Monday, July 25, 2011

Wanderlust

Costa Rican vacation - booked! So excited to be going to Costa Rica for a week with my husband, two sisters, and my brother-in-law. We booked a villa (or, rather, a house) on the Pacific side of the country near a little town called Dominical.

So excited to see the rainforests and lounge on the beach for a little while this coming December!

I'm not sure what it is. I don't know why I love to travel so much. But I really, truly do. It is one of my most favorite things ever. I love going to new places, seeing new things, experiencing new cultures, eating new food, etc... And things like a lack of running water or showers do not really do much to deter me.
Biking through the San Gabriel Mountains, R4WH 2009 - April 2009

Biking through the Continental Divide, May 2009

Spanish Steps, Rome, Italy June 2001

Denver, Colorado, May 2007

When I talk to people who do not like to travel as much as I do, or who don't like to travel at all, it's difficult for me to even wrap my brain around. Charlie's brother and sister-in-law think we're C-R-A-Z-Y for travelling as much as we do. I remember talking to Kelly about it once. We were talking about where Charlie and I wanted to go next, and I mentioned that we have a list of places we'd like to go - it changes all the time, but we do keep a list. She said, "I don't even think there are enough places I want to go to even keep a list. I'm happy right here."

Budapest, Hungary, July 2001
Kutna Hora, Czech Republic, July 2001
Amsterdam, Netherlands, Summer, 2001

London, England, Summer, 2001
Kruger National Park, South Africa, February 2009
It made me think a little bit. Am I not happy right here? Maybe I travel because I don't like what I have at home. I thought about this for a long while before coming to the conclusion that I loved to travel because I loved to travel. Not because I didn't like being at home. I really do like being at home. I love spending my weekends working on my house, gardening, or just lying on the cough in my PJs until 3:00pm. I love Columbus, and I love that even after 6 years there are still places to see and things to do that I have not done yet.
Paris, France, Summer 2001

Travel is something that I have really liked doing for my entire adult life, I think. I remember when my college roommate told me that she had absolutely no desire to go to Europe, ever. "It's dirty and old" is what she told me. DIRTY AND OLD??? Do you think NYC is CLEAN?! And it is not OLD it is HISTORIC! I just stared at her in disbelief. I probably said something snotty too, I don't remember, but I was sort of like that at 19 years old.

Lucerne, Switzerland, Summer 2001
Rio de Janiero, Brazil, June 2009
Travel is something that I have always loved and I really think I will always love. Charlie and I talk not infrequently about the places we want to go and see and experience. That is our #1 goal for retirement - to have enough money to travel to all these places we will not be able to travel to because of our jobs etc... It is the one thing that gives me pause about having kids. I feel like when we have kids my travelling will be over. I try not to think about it that way, though. When we have kids we will still travel. Just instead of trans-Atlantic flights with a two or three year old, we will go to the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Maine, Hilton Head, Florida, or Colorado. I always say I'm saving up all of those places for when I have kids, because it will be easier to go to Montana than Egypt when I've got a kid or two in tow.

Chichen Itza, Mexico, 2007
Cape Town, South Africa, February 2009

Cape Town, South Africa, February 2009
Belize, March 2010

Inca Trail, June 2011

For now, I will continue to plan trips. Until life decides to change things up on me. Life is a journey, I plan on enjoying the ride:)

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware."
- Martin Buber

1 comment:

Tammie said...

Love this section! I have always wanted to travel too, although I don't know if I am as intrepid of an explorer as you are....I am so excited that you are all going to Costa Rica together!!! That makes me so happy!