THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION.
I just came home from my first “travel” trip in over a year.
I have been to visit family and friends more recently, but this was to explore old worlds and new.
As I said on day one, exploring “worlds” means many things. They may be physical worlds, mental ones, imaginary ones; it depends on the explorer.
My new worlds on this trip are places new to me.
The old worlds were on two levels. Returning to places physically, but also to a few places in my mind.
Out There, There’s A World Outside Of
Travel has always been something different for everyone. For some, a trip to the kitchen is daunting, while others want to see and experience everything. And between those two people, are everyone else.
Some people do not travel due to a fear of the unknown. I go to experience the unknown.
Some people only travel to the same cottage, campground, or city because they “know” it. I try to go to places I don’t know.
Currently, our world is making it much harder to travel to the ends of the earth – almost impossible.
Or to another country – is next to impossible.
Travel to a magic kingdom? Nope.
Fear Factor
Fear is in everyone’s life to a degree. Hopefully, it does not consume it.
Fear has put the brakes on traveling any further than the laundry closet for some.
Am I going to be an “expert” on this virus that no one supposedly knew about eight months ago? No.
There are plenty of those. Some are actual doctors and scientists.
Am I going to tell you to rip off your mask and join the masses? I am not going there either.
I am going to respect your level of fear and hope that soon you can move beyond it.
For those not going beyond the armchair, I have the entire “SEE” section with fewer words and more pictures. Take a trip from there.
For those who like to let their tastebuds do the walking, there is a whole “TASTE” section that focuses on food and beverages.
There is a more in-depth immersion in the DISCOVERY section.
But for today, what if we take a few baby steps?
Get Out.
Go to the park down the street. If you drive there, you do not have to get out of the car. But LOOK at the trees, fountains, flowers, statues (if any remain), etc.
See a different view than the kitchen wall. Are you feeling brave? Take a book or magazine and read (gasp) outside. Take time for yourself.
Are you feeling more adventurous? Go outside of town, to a state park, a beach, or a country road. You need a change of scenery.
Lysol yourself into a stupor, and do not put the windows down. Or get crazy and crack the window, but smell new air. Take a walk or a hike if the setting allows it.
Guess what kills more people than viruses? You, sitting in a chair, doing nothing! Lack of motion, sedentary, motionless, immobile, stationary is all lethal. Your muscles need to move, stretch, bend, or they stop working.
Your brain, while not a muscle, also needs a little stretching through sights, sounds, smells, and tastes.
Stand in front of a florist window and look at the colors. Drive by a bakery or BBQ shop, and what do you smell? Sit in the park, and what do you hear? Birds, the leaves rustling, or maybe distant children’s laughing?
On the Road Again.
My recent trip took me to places on my should-see list.
And there were places on my “it’s so nice to be back here” list.
There were even a few “where did that come from” spots.
And there was a lot of driving.
Some with musical accompaniment. Is there anything better than a John Denver tune while driving through a sun-dappled area or on a country road?
Out of Touch With The Rhythm.
Sometimes there was a conversation, a dying art form, about the area, the sites, the history. And sometimes, there was just silence, the site, and serenity.
So what are some of the experiences?
There was lunch with a friend in an outside setting, respecting her level of fear socially.
There was an old town with an incredible history.
I was practicing social distancing from my diet at a biscuit factory, an Italian bakery, and several other delicious destinations.
Standing along a river, walking under trees, and stopping to watch a sunrise.
I saw seashells by the seashore, and leaves of grass.
Cell phones became a distant memory even when there was a signal.
Conversations took on much rounder corners, especially at a corner coffee shop.
And somewhere along the journey, the pounding migraine that is the MSM, and all their verbal diarrhea, disappeared. My shoulders were lower than my ears.
Once you finish reading this blog (and leave a glowing comment), unplug yourself, count to ten. Everyone needs a reset.
Out of My Mind?
Leave the house? Are you out of your mind? I am! on soo many levels. And there are many I highly recommend.
Do the unplug. It will kick you out of your mind while it resets.
Turn off ALL electronic stimulation, phone, computer, television, all of them for, eeek, five minutes.
Look at a picture of a place you want to go and “get out” of your stinky thinking. Go there for a minute, an hour…
Out of the House, and Into The Woods.
Walk out to the street and then look for something interesting in your yard or on your building. Some architectural detail, a bush, a crack in the sidewalk. Has that always been there?
Listen to your neighborhood. Through your mask, take a whiff. Can you smell a flower, fresh-cut grass, the smell of on-coming rain?
Get out of the neighborhood, even if it’s only to walk around the block.
Leave town. Go for a drive where the rivers like to run. Find your Walden Pond. And leave all your troubles there. And as Three Dog Night would say, take back somethin’ worth rememberin’.
Don’t worry, the bills, responsibilities, and MSM will be there just waiting to beat you down again.
If you cannot share it with a friend while you are doing it, share it when you get home.
Even if it is only a trip to the restroom, get out of that chair today.
Walk to the mailbox, peddle to a park, or drive a road less traveled, but get out of the house. Move.
And most importantly, get out of your head, even if only for a minute.
Scroll down to the “Please Leave a Reply” section at the bottom. Please tell me your thoughts on:
“What place are you living to see in your home state? Have you been there before?”
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“See the World” Continued on Page T3. “Taste the World” Continued on T11.