Gentle Brain

I’ve never been a big game show person, but we ended up watching old episodes of The Chase because every hotel in Ireland seemed to show hours of episodes each night. It’s a trivia show that ranges from popular culture to history and literature to sports. We started shouting out the answers along with the players. The stakes felt high. I’d go to shower and rush back into the room to ask what had happened to the team. Had they been able to beat the chaser?

Our Four in a Bed. We watched bed-and-breakfast proprietors give each other hotel advice in a friendly competition to be the best value for money. And I looked forward to it, my time with random hosts. What had gotten into me?

I’ve had a hard time returning to my regularly scheduled program. I cannot seem to shake post-travel fatigue, read intense books, or consume the news. It’s like my brain is telling me to be gentle with it. Don’t jostle it or challenge it too much. Give it a hot water bottle and let it watch game show episodes from 2009.

Would I have felt this way if I hadn’t given myself a break? I think so. I think my brain was heading this way months ago. I just gave it permission to take a break