Road-loneliness

[jay]

One thing that I dread about going up to Devon Island next week, worse than being in close quarters in a tent with AR, is the prolonged touch-deprivation. Not the lack of sex (a different issue), but simply the lack of any human touch at all for two or three weeks. It is possible to be in close quarters in a tiny, insular community and still feel quite isolated. No hugs, kisses, no quick hand-clasps or backrubs or quietly leaning against another person.

For that matter, I'm reminded of this because this road-loneliness occurs for me in smaller degrees on ordinary business trips. I've been on the road since Monday (Phoenix, now Pasadena) and it is a noticeable discomfort. Lots of time spent in meetings about integrated vehicle health management... one brief A-frame hug after dinner with T on Tuesday night.

Being in LA doesn't help, either... I know no one in Southern California, unlike Florida, DC, Texas, NYC or Georgia.

Time to get ready to go to JPL this morning, then back home by late tonight (and then time to recharge, touch-wise, over the next week ;-).

Comments

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Well, I suppose it depends on what you mean by "know", but there's several alt.poly regulars down here in SoCal.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

(hand to forehead) oops... I thought that you lived in Maryland, for some reason. Shame on me for not checking profile pages (blush). Although San Diego-to-Pasadena would have been a bit far for lunch, anyway...

it depends on what you mean by "know"

(giggle) I'm not particularly popular in *that* way... my friends tend to not request privileges.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

OK, see, I was just thinking of how some people don't quite count people they only know online when I said 'it depends on what you mean by "know"'.

Since I'm working now, Pasadena is far for lunch. But linenoise and griffen are both LA-area.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

Hmm - that could be an interesting general insight into the kind of business trips which I used to take, and which purplecthulhu still takes... Shaking hands with colleagues doesn't really help...

Hugs are good! Wish I could send you some hugs ahead to Devon Island...

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Long field excursions to observatories or other remote locations, perchance (e.g. Chile)? And shaking hands doesn't help much. Especially when it is -5C and windy, and one removes one's glove to shake hands :-).

Hugs are good! Wish I could send you some hugs ahead to Devon Island...

Thanks for the kind thought! (smile) They'd be welcomed...