Better yet, we could sit at home and watch TV.
I keep journals. As a matter of confession, I keep a few journals… Spiritual, Prayer, Travel and a General Stuff journal. It could be argued that my journaling is a little over the top but writing and tracking my thoughts over time is a passion. To that end I set up a web site with a travel blog so that anyone interested in “how was your trip” can pop out and have a look. The site doesn’t generate a lot of traffic, but it’s fun and gives our friends and family a place to go that’s not facebook or Instagram or whatever the latest “HEY LOOK AT ME!!!” site to grab your attention.
We, my wife and I, are also avid travelers. The United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, South America, Canada, China and by the way… How about that United States of America, what a great place to visit! Every year a large portion of our disposable income goes to the airlines, trains and hotels. We are the poster children for the phrase “Not all who wander are lost”.
So, I like to ask why, it’s just one of those things. And why travel, especially now that we are entering an age in life that makes some things physically challenging, is a great question. After all, the expense, transportation, TSA (don’t get me started!!!), crowds, tourists (really, don’t get me started!!!), there are so many reasons to just stay home.
How many times can you watch some dufass with his or her iPhone standing right dead center in front of you getting that perfect shot. Or better yet the guy or gal that leaves their car in the road at yellow stone national park and runs down in the field to pet a buffalo… or in Florida the one who decides to climb on a manatee. There is always some wonderful opportunity and anyone around or in the way be damned we deserve this! At this moment crowded airports are the bane of my existence.
The other side of coin, i.e. not their fault, is the poor mom or dad trying to console their screaming child and you just happen to be stuck on a plane next to them. I was more concerned for the mom holding the squirming child. I told her not to worry, these things happen. She, on the other hand, was worried that I would be one of those people who cannot see past their own selfishness demanding that the child be muzzled. There are way too many people out there who see the world from a sanctuary of “ME” and can’t believe “those people do that” or “live like that”. I’ve seen too many people that don’t get it, see other countries and people with the arrogance of self. They don’t understand they are a guest and it’s Oh KAY to be different.
Well, this has turned into a rant and I want to explore “why?”. To my wife and I there is a desire to see and experience different ways of life, different places and to learn what went on historically and culturally in other places around the world. Tours are good for information and taking the guess work out of the equation of travel, but tours take the experience of discovery away from the traveler. Speaking for us, being on a tour is (not always) like putting a bridle and saddle on a horse. Here we are, this is how much time we have, here’s your little tidbit of time to explore and we’ve done all the work for you… thanks bunches, why not just watch a film? Now this isn’t fare to those that organize trips, we know some folks that are absolutely spectacular at it. When we went to China going it alone was not an option. Believe me, just don’t do that. We used China Highlights when we went to China and without them we would have been lost. But you should always ask “why are you doing this?” What do you expect/want to accomplish. Do a little study. I need to add that wandering aimlessly through Mexico City, or New York (you name the place) might be a mistake. Know your limitations and where the “bad” side of town is.
Our “meanders”, as we call them, have come up with some real gems. Norway remains one of my favorite places on the planet, expensive as it is. It’s hard work, you have to think ahead, do some planning… but it’s worth it. Go on a tour once and a while, book tours while your meandering, but do give it a go alone too. Next time you get a chance to just take off give it a try. Take the bridle out of your mouth and just go north. North where? Who knows? Just go North, or South or ? When you live in Florida almost every is north, unless you speak Spanish or like diving. There will be bad experiences but like the hotel Wilmina in Berlin (which used to be a prison) and the Carillon Historic Park in Dayton Ohio, some things will be “WOW” opportunities. Sitting on the piazza in Rome, a platz in Germany, a sidewalk cafe in Paris sipping your drink, watching the world pass by and thinking “this is really great” can be yours. Wear multi coloured socks, hang a camera around your neck, look like a tourist … wait, don’t do that, it won’t work well for the experience. But do something!!! Anything!!! There’s a world out there, and, SURPRISE, much of it is interesting.
