On Travel

My beloved collection of travel guides (in alphabetical order, of course).

It hit me as I was clearing out my bookshelf of travel guides in preparation for a home improvement project. There were all the books I had bought for trips taken over the years. Around 25 years worth of books, moved from place to place, in a bookshelf on top of almost 25 year old carpet that has seen better days.

For more than 25 years, I was so fortunate to travel internationally at least once a year. Some of these trips were for work, some to visit my husband's family in Europe and many trips for the shear pleasure of immersing myself (and our family) in the unfamiliar. Travel isn't for everyone and often, I myself, can be an anxious traveler. Sometimes I think I like the idea of travel more than the travel itself. Things go wrong, we get tired, the unfamiliar can be as unsettling as it is exhilarating.

On every trip something goes wrong, and inevitably, I have at least one mom meltdown. Except on our 2018 trip to Japan, where everything went smoothly because things just work in Japan. And even when we were stuck on a train platform between Nara and Kyoto (a truck had broken down at a crossing further on) I just took it in stride because I was so happy to be back in Japan with my family after so many years away. This taught me that mom meltdowns can be avoided with the right mindset.

Travel changes us, just like this pandemic and all of our life experiences change us. When the world shut down in March 2020, our family had two trips planned: one international and one domestic National Park trip. Flights, hotels. lodges and AirBnBs were booked. And, I had read the travel books in anticipation. Then, it was gone. Poof! Everything had to be cancelled.

I have really tried to make the best of our time at home. And man, I have missed travel and the unfamiliar. It's a first world longing, for sure. I recognize my extreme privelege. YouTube videos and a heavy dose of Rick Steves have allowed me to travel virtually and vicariously the past two and a half years. And it's time, for me. It's time, for me, to see the world again. To seek out the unfamiliar and as always, do it in a safe (and organized) way.

I will let you know when I explore again. In the meantime, let's reminise together. Tell me all the places you have been and all the places you want to go!

All my best,

Carolyn

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