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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

My Dream to Travel

I recently found a small, leather travel journal that a dear old friend had given to me for my 30th birthday. In her inscription, she wrote that “she prayed my dream of traveling the world would come true, and that this book would help document the fulfillment of my dreams.”

My dream to travel the world ... my dream to travel the world ...

I wonder if I sounded a little like George Bailey back then, excited and wide-eyed and determined--at 30, I hadn’t been much of anywhere. Unlike George, however, I eventually managed to leave.

As far as travel goes, it’s been a great 10 years. I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time in Europe: England (London and Oxford), France (Paris, Provence, Burgundy, Normandy, Brittany), Prague, and numerous towns, villages, and cities across Germany. And Mexico (Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas). I’ve also made it to three or four ports of call in Alaska, two islands in Hawaii, Montreal, and a bunch of cities in over 32 of our 48 contiguous states for work or play, either of which inevitably involves the other.

I can’t recall if I was expecting to find or to lose myself in the going--to be honest, I’d all but forgotten that I had this particular dream, in the process of living it. But I think did a little bit of both, finding and losing. I’ve enjoyed so much of what I’ve experienced--the sights, the cultures, the food, the people, the landscapes. And I think I also learned what it means to truly be home. The Dinesen quote that I love (and the one for which this blog is named) continues to resonate:

“The cure for everything is salt ... tears, sweat, and the sea.”

This coming fall, we’ll be touring the Baltic (Amsterdam, Stockholm, Tallin, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Copenhagen), a trip that Honey P. and I have been talking about for some time. We’ll also be returning to my favorite city of all, Paris, for a glorious week! Eventually, I’d like to spend time in Italy, Australia, South America, and certain parts of Africa and the Far East. All in good time.

We live in a time when travel is tainted by the threat of danger and the loss of dignity. These, coupled with general road fatigue, have made me over time a crankier, less gracious, and less grateful traveler. Kirsten, if you’re reading this, thank you for reminding me how important it was to me to find the territory ahead.