Back in the Saddle

Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this. Many years ago, I tried to write about my travel experiences, but life just got in the way: at first, it was the pandemic; next, it was moving; and then, it was changing jobs. So much change was happening in such a short period. And through all that time, I found it difficult to spend time crafting language about those travel experiences. I sort of wish I did, but my head was not in the right space to be so thoughtful. I imagine many of you had similar difficulties as we dealt with grief, isolation, insecurity, and anxiety. The world ebb into a crawl and little human activity was happening for many many months at a time, with no end in sight. We were, and still are, so unsure of our future. Coming out of that fog, I think the hidden gem out of all of this is that act of reflection—savoring and reliving these memories.

With reflection, it is that ability to just stop and take it all in that I think we all need. Human beings need a chance to pause and take it all in. Some maybe the long pause was for the best. For the past year or so, I spent a little bit of time closely editing my old entries. In some cases, I made some progress, but the process is agonizingly slow. The Orient Express adventure is still the most amazing experience I ever had, and I feel strongly that I must get the words down somewhere. That motivation will drive me, hopefully, to get that part of my life down on paper—but not today. Rest assured, I plan to revisit them and share those experiences as I edit and write them. I do plan to revisit all of this again, but I think right now I need to start somewhere and this recent adventure is still fresh in my mind.

As for this recent motivator, this inspiration did not come entirely from me. It took some prodding from the most unlikely of places: my Airbnb host. Who would have thought? In our brief and casual exchanges, I would tell him about my day, and I think he got more joy out of that experience than I did. It’s amazing the people you meet on adventures, and this newfound friend was quite insistent. At first, I dismissed the whole idea. Who would really want to read about my experiences, but then I thought about it some more. He felt these stories should be written for people to experience—to enjoy. He has a point. So I am going to work on this adventure for now.

What I will caution, though, is that this is going to be a slow and rough process. It’s been awhile, since I did any real writing. These posts, especially those related to my travel adventures, will be a mix of research and personal observation. And if you know anything about me, I try to be detailed, because I think it’s the writer’s responsibility to provide as much context as possible to help with establishing that connection. With that being said, I appreciate your patience as I come to terms with my travel adventures for you in the pages of the blog. I guess it’s time to get back in the saddle.

Thanks.