Living in the In-Between

The in-between time sucks.

It doesn’t matter when it happens.  Whether it’s waiting for transport, for a wound to heal, or ... well, waiting for anything but especially at the airport, that period of doing nothing but hoping for a good and quick outcome is just exhausting.

Case in point:  my bee foot is still swollen, only not so horribly.  It’s been over a month! While it’s no longer painful to walk on and doesn’t swell up immediately upon putting weight on it in the morning, it is still not back to normal size.  Note to self: avoid all bees in the future. 

As this blog can attest, I am still a homeless wanderer.  The business I've started is going nowhere, my book has sold nothing since being published in April, and I have reluctantly begun looking for a job again, though I have little hope at this point of finding one.  As if my own situation hasn’t been weighing on me enough, the state of the world in general has also contributed to the toll on my mental health. It’s a rare day when I’m not on the verge of tears.

But I soldier on.  And, since I sometimes forget to overlap my Airbnb stays, I ended up with a couple of in-between times here in Portimão.  Yes, I remain in the Algarve because … why wouldn’t I?

Nothing lifts my spirits faster than taking a walk in the surf. Feeling the sun on my face when I wake up is truly restorative and serves to prepare me for another day of frustrations. 

Anyway, I had to be out of the last place by 11 and couldn’t be in the new place for a few hours.  So, I hauled all my crap to a nearby bench, reached for my book, and waited.  Thanks again to the wonderful weather of the Algarve for making the wait a pleasant one.

In another bit of good fortune, the next place I’d booked was a short walking distance away.  I swear, all the Airbnbs I chose are in the same ½ mile radius.  That wasn’t planned though I’m certainly not complaining – saves me cab fare.

The new place is located a few feet away from two other buildings I’ve stayed in.  I love all these apartments, though the layout of this one is somewhat odd.

Seriously, who puts the living area in the kitchen right beside the fridge? At least, unlike the last place, this one has a separate bedroom so everything isn't on top of everything else.

Complaints aside, it’s another decent place in Portimão.  This place continues to prove to me that if I can’t find an apartment in Funchal, or if I determine it’s too much of a hassle to move to the island, I would have no problem living here.

I stayed in that place for a little over a week before I managed to book the same apartment I stayed in for two months earlier this year.  Once again, though, I had a lapse of a few hours between being out of the old place and checking into the new one.

This time I waited in the nearby park I’d discovered during my last stay.  Getting there early, I parked myself on a bench and watched as the empty park soon filled with families, skateboarders, and customers of the in-park café.

I do love these places, as I’ve mentioned several times.  It’s great to have a centrally located green space for people to just gather and chill.  No need to go to the beach or the mall or one of the numerous cafes if you don’t want to take that walk.  Just bring the kiddies past the parking lot enjoy the peace. And don’t piss off the birds.

I’ll be in Portimão until the end of my Schengen period, the middle of November.  Then, sigh, it will be time to move on again.