Last night as I was attempting to drift off to sleep at the hotel, I was startled awake by the sound of a young child screaming. The room I have is on the second floor, and the balcony faces the courtyard area with the pool. The young child was happily playing in the pool, and this activity included a heavy dose of screaming.

I thought to myself, “Okay, school is out. You don’t have a job. You don’t have bills or responsibilities. You are not in pain or in danger. You are playing in a pool. Why are you screaming??”

This morning I mentioned this to the group of consultants on my project. One of them said, “Kids scream. It’s what they do. If they go quiet, that’s when you gotta see what they’re up to.” Spoken like someone who has children, no doubt. 

I should have been more prepared for such a sensory onslaught so close to my bedtime. While I have my eye mask, I do not have ear plugs. I suppose I could have used my AirPods, but then I’d be worried about one or both of them going missing during the night. I also neglected to bring the white noise machine. I still managed to pull off an Oura sleep score of 86 (85 or better is considered a great night of sleep). 

I am hoping there will be no shenanigans tonight so that my slumber will be uninterrupted.