Rip Tide

My days have been varied this past week. I haven’t started work just yet so I’ve been home alone most of the time. When I do join Sean at the embassy I have about two hours of meetings or appointments followed by hours of reading in the CLO office. This lack of routine is hard on me. Especially when I’m alone in fighting the currents of this rip tide trying to take over my life.

Jet lag is seriously the worst. There’s a distinct difference between feeling tired and having sleep grab you and pull you under. The nine-hour difference between Dushanbe and Annapolis has been the most difficult adjustment for me. I can’t sleep at midnight because back home it’s only 3:00 p.m., but then at 6:00 a.m. I have to force myself awake because back home it’s just about time for bed.

One of the days Sean went to work alone I went back to sleep “for a few hours.” I woke up feeling much better thinking “oh, it must be about 10 a.m.” WRONG. It was well into the afternoon and I STILL could have slept more if I had allowed myself to.

Our eating habits are a mess. Breakfast feels like a late-night snack. Lunch feels like breakfast at best. Dinner is usually fine, but then around midnight we are starving again.

I’ve heard a few times from hardened travelers that it take one day for every hour to recover from jet lag. So with the nine hour difference it should take us nine days to feel better.

Here’s looking at you, Thursday.