Saturday, January 25, 2014

Why I travel....again

Okay, I am new to blogging. I don't know the etiquette. I rewrote my first piece. I think it is better. Let me know what you think.



Yesterday I bought a travel pouch with the saying "I am not so much a traveler as an explorer." This is what gets me up off the couch. At the age of 52 some people like to settle in. "Been there, done that." Well that is not me. I was raised by parents who thought that getting the car and driving for the weekend was fun. I have spent many days in the back of our car seeing the surroundings while my brother slept. I even spent two weeks traveling to and from Prince Edward Island from New York City trading the “way back” (behind the luggage in our Datsun station wagon) with my brother.  My wife (hereafter known as The Amazing Ms. D) and I were toasted at our wedding as "having been to more places that no one has ever heard of."

There is nothing more exciting to me than beginning a trip. I will plan for months, but never too much. I never want to have all of the details ahead because that is called a tour and the last thing I want to be is tourist. I know where I want to go, and some of the things I want to see. But I also have room and time to see the things I hear about on the trip. 

This is fun. I love to see what is down THAT road.

Drive across the country staying OFF OF THE INTERSTATE? Love It!

Where is the Corn Palace?

Let's eat lunch UNDER the Jolly Green Giant!

A museum (any museum) can get me to pull off the road for an hour.

So why "Travels in the 2nd half?" Well I am 52. I am in the second half of life... although I hope that, like "Car Talk" I will be getting 3 halves. Now I am coming to the end of one part of my life and the start of another. I have been a teacher for 30 years. In 2 years I will be retired. I was faced with dilemma of what to do next. I am too young to sit around the house, besides, my wife would kill me. So I am looking ahead. I want to see more of the world. , I don't stay at youth hostels anymore, although I will stay at just about any motel I find on the road that look "decent."  I want to chronicle what I see. For me and anyone else who finds travel fun and interesting, and who likes to hear about places from someone who finds new things fascinating. There is so much of this world that I have not yet seen, and I would really love to see it all. And as I am looking for something to do in my soon to be retired years, writing about my travels sounds like fun and a challenge. So here goes nothing.

Soon I start on another trip, this one to Puerto Rico, where The Amazing Ms. D was born. I have been there many times, but I always go looking for that wonderful mix of seeing the familiar and finding something new. Now I have an audience to share it with.

3 comments:

  1. I am so happy for you. To be able to travel and chronicle everything sounds like fun.

    Happy travels. I look forward to reading about your adventures.

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  2. Congratulations on your new venture. I loved you first installment and think you are being really smart in doing some advanced planning when it comes to your retirement. Traveling the world has always been one of my biggest desires but I've had to put it to the side for a while and hopefully will be able to start anew sooner than later. I look forward to reading about your travel experiences. I'd love to share Mark Twain’s quote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” Happy Travels!!

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  3. Thanks for.the quote Evelyn, I will be using it.

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