I have not traveled to the far reaches of the Earth, nor have I experienced daring adventures through hostile lands. In fact my travel log as an adult includes local attractions, various states in the USA, British Colombia, Italy, and a fair amount of trips to Ireland.
Ireland, and I am going there yet again. This coming trip, I am taking the family to England and Scotland as well... possibly France. So many places call and I want to answer. I think, in many of us, there is this desire to go try something new in a place we have never really been. John Steinbeck discussed this in his book Travels with Charlie. When others asked what he was up to, and he told them about his journey across the country, he noticed a look come over their faces and they voiced a desire to one day do the same. Very few were content to stay where they were. That being said, I do suffer from this desire to go and travel and experience. Yet, in my meager wanderings, I've discovered what I call the four truths. Basically, traveling can be broken up into three elements and one "wild card" that might not be for everyone. In outlining these truths, it is assumed sleep is a given and does not need to be mentioned, same with the mode of transportation on travel days. I feel it should be important to note these, as a reminder, before I proceed in any sort of planning. Truth #1 - Eating Yup. That's it. Think about how much is consumed while traveling. Why? Because it is something to do, a way to experience the flavor of the area (pun intended). There's breakfast traditions, lunch snacks, dinner preparations, never mind the local markets and joy of cooking an authentic cultural dish on your own. Finish a meal and then find a place serving something small (ice cream, anyone?)... we tend to eat until we can't eat anymore. And yes, drinking does fall under this umbrella. Go to the bar, and the next one after that and walk the town in that euphoric buzz that can sometimes be misinterpreted as the plain joy of just being somewhere new. Truth #2 - Attractions Let's call this like it is, part of being somewhere new is seeing what there is to be seen. Notre-Dame, The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, each of these come to mind when thinking of Paris - of course somebody would go see them. Every town has some kind of tourist experience to offer. Anybody who has ever been to Rome will tell you about their experience at the Colosseum. Why? Because it's something we've all wanted to see. This is what makes travel so exciting to so many of us, to see these magnificent wonders from countryside, to town, to city. Truth #3 - Shopping Because eventually we will have seen the wonders and our stomachs can hold no more. When this happens, we exit through the gift shop. Personally, I love those tourist gift shops that sell only things marked with the city or country. Little shot glasses made in China with "Ireland" printed on them, or shirts, or whatever. Recently, in San Francisco, I went into one of these shops and marveled at all the items with the city marked all over them. You see, once you leave this place, you can't really find these things anywhere else. It's just part of the experience, some token or prize from our conquest. Truth #4 - The Hobby The hobby is what people do when they have a particular interest they want to explore. Now I am not a golfer, but someone who was might try various golf courses where they are staying. I have friend who have traveled across the United States during baseball season and watched a game at different stadiums along their way...in fact, their journey centered around going to these stadiums. For me, I enjoy backpacking. I'l never be the kind to hike the PCT, but I do enjoy strapping a pack and going. So my trips tend to lean more toward hikes that can be taken. This truth is more a wild card though, because not all travel with a hobby in mind. Some travel just to experience the first three truths.
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For privacy purposes, I will not include names of my family and friends...
On Thursday, August 23, I purchased tickets for a roundtrip flight to Ireland. I then bought tickets for the rest of the family. The Wicklow Way is just within reach. The overall idea is for me to hike the Way for a few days with a buddy, then sight-see for a couple of days. Once that is up, I'll pick the family up from the airport and we will then begin our adventure through England and Scotland (with a possible side trip to France). Today a good friend began the move back to England. It was sad to say goodbye to such a great friend, but at the same time I am excited for him and his family. He took his oldest daughter because she will start school over there and then his wife and son will join once some things are taken care of over here. Their departure from the USA has fueled this desire to our own family over for a visit. I guess sometimes we need something to spark a crazy whim and fuel the crazy of pulling the trigger. So there it is. We are going. I have, in the few days that followed this purchase, began putting together places to stay. Seeing how B&Bs and hostels fill up quickly the closer one gets to the arrival date, I wanted to get this taken care of well in advance. I need to slow down, though. I need to read up on the trail and get a good idea of distances, as I don't want to find myself in the "middle of nowhere" and have only hiked a small amount of milage. Being stuck somewhere with little to do makes me long for more walking, but that could sacrifice the arrival at some of the places already booked. So, now, I need to not be deliberate. Rather, I need to be methodical. Lesson here is one I have been reminded of all my life: Slow down. After the trail is done I would love to leave the rest of the trip to chance and plan for when the family joins me. I am chomping at the bit to start planning that part of the summer. But it's all a year away and there is still a life to be lived in the mean time. And it is good to remember our favorite memories occur when things don't go according to plan... Slow down. I figure here might be as good a place to start as any.
As you read this, as you go through, please be aware much of these posts will be unedited and unfiltered. What this will mean: 1) Bad grammar 2) Bad spelling 3) Poor sentence structure 4) Unfinished ideas So if you choose to move forward with this... Last night I watched videos of people who've hiked the Wicklow Way. I did. It's true. And before that, on Friday night (I believe it was August 17 if my mental calendar is working), I looked up plane tickets to Ireland. This is becoming a real thing. I have been scrounging and preparing. Over the summer I took Andrea, Hudson, and Twain out backpacking for their first time. Perhaps my favorite thing about northern California is the access to wilderness. To get to this trail, we forged up a rather bumpy road. We threw on our gear and began walking. We walked for maybe two miles, though I would more likely say we hiked just over a mile. We found a campsite, we set up camp, we explored the area around us. To say it was magical would be an understatement. No doubt this will become a thing. And to do so with my family made all the more incredible. At one point, I turned to Andrea and said, "I feel like this is a return to form. Wearing this backpack." It fit like I remembered it fitting, and I realized how long it had been since I had been on a trip of any kind. The looming presence of this trip to Ireland to through-hike the Wicklow Way gets the blood flowing, the adrenaline pumping, the toes tapping. So it goes, every journey must begin somewhere... |
AuthorAs you read this, as you go through, please be aware much of these posts will be unedited and unfiltered. What this will mean: ArchivesCategories |