When Age Starts Catching Up

It’s weird when you get reminded of your age all of a sudden.

All throughout this trip, people have constantly commented on how I look or seem younger than I really am. At 31, I’ve been mistaken for a kid in my early 20’s – which is a great compliment, considering the fact that growing up in the Philippines, I’ve always been mistaken for someone way older. In fact, on Sundays at church with my family, people thought my brother and I were married, and that my youngest sister was our daughter(and I was still in high school then).

Now, things are reversed… and I’m so happy that my Asian ageless genes are finally kicking in!  Whoopee!

I’d like to think I look a little younger because I FEEL younger. I’m not as agile or energetic as I was when I was 20, but I’m strong, pretty athletic, and sometimes even naïve to a fault.

At the moment, however… I feel like a granny.

For the past week, I’ve been staying at this party hostel in Corfu, called, The Pink Palace. It’s probably as cliché a party hostel can get… With guests drinking all night, and toga parties are thrown, and people getting naked for whipped cream infused body shots… You know, normal stuff that you’d think happens at “party hostels”.

And while all of that is happening, you will find me either in the corner of the bar, drinking my beer in solitude while I Facebook my friends, or in the comfort of my own bed, snoozing like a baby… BY CHOICE.

Yeah... No. Been there. Done that. 

Am I nuts to think I'm too old for this??

I don’t know how this happened though. I mean I’m still pretty outgoing and friendly… and I talk to every new guest that arrives and make friends with them easy. It’s the “partying hard” thing that I feel like I’ve grown numbness to. I feel like I’ve developed a reputation for being a “loner”… because after having a beer or two after dinner, and just when things start to get “hot and heavy” at the bar, I sneak out and go to bed. 

When I see some of the guests “Woo-ing” after taking a shot, I shake my head and think, “Ayayay… these kids…”

It’s so weird! 

Sometimes I think, maybe this just isn’t my thing anymore… I mean, not that it ever was… I was never much of a “clubber”… but I’ve always been a joiner at least. A few years ago, even if I thought it was stupid, heck yeah I’d take shots and be stupid in the name of fun, especially if I were on vacation. And I’d be the FIRST one to whip out my camera to take photos!

But for some bizarre reason… Here in Corfu at this hostel… I’m not feeling it. 

A beautiful sunset on our beach front

A lot of things might have contributed to my current behavior, and these are my theories. 

First – maybe because I’m “working” here, and not “partying”… and I take too much pride in my work to even consider letting loose and making a bad impression on my hosts.

Second – maybe because I *am* older… and my definition of “partying hard” is just completely different now. I like hanging out and getting a few drinks and listening to live music with friends… and I still go completely wild over karaoke. I do NOT like taking shots, nor having other people taking shots over my naked body covered in whipped cream.

Third – maybe because I miss Italy and the friends I’ve made so much over there… that I think I’m still in my mourning phase. 

Maybe it’s all of the above. 

It’s a shame though, because I’ve looked forward to visiting Greece for so long… and I’d hate to leave it feeling disappointed. 

However – it hasn’t been all that bad.  It’s not the worst thing in the world spending my days on this island. It has a sleepy town village kind of feel, but it’s really pretty. The beach isn’t anything special though, I have to admit… but it’s a great feeling waking up to the sound of the waves. 

It also turns out that an old friend of mine lives here in Corfu, and he took me on a grand tour of the island last Sunday --- and THAT was pretty spectacular. 

I *have* made some friends here though… I haven’t been a complete hermit. Almost all the travelers I’ve met are younger too… Early 20’s… And I think it’s fantastic that these kids are traveling while they’re young. That’s the way to do it! While you’re young, and while you still can.

Maybe that’s another contributing factor to why I feel like such an old timer: I’m surrounded by kids!

Oh well. I’m only going to be here until tomorrow, and then I’m on a 9 hour bus ride to Athens! YAY Athens! I’m looking forward to some Greek Mythology action, so hopefully I find my youth again as I gawk at the Parthenon in awe.

In the meantime... I gotta go to bed. It's 9:14 and my joints are achy from the rain.