Traveling is the ruin of all happiness. There’s no looking at a building after you’ve seen Italy.” Fanny Burney
I simultaneously hold two opposing views about travel: I want to never leave home and I want to sell everything I own and hit the road.
At home I would finally clean the garage, get rid of all those boxes of useless envelopes, stacks of books that no one wants to read. I’d read all the history books on my shelves, starting with the history of the Vietnam war, moving on to all the small press poetry books that drifted into my bookcase, and ending with the complete works of Shakespeare. I’d get to know my neighbors better and start a local writing group. I’d walk at least a mile a day and spend more quality time with my cat.
On the other hand I fantasize about getting rid of everything I own, replace it all with a 23-window VW van and hit the highway, with no itinerary and no cell phone. I’d visit old friends and make new ones. Some places I’d stay for a while and sometimes I’d drive for days, pulling off the side of the road to sleep.
2 comments:
Amazingly, I have the very same conflict. The only answer, I fear, is living in a duel reality. But then, would we know what the other of us was doing? It's all so complicated.
The way I'm feeling today, I'm ready to hit the road and take my chances:>) BTW, from the outside, it seems like you and Irene have managed to have both.
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