yobech505

Travellin’

On the road again, in a faraway place, at least, far from where I currently reside, maybe a couple of thousand miles.  Enjoying the warmth of Arizona, the vastness of California and the glitter of Nevada.  Will be flying back east in a few days, but for now, it’s good to be home.

Serious travelling has always been a passion and is a family tradition as well. My mother, siblings, grandparents, uncles, cousins, my entire gaggle of relatives, have enough travel background to present individualized slide shows to bored audiences for 1000 years. I don’t think a trip has ever been bad, although some of the experiences, especially with airlines, have been rather pesky.

One of the discords of my travels has been that I tend to travel alone, or just with my children.  Rarely have I travelled with a partner.  The exes used to go with me on about a tenth of my expeditions, but they were really more theirs, and maybe ours, not mine.

I drive when I can.  I camp along the way.  I stop when I want, hike when I stop and sit and enjoy the view.  I travel for the journey and experience the sights and sounds along the way.

Yellowstone Park is an experience, not a quick shot mental picture to be seen once then referred to a yellowing photo album.

Hotels, tours, fine dining, shows, are all nice, but that is not why I explore.  That’s why others travel.  Getting away is just that to me.  I want to get away from civilization, the middle ground, the current human norm.

It would be nice to have someone to extol these character impasses who enjoys them as much as I do.  I don’t mean someone who gives it verbal accreditation and tells me how much she likes it.  I want to travel with someone who likes the same experiences I do. Where the hell did I leave that one?

Showers and flush toilets are okay.  They can be close by and handy, but not in the same tipi.  The lights at the nearby public campground toilets hide stars.  I like stars. Take away one, take away the sky.  Yes, amenities are often nice to have readily usable, as long as they don’t interfere.

It just seems to me that having someone to pull close and say “Isn’t that beautiful?” or “I love this place.” makes the travel adventure that much warmer and fuzzier.

I will take a cruise now and then.  But expect me to spend a lot of time on the foredeck, wind in my face, tourists behind be, as the prow cuts through the waves.  And with the seat beside me occupied by the someone I like to turn to.