Goodbye Hotel Europa, hello Seewoog

My bags are packed I'm ready to go, the Mini is loaded to the Max with suitcases and bags of dirty clothes. The computer will stay with me this last night, as will tomorrow's work clothes, then its one last beautiful breakfast and I check out.

I've never lived in a Hotel before, in fact I don't know that I ever stayed in a Hotel for more than maybe 5 days. I think it was Larry's Great Grandfather (?) who chose to live in a Hotel where he could gamble, smoke cigars and have his laundry done. I used to think that was weird But, I think I'm understanding a bit more now.

Room 306 has been my home for 34 days. It's a nice size room with a small refrigerator, a microwave, a round table with 2 chairs, a small desk and a large comfortable bed that has 2 mattresses and a space between them. The large shrunck comfortably housed my clothes, and the water pressure in the shower was divine. It surprises and delights me that I never felt I needed more.

The people I have come to "know" are perhaps the biggest asset to living in a Hotel. Many are here for an extended length of time and may or may not have their families with them, most are Military but there are some independent contractors like myself and Hotel Europa is a dog friendly place. I have many 4 legged friends of all varieties, from bull dogs, to labs, to corkies, to schnauzers. I have witnessed teenagers who despise their parents for uprooting them, to toddlers who delight in everything, to pre-adolescents who cannot believe there is cake served at breakfast. And then they disappear. Many resurface on base, at the bank or the immunization clinic, or in the housing office, and it's always good to see a familiar face.

No, in my stay here, I never felt I needed more. Until now. I can't wait to go to the hardware store to buy window boxes for my balcony and plant some flowers, to get a BBQ grill and cook dinner, to make my own ice, and who knows. Maybe I'll meet some people who don't disappear.

And even tho' I'm not leaving on a jet plane (thanks be to God), my bags are packed and I'm ready to go.