vanovera under 10 degrees and other questionable life choices

i woke up this morning to a sound i didn’t recognize at first. it was like a microphone test in a bank vault. then i realized it was the sound of the radiator downstairs groaning. not metaphorically, like it was actually suffering. 3178784 feels like a code for this. 1380033938? maybe a timestamp from when the universe decided to mock me. anyway, i’m in villanova, which is either a real place or a typo i made while distracted by cold. the temperature here is 10.86, which is technically not freezing but also not ‘winter vibes.’ i just checked and it’s 10.86 here, which is exactly what the forecast said. feels like 9.72, so maybe it’s a bit drafty. i didn’t pack a coat because last week it was 15, so i’m going with optimism here.

the neighbors? they’re either asleep or judging my life choices. if you get bored, florence is a short drive away. don’t let the 10-minute drive fool you, it’s a long drive in terms of vibe. i heard that once. someone told me that the café downtown serves espresso that tastes like regret. another drunk guy said to avoid the street performers after 10. i’m not sure if it’s true, but i’m taking notes. the problem is, i forget things. like why i moved here in the first place.

i walked to the square and almost stepped on a plastic grocery bag. it had a leaf inside. i stared at it for a minute. why is there a leaf in a bag? does it belong to someone? is it a metaphor? i grabbed it and kept walking. the air is 66% humidity, which means it’s not exactly the best day to be a digital nomad. i’m supposed to be working, but i’m instead looking at the sky. it’s that gray thing where you think maybe it’ll rain but also maybe it won’t. i’m not prepared for either. the pressure is 1018 hpa. i don’t know what that means, but it feels like the universe is holding its breath.

i stopped by a local market to buy a sandwich. the vendor looked at me like i was a tourist who forgot to say ‘please’ in italian. i didn’t know italian. i just said ‘panino,’ which might have been enough. someone else bought a melon and the vendor poked it with a stick. i’m curious. is the melon resentful? i took a bite of my sandwich and realized it was lukewarm. not hot enough to be comforting, not cold enough to be alarming. exactly average. i heard that once. i’m writing this now, but i can’t remember if i ate the sandwich or just stared at it. maybe both.

i took a photo of the street. it’s got that mix of old and new. a graffiti parking spot next to a cafe that smells like burnt toast. the buildings are probably centuries old, but they have those neon signs that look like they belong in a sci-fi movie. i posted the photo on instagram. no one cared. i don’t care either. i’m using unsplash images to make this post look less like a disaster. here’s one:

a canal with boats and buildings along it

and another:

wait, that’s the same alt text. i’m bad at this. maybe i should change it to ‘a canal that looks like a fish tank.’

i checked yelp for the best view of the square. someone ranked this spot as number one. i went there. it was okay. the view was fine. the clouds were there. the pigeons were judging my life choices. i read a review that said ‘the food here is like eating a sock.’ i didn’t eat a sock. i’m not that man. but i’m starting to think maybe i should listen to reviews more. or maybe ignore them. either way, i’m here.

the weather is 10.86. i just checked. it’s 10.86. i hope you like that kind of thing. if you don’t, maybe don’t come here. maybe go to a place where the temperature is a round number. like 20. or -5. or 100. something decisive. i don’t know. i’m here anyway. the humidity is 66%, which is exactly what i expected. i didn’t expect anything, really.

i met a random guy on the street. he was wearing a shirt that said ‘i ♥ villanova.’ he asked if i wanted to buy a used book. i said no. he said the book was about time travel. i’m still not sure if he was serious. if he was, i’d have been interested. if not, it was a weird interaction. he walked away. i walked away. we both felt the same amount of regret.

i tried to work on my laptop. the wifi was slower than a snail in a blizzard. i blamed the weather. maybe it’s true. maybe the 66% humidity is slowing down data packets. i’m not a tech expert, but that sounds plausible. i switched to a coffee shop. the sign said ‘free wifi’ but charged $5 for a latte. i’m a coffee snob, so i paid. the latte was okay. not great, but not bad. i’m not sure if i’ll remember this in a few hours. probably not. but i’ll write it down here. just in case.

i heard that the local board game shop has a hidden room. it’s a secret. i don’t know if it’s true. someone told me that. i’m not going to call them. i don’t trust people who tell secrets. or maybe i do. it’s confusing. the shop is called ‘dice and dragons.’ the name feels like it belongs in a dnd campaign. i might visit someday. or never.

i’m leaving villanova now. i don’t know where. maybe back to my digital nomad base. or maybe i’ll just wander. the numbers 3178784 and 1380033938 are still in my head. maybe they’re coordinates. maybe they’re a date. maybe they’re a password. i don’t know. i’m putting this post up anyway. it’s messy. it’s human. it’s 10.86. it’s whatever.

if you want to visit villanova, here are some links:and a random one:

the temperature will probably change tomorrow. i hope you like that. i don’t. i’ll find out when i check again. maybe at 2 am. maybe after a sandwich. or maybe not. who knows. i’m a digital nomad. i’m supposed to be moving all the time. but right now i’m stuck here, typing this, cold, and thinking about melons.

i’m done. probably.

vanovera under 10 degrees and other questionable life choices

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