Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Why I love to travel

Part of the gift given me by my Mother is the heart of an explorer. I grew up in many different towns in several states, attending probably a total of 20 schools in my life... so it's not surprising I don't let grass grow under my feet.*

My desire is to see every inch of the world, and to live in another 4 or 5 parts of it while I'm young... or at least before I succumb to arthritis, dementia and incontinence. My eye is always on the horizon, a compass is always in my pocket and the courage I possess to go wherever I wish is either a blessing or a curse.

In my profession, I can do what I do from a beach or a mountain, on any continent or in any corner of the globe. That is a luxury for which I am eternally grateful.

With all that in mind, it's no wonder the poem "Ulysses" by Tennyson hits home. These exerpts now reside on a slightly yellowed piece of paper on the side of my fridge:

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
For my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset… until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles…
And tho' we are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are…
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find…
And not to yield.


*a description given me by my friend Gary - and yes, wherever it is I'll be, there WILL be beer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

the island that begins with HH still waits. it's getting hotter and the tourists are coming aboard but the ocean temperature is up, and the beer temperature is down.