tales of wander

I knew this trip was going too smoothly. Well, let me clarify that—it hasn’t been perfect. I’ve developed a back issue from all the extra standing and walking and had to rest my first several days here, but that’s a relatively minor inconvenience. I remember thinking a week ago: “wow, this trip has been unusually uneventful.” The flights? Only one delay that had no impact on my arrival time. All the buses and trains? Perfect. The big unknown on this trip was the bike tour and that went according to plan (heavy bike notwithstanding). My last Airbnb could’ve been closer to the city center and that might’ve contributed to the back issue, but oh well, that was my mistake.

Then I get here and check into a lovely Airbnb right in Tallinn’s gorgeous Old Town. Everything is perfect—I love the place and the location. On night one, I notice a few bug bites, but write it off as mosquitoes (this is a surprisingly humid city, after all). Night two…more bites. Now I’m getting a little worried. I do a full inspection of the sheets and mattress and see no sign of anything, so I write it off again thinking I must’ve gotten them when I had a massage for my aching back. On night three: there’s no denying it any longer because there are new bites—lots of them. I barely sleep because I keep waking up to check the bed. By morning, I’m covered in bites from head to toe…I say this literally, because there are even bites on my toes and the arches of my feet. I’m taking off covers, sheets, inspecting everything and again, see nothing. Finally, it occurs to me to sweep the floor under the bed and then…

There THEY are. You know who.

Aside from losing one’s passport and having things stolen, it’s one of the things you dread when you travel. Should I be counting myself lucky this has never happened before? (Oh, well there was that one time I checked into a hotel and saw one sitting on the pillow like a dirty little welcome party—I imagined it happily waving “Hi there!!”—but I caught it immediately and was given other accommodations, so that time didn’t count.) To think I’ve been sharing my bed with these things for THREE. G-D. DAYS. 

After inspecting the dust pan, I’m in a bit of a frenzy. I’m contacting the Airbnb host, booking a new place, showering, packing, and doing a million online searches to figure out how to deal with this. In the process, I come across lots of interesting articles. Turns out they don’t just live in mattresses, but can be in floorboards and bed frames too. I also come across articles about this very thing in this very country. A rising issue, it says. Lovely.

I spent the day moving myself to another place, getting ointment for the bites, washing every last article of clothing I have in hot water, and vacuuming anything that couldn’t be put into a washing machine. If I could burn it all (including my own skin), I would. If you know me personally, you know I’m a clean person—not quite OCD, but I’m not ashamed to admit I’m teetering on the outer edge. On top of that, I hate pests and do everything I can to keep my home as pest-free as possible. (Yes, I know some insects are beneficial, but this isn’t the time for logic.) This would be distressing to anyone, but to me it feels a little, I don’t know…extra.

So that, my friends, is what I’ve been up to since I arrived: recuperating from a back issue and having my blood sucked by actual parasites. I wrote this because writing helps me decompress. I’m actually publishing it for anyone who feels just a teensy bit jealous because world travel looks like non-stop fun and excitement. Consider it the gift of schadenfreude, if you’re so inclined. I’ll give it to you straight: travel is just life—with all of its ups and downs—but with different distractions. 

Now, it’s time to shake this off. Thank goodness for different distractions.