No room for perfectionism
I tend to exude perfectionism in every aspect of my life. Despite a lot of hard work trying to find out why, and countless attempts to change my behaviour, it seems to be my default style. At this stage in my life I consider I am at best aware of it, but still painfully slow to change.
Yesterday I ventured from London to Henley-On-Thames. When I lived in the UK I didn’t see this part of the world, and despite it being absolutely jam packed with rowers from all over the world, I was venturing there for different reasons. More about that in the next installment. Digressing is not allowed in a perfectionist’s blog.
I set off from the hotel after a breakfast and ample refils of proper English Breakfast tea, with real leaves. I checked my hotel safe was empty and I called somebody to lug my 28kg suitcase down the three flights of stairs, deciding if I tried this I would probably fall down at least two of them.
I called an Uber to take me to Paddington Station, after hours of indecision about whether to travel that way or via the tube. Who knows which way was best, the hours of indecision really didn’t help, and I arrived not long after into crowds of people at one of the busiest thoroughfares in the world.
I stopped to consider what I had walked into, with many dressed in regalia and heading off to Royal Ascot. Hundreds more looked like weary travellers, some deposited here from the Heathrow Express. I purchased my ticket, found the right platform and yanked my suitcase off the platform into the train bound for Cheltenham Spa. Something to think about on the train, I see events such as Royal Ascot on the TV and they feel like fiction in TV shows. It’s amazing to realise that they are, well, real events.
After about 20 minutes I disembarked at Reading, then made my way to pick up a hire car. Despite all my years travelling, and despite how much I try and pre-prepare, I still find hiring cars to be the most time consuming of all, with hidden traps for players no matter how hard you try. In my case, I had chosen an electric car, which was an easy selection on the website, but had caused a great deal of problems at the depot for them to arrange. Or so I was told. I then had a 20 minute demonstration by the staff about how to drive such a car. By the end of it I was convinced it would launch me into space. I drove off to discover it was actually just the same as a car with fuel. No need to be perfect at learning this.
I drove to Henley On Thames, noticing all the signs that announced the Henley Royal Regatta was starting in a few days time. I braved the traffic and did two laps of the hotel in a one way street, then checked in and did a third lap to park the car in the smallest spot I have ever seen.
Success.
Then I remembered that I forgot to pack something in London.
The power socket adaptor.
In a second I had decided I was indeed a complete failure and began to feel the doom of not being able to charge my phone or laptop, as if I had driven to the North Pole. I berated myself for a good few hours, ruined what was otherwise a beautiful lunch and wander in what I discovered was one of the prettiest towns in England.
I checked WH Smith, Boots, Sainsburys and Waitrose. I could have purchased 50 UK to Europe adaptors, but I was out of luck as an Aussie to UK traveller. I went into fight and flight problem solving, forgetting I had picked up a car that day and could travel back to central London to get my adaptor if I really wanted to. I didn’t, but the point was in the scheme of what I had achieved travelling to my destination today, worrying about this was simply ridiculous.
I have solved my problem and the solution will be revealed in my next blog, not because it is at all that important, but more that it does provide a snappy segue into why I am in Henley On Thames on the busiest weeks of their calendar year, and not a fan of rowing. I’m sure it will be extrmely scenic and I can’t wait to see all the festivities over the weekend. I did think of cheering on the Aussies, but then wondered, did I really want them to win, or was this an attempt to befriend them and ask if I could charge my phone?
