Back in the Before Times, a great source of enjoyment was travelling to a new city and exploring its streets in pursuit of the delicious. But the thing that I’ve maintained, as a salve to my own restlessness, is that vacationing is a state of mind, baby! Life is a vacation if you avoid all responsibilities and spend money frivolously and don’t worry about other people’s well-being!
And so recently I opened Google Maps and took on the hacker position: brow furrowed and shoulders hunched, I furiously typed into the search bar: “restaurants.” From there, I covered my windows with marker as I worked, scribbling the most obscure, complex calculus involving strong reviews; interesting offerings; and reasonable prices. “Yes, yes, yes” I whispered to myself maniacally. I was sitting in the dark, my face lit by the phone screen, my mouth-breathing louder than ever. “This is within walking distance!”
