On our way…

The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

Augustine of Hippo

We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange.

Carson McCullers

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end

Ernest Hemingway

It’s interesting to me how people perceive their “away from home” travel time.  Some of my friends own a cabin or second home and choose to spend any time away from their primary home at their second home; they enjoy time so much at their second home that it quells any real desire to face the unknowns of travel to new places.  Then there are other friends who only want to travel to new places; they feel like there is so much to see and only so much time. Then there’s people like me who enjoy a mix of travel, sometimes returning to favorite places, but sometimes desiring to see somewhere new.

Those who like to return to the same place time and time again appreciate the familiarity of a favorite place. If a second home, it’s almost like being home, but just enough different to feel like getting away. Or if returning to a place one has been to many times before, then seeing familiar sights, eating favorite foods, and re-doing beloved activities…is like visiting an old friend.

For those who prefer to only visit new places, traveling and seeing new places is like opening a surprise gift or discovering treasure. There may be the unexpected pleasure in finding a wonderful restaurant or bakery in a foreign country where you don’t even speak the language! One may hike a new trail where a stunning mountain lake vista was just at the crest of a hill!  Some are very interested in visiting a historic church or building where time whispers a million tales of lives touched within those walls.

Over my life, I’ve seen changes in how I like to travel and perhaps that’s true for many of you. When I was young, it was always about doing something different or visiting a new place. As I got older and life changed, I greatly enjoyed sharing special places with my husband and children, but it was also fun to explore new areas together. In more recent years, I find that though I do still like to travel and try new things occasionally, my favorite travel now is often to revisit familiar places where I tend to feel tranquil and happy and there are few unexpected travel challenges. Perhaps, though, this joy of the familiar is that memories of love fill those familiar places. Frequently, there’s also the joy of sharing of those special places with others, family and friends, who have never been there before.

Whether you prefer regularly returning to favorite places, visiting new places, or a balance of both, may you foster that love of places beyond the boundaries of your immediate home. Happy Travels!