I'm going on vacation and I'm bringing...

Today is a special day. As I write this, the expected temperature of close to 40ºC hasn’t been reached yet. But it’s certainly a day full of memories of my vacations in my beloved Soná. I’ve gained a lot of experience there on how to survive the heat.

A code red heat warning has been issued for today, so last night I thought, “I’d better go to sleep at 9 p.m.” A lot of people are complaining that they can’t sleep, but I turned on the Dutch soccer commentary and had already fallen asleep before the first commercial break. I’d set my alarm for 3:30 a.m. and woke up right on time. This is a really odd time for me. Actually, for most Dutch people, but as I said, I’ve learned that when it’s this hot, it’s best to be up late at night.

When I woke up, it was—not entirely unexpectedly—quiet on the street. I had opened the windows, though, so the air was nice and fresh. But traffic started picking up pretty quickly. Before heading to church, I’d already worked and went grocery shopping as soon as I could. The supermarket didn’t open until 8 a.m., but there were others who’d had the same idea to get there as early as possible. It felt a bit like we were standing in line for the latest iPhone.

At church, that “vacation feeling” kicked in. I arrived later than usual, and there were already quite a few people there. It felt like I’d walked into the San Isidro church in Soná. Partly because I had water with me and was wearing my pintada (a kind of hat) to shield myself from the sun. Partly because I’d gotten up early, I really felt like I was on vacation.

In fact, I love this heat. It makes me feel energetic and cheerful. Not many people around me speak Spanish, but my senses are stimulated by the pleasant warmth, colors, and scents. For example, the smell of sunscreen, or the sound of a rumbling diesel engine, takes me right back to the shopping street in Soná.

So yes, I’m going on vacation and I’m not taking anything with me at all.