Killing It In My Sixties

If I could give only one piece of advice from my own life – it would be to TRAVEL!  As with many others, I have not been able to travel much since COVID.  But this year I have at least three trips planned and I am beyond excited!  The packing and planning, the anticipation of the unknown, the ability to unplug from my daily schedule, and the new people I may meet.  I stay in touch with so many of the wonderful souls I have met on my travels and treasure each of those connections considerably.

My son and his wife took off for a three month adventure across Western Europe yesterday, and by now they are probably at their destination: Copenhagen.  Both just completed their graduate studies and will use this summer to explore our ancestor’s homelands.  My daughter in law lived abroad in Belgium for a semester, and therefore has experienced the many facets of world travel.  My son has traveled, but never to Europe, although independence and adventure has defined his life since he was two years old.  His first big solo trip was when he was sixteen; flying to Costa Rica to meet with his friend’s family for two weeks of surfing.  I can’t tell you the feeling of watching him walk down the breezeway at the airport with his backpack and throwing a wave over his shoulder to me.

He not only survived that trip – he came back with an air of confidence and self-assuredness that was palpable upon his return.  I believe that was, in part, the reason he chose to go all the way across the country for his first year of college in Boston.  He knew the benefits and feeling of independence that came with venturing outside his comfort zone in unfamiliar places.  He returned home after a year, longing for the beauty and serenity of Sonoma County, but again – with a new level of self-awareness.

I suppose it is possible that my own passion for travel to parts unknown, influenced his desire to seek out experiences in other parts of the world.  I took all three of my sons to Jamaica when they were 3, 13 and 17 respectively.  To say that trip provided a set of situations unmatched to anything we had ever lived through, was an – understatement.  That is another story, but suffice to say that we were all very different individuals upon our chaotic return.  Personally, I know the strength and determination I realized I possessed, got me through the next few VERY difficult years.

I believe that the most beneficial part of travel, is the perspective we gain and the patience we learn.  The perspective comes when you realize that your way is not the only way.  Its a lesson in letting go of any illusion of control you may have.  The plane may or may not leave on time.  The weather may or may not cooperate with your itinerary of sailing in Antigua.  The food may or may not cause you intestinal distress beyond your worst nightmare.  The people may or may not speak English and may or may not care that, that is your only known language.  Your blow dryer may blow up in Greece without the proper adapter.   And having to pay money to go to the bathroom each time, may ruin your carefully planned travel budget.

All those situations sound awful – but those are the types of experiences that change you; that eliminate any illusion of control and force you to accept the truly fluid nature of our existence.  And because we are in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and surroundings, we are able to see life through a different lens.  The fact that you have to pay for using a restroom, gives you appreciation for the availability of public facilities we have in our own country.  Blowing up your hairdryer lets you realize that how your hair looks, does not make the ruins in Athens any less historic or wondrous. 

It’s easy to see the benefits of traveling; the wonderful food, the beautiful sites, the time away from your work and regular routine, the ability to rest and relax, the history of our origins, and the exposure to new cultures; all these aspects make travel extremely enticing to me.  The ways it changes you are often unexpected and not realized until some later point in your life.  Other people may see it in you – even before you do.  And its something that can never be taken away from you.  Who you become is a process and travel is an integral part of forming that self along the way.  Finding out who I am, what I like and what my next dream is – is what inspires me. My travels augment the process with the excitement of the unknown and the yet-to-be-experienced.  Bon Voyage!