thoughts

October 29th, 2010


"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beards

I have found out that this quote describes my experience abroad perfectly. Living is quite an overwhelming word. I live....But sometimes I wonder which way to live is right.
The world has opened my eyes. 
It has taken away the foggy lenses that I was seeing through and has given me clarity...I learned that I have travel to a faraway place to watch, in awe, the same people I disregard at home. It is absolutely exciting to take that and try to never forget how beautiful everyone is. 


The second conclusion I have made is this.....I don't travel to go anywhere in particular, but instead to go. I travel because I am traveling. I love the journey. It has given so much more joy in conversing on a bus ride or looking for a free ride or simply not knowing what is coming next. 


"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it." - Cesare Pavese 


I am not one to go up to a stranger to ask for help or start a conversation, but when you rely on the help of the human race to get you from point A to point B every single day of your life then things begin to be seen in retrospect. No matter how amazing the strangers are who you meet on a daily basis is no longer important. The valuable part is the fact that they have helped you on in your journey of life. They have given you faith that the next person you need help from will be just as reliable as the first. This last trip to Hungary and Austria has cemented these thoughts for me.


"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." 

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." - Mark Twain


The highlight of this trip was the company. The company of the people who tried to understand my English. The company of the six girls who I learned more about in six days than I had in the two months I was with them in Kiev. The company of the tour guide. The company of the two men in that big white van with pink cheetah carpeting. The company of Georg and Barbara Husz who gave me a much needed sigh of relief and comfort. The company of the gorgeous red, orange, yellow, and green leaves that surrounded me everywhere I went. The company of the smiles surrounding those leaves. The company of Marcus from Lake Constance. The company of myself when I got a chance to look around me and only somewhat comprehend how happy I am.