“A few months ago I was having a conversation with a fairly new friend, and the subject of travel came up. I was surprised to learn that this friend, although older than I, had never travelled, and in fact made the comment: "I don't see the value in spending $10k plus to go somewhere and come back with a small, cheap trinket." I remember thinking at the time that he had missed the point of travelling. In thirty days I will be embarking on a five week trip starting in Edinburgh, UK, before travelling east to west through the USA. At this point of time it still hasn't quite sunk in that I am going (that reminds me I must purchase travel insurance), although I do find myself daydreaming at times about all the possibilities that this trip may hold. I have always had this fantasy to go travelling with the aim of truly engaging with the experience. What do I mean by this? I remember when I was travelling in Europe with a few other people and at the end of one of our days in Paris I asked one of my companions what she had been up to, her reply: ‘I just walked around, had lunch in a small family run cafe where the owners told me about their life, and walked up Montmartre.’ I remember being in awe. That's what experiencing a place takes, not running around according to a minute by minute schedule, but exploring and being in the moment. For this trip I want to get lost, I want to explore and I want to interact with the locals. I aim to keep a daily travel log, write, draw and really engage with my surroundings and the experience. I plan to come back with more than just a trinket. However, I must pick up a cheap souvenir for my friend.” - July 2016
I am looking forward to the day we can travel once again.