It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I love to travel. Discovering new places, experiencing new cultures and the thrill of the unknown brings joy to my heart in a way few things can. There is a beautiful calm about being in your own home, your own space but I start to feel that pull to explore quite often. The word that best describes this is wanderlust. There is always a strong desire to wander or to travel. To discover and experience new things.

But in the last few weeks if you asked me how I felt about traveling, I’d have to retract those statements at least temporarily. In the span of a week, I had to deal with canceling a flight due to rebooking issues, communicate with one airline about stolen property (my favorite shoes) and the lack of service given to a family member which caused a great hardship, not to mention encountering horrible customer service at a ticket counter. It has taken weeks of phone calls and emails and even though both airlines have made good on their disappointing service, it was certainly not worth the hassle.

I remember when flying was a special event. You dressed nicely; service was usually friendly and helpful. I’m old enough to remember when airlines actually FED you. Food. Not peanuts. And why do they choose salty peanuts and pretzels? Don’t they know that between running from gate to gate, sitting for hours in the plane as well as on layovers that cost less money but you’re sorry every time that you didn’t book the more expensive ticket…sorry, I know I’m ranting. It’s as if they WANT your poor ankles to swell!

 Passengers are forced to jam everything they own into small carryon bags to avoid the enormous fees to check on a bag so there is no room to breathe in your seat. It’s so crazy! By the time you arrive, you’re hungry, cranky, in pain and vowing never to fly again. I so long for the days of old. Wow I really must be getting old! But it’s true. 

And yet….nothing can change the fact that there is a great big world out there to explore and discover. It may take me a few hours to brush off the aggravation of flying but when you arrive at your destination, everything changes. 

I dream of visiting Italy, Greece and Australia but even going back to New York to find new and old places brings great anticipation to my heart. The people, the sights and the food! Oh the food I dream about trying! Espresso, pasta and cheese in Italy. Grilled fish, olives and lemons in Greece. And I’m not entirely sure about Australian food but I’m willing to give it a try!

What places do you dream of visiting? What adventures are on your bucket list? I must admit that mine usually include overseas destinations but I’ve now seen the beauty of our Western coast and long now to discover more of it. I can now add the Redwoods to this list as I can only imagine the majesty of being there and touching them. I’ve now flown over the Grand Canyon a few times since moving out West and it’s given me a desire to see it up close and personal. And that’s what traveling to a new place will do. It opens up pathways in our brains that make us want to learn something new and gives us a feeling of community with people from faraway places. It also gives us perspective that I spoke about a few posts ago. Seeing how others live is incredibly valuable for so many reasons. 

 I’m not sure where our next adventure will be yet but a girl can dream!