The journeys we make in our lives -- both literally and figuratively -- help define who we are and how we live our lives. My "day job" is a travel writer. I know, it sounds romantic and exciting. It can be fun, and I do see some great places, but it's also hard work. It's completely different traveling for work than for pleasure. Which brings me to those journeys. What journeys do we make that change our lives?
I've done a lot of traveling lately. I was in Lexington, KY during the Kentucky Derby. No, I didn't see the race, but I saw a lot of horses and watched the Derby on a TV in the hotel bar. It was pretty amazing watching an entire town celebrate a horse race and come to a stand still to watch the race. I grew up with horses and my first love affair was with horses. I didn't realize until this trip how very much I miss horses. The thoroughbreds are gorgeous. The beautiful guy shown here is Cigar. A former champion show horse, considered the top horse of the decade in the 1990s, he is now at the Kentucky Horse Park. He definitely knows he's important. Horses have a soul like no other animal and this guy has a mighty arrogant soul. It was so much fun to watch little girls' faces as he pranced around the ring. I came home remembering what it felt like to be a child again. How exciting every moment was and how just feeling a horse nuzzle against my neck could make everything right with the world. That was definitely a journey for me in many different ways.
Last week I went to Rosemary Beach, Florida. This lovely beach town in Florida's panhandle was a wonderful place to let the cobwebs float away. The picture at left shows the gorgeous white sands of Rosemary Beach. I loved the smell of the sea and the gentle breezes blowing in off the water. I worked all day, but it somehow seemed lighter and easier knowing the water was just a block away. That was more than just a work trip for me, as well. It was a journey back to what matters most to me. I missed my husband. I was working in this incredible place, met a couple of people I believe will become long-term friends, but all I wanted was to spend the day ambling along the sandy shore with the man I love. He's been with me for over 27 years and I still hate to leave him for even a day. I also realized that my life's journey isn't complete without my writing. I longed to sit and write and it's been a while since I've wanted to sit and write. It's been a tough time for me lately as far as writing goes. But I wanted to tell those stories again more than I've wanted to in a long time. Another journey that definitely led me far beyond the Florida coast.
I am leaving tomorrow for Mexico. This one's just for pleasure and I'll spend the Memorial Day weekend with my family. It's the first vacation I've taken with my two beautiful grandsons. I'm looking forward to showing them the wonders of the beach at our family home on Baja's Sea of Cortez shore. After that, I'm off to Fredericksburg, Texas for yet another working trip. I won't have my family on that one, but I will have my characters -- or my people as my critique partner calls them. When we have those stories in our heads, are we ever really alone? That gives another whole angle to my journeys.
As you take off for the holiday weekend, or for that business trip, or to see the family, ask yourself what the journey really means for you. Where do your travels take you? How far can your imagination take you? What is it you want to experience as you set out on your journey?
As Lillian Smith said: "I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within."
