way up in my mind, making the lives of those people a lot more interesting than they probably are, itching to know what goes on, what happened, where are they from, where are they going. Strictly speaking the answer is easy, they are going to St. Mary's hospital by Paddington or to shag their catch at their house. But maybe they are going somewhere really cool and interesting I have not been! Imagine that!

I have been feeling the onset for a while, but I am pretty certain now that I am developing a nasty case of wanderlusting. Not the Ryanair to Prague for a weekend sort of wanderlusting, but a real big get away. I want to be totally lost, weirded out, I want to be a babbling idiot lost in the back country of India/a dazed and confused tourist in Tokyo or a safari guide or guided in Kenya. I only have a few requirements: I don't want to have a schedule, I don't want to know where I will be tomorrow and I don't want to understand what's going on. And I do want someone to pay me while I do that. How hard can it be? Am I too old to be that irresponsible?