Forty-Four Hours of Sunshine
If you will permit me to engage in a little faulty math, I've calculated that, thus far in Italy, I have experienced 44 hours hours less of sunshine than I would have experienced in North Carolina. (I've been in Italy for 87 days, and according to my weather widget, the sun set half an hour later in Durham yesterday than in Italy (4:31 P.M. versus 5:02 P.M.)) That's almost two entire day's worth of sunshine that I have not experienced. That's two days worth of Vitamin D production that is not occurring. I am now, according to Wikipedia, at greater risk for "an increased susceptibility to several chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, tuberculosis, cancer, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression, schizophrenia, seasonal affective disorder, peripheral artery disease and several autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes." Now, all that isn't really likely, but look, when you're by yourself, isolated in communication for god knows how long, and you're bored out of your mind with nothing better to do, then why not engage in a little precursory hypochondria? Why not? After all, it's Thanksgiving and you sure as hell haven't got anyone to talk to for the next hour before you leave for the boat that will take you to the bus that will take you to the plane that will take you to the train that will take you to Frankfurt. And by you, I mean me. Happy Thanksgiving indeed. Happy exile in seclusion, happy discourse with yourself, happy idiotic academics, happy walled-in island, happy frustration, happy unproductivity. Maybe I would be fine, if I just had a little more sunshine.