While Bali was not our first experience with 'travel', it was the journey that had the biggest impact on me. It defined for me what I loved most about travel - experiencing life in a way I hadn't experienced it before. Such a beautiful country and such beautiful people. It was eye-opening for me to see people who, relative to me, had so little and yet were so happy. The simplicity of life in the areas outside of the large tourist centers was inspiring. When we got home our ridiculously large home and never-ending amounts of 'stuff' made me feel greedy as well as tied down and claustrophobic. It had to go and, much to my husband's disappointment, so it did. We are still a long way from Bali standards but my life feels more simplified and I am constantly making piles of 'stuff' to take to the thrift store even though it's been 5 years since that trip.
Travel - I love everything about it. I love the anticipation. I love the research. I love sharing plans with anyone who will listen. I love checking out which phrases I need to learn. I love looking at maps and wondering what I will see in each of the places we have chosen as 'must-sees'. I love thinking about what I will see through my camera. I love having to buy new things for new places. I love packing practice. I love putting the cover on my toothbrush ( it always means we are going somewhere). I love googling the weather patterns for the time we will be there. I love going to Pinterest or Google and reading blogger's experiences - things they loved and things they hated. I love anticipating new foods, new smells, new sights and sounds. I love the countdown, even though it goes slowly. I love the anticipation of not knowing where to go or how to get there and having to actually talk to people to find out. I love travelling.
As we pack our bags preparing for our trip to Italy I feel so grateful for the opportunities we have to see how people live in other parts of the world. On this trip I am anticipating being overwhelmed by the history, the architecture, the food, the language and the countryside. We will travel from Cinque Terre, down through Tuscany and then on to the coast of Puglia. We have planned a lovely mix of being in the city and in the country. We will travel by plane, train, automobile, public transit, by bike, by boat and by foot.
When we travel these days I keep a fairly detailed journal as before long the days run together and I just don't remember those little details that really do make a difference when recording our adventures. When we get home I use my journal entries and my photos to put together a Shutterfly book. These have been great to pull off the shelf and look through and it seems the closer we get to a new trip the more important it is to stroll through memory lane by browsing through our past travels.
Photography has become a passion for me. I know when I take out my camera that I see all that lies around me just a little more clearly. In selecting shots I truly see all there is to see. I take a moment to do a mental snapshot as well, to record the parts that the photo won't catch, my feelings, the sounds and smells, the breeze through my hair or the sun on my face.
Travel also provides an opportunity for Bob and I to see the world together through different eyes. He sees, feels and experiences things in a much different way than I do and I love the side of him that I see when we are in a new place. I am excited that he is also getting more interested in taking pics of these adventures as what he captures is so different than what I capture. He loves morning walks and I treasure the pics he took in Bali during his early morning strolls through the rice paddies, often as the sun was just coming up. Early mornings in the Cotswolds were also a time for Bob to see the world through his own eyes without my constant chatter. I am sure this trip will be another opportunity for him to explore the world around us before my eyes greet the day. Stay tuned for a little trip around Italy <3
Arrivederci folks! See you in Florence.
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