Why? Well, why not?

I have seen a number of "applications" or online tools where one can use a virtual map and place virtual pushpins into all the places they have been. I am lucky to have been to a lot of places. From Peoria, IL to the Philippines, from Minneapolis to Managua. I thought that I would give one of those maps a try online and I realized something....I was getting just as much joy out of finding the pin for Durango, CO as I was for Dublin, Ireland.  I had just as many fond memories from the time I visited Gloucester, MA as the time I was in Geneva, Switzerland.

So much of travel is focused on the well known "fabulous" destinations. Trust me, I understand why! They are fabulous for a reason! The thought of the banana et nutella crepe I had from a street vendor in Paris shines in my mind with romantic filtered light. The breezy sun-drenched slow days in Aruba, drinking champagne with my toes in the waves, have a toasty, golden, dream-like patina in my memories. But....if I am honest, the memory of the tangy margarita I chased with crispy tortilla chips in a dive in Santa Fe, or even the excellent customer service I received at an airport hotel in Dallas/Fort Worth are just as bright and appreciated in my mind.

Further, I realized as I was virtually push-pinning my way around the world, I have done a perfectly horrible job of keeping track of these experiences in a tangible way. Yes, I am lucky to have them fresh in my mind always. I have an ability to jump into my own head and be able to describe exactly what I experienced when it comes to travel in a way that I cannot possibly recreate with the day-to-day stuff. I don't remember what I had for breakfast today - but I can describe exactly what I had on Day Three of my last trip to Hong Kong in the year 2000. I still have to look up how to get to a local suburb that I have been to a dozen times, but after a week in Paris I could tell you how to get anywhere I went, years later.

It has occurred to me that, in the future, my mind may not always be able to recall travels so vividly. I have grown and matured thanks to travel. I am who I am because of travel. I continue to be open to how travel can shape me. I crave it. Whether it is a neighborhood antique fair a couple of towns away, or a bazaar in Istanbul - I am game. I have an open mind to what any experience brings. So let's go!

My aim is to journal my travels - sometimes to the burger joint down the street, or an airport hotel on a business trip. Sometimes something more adventurous or exotic. Who knows? And who cares? Well, I do...and that's good enough for me.  I aim to observe, document, ponder, and explore. Let's see what happens...