Wow... can it really have been 11 Years, 2 Months, and 1 Day since that day January 26, 1998 when I flew out of London back to the US... back to await the beginning of Basic Training and a whole other adventure with the Army?
The passage of time, while seemingly straightforward, is truly a mystery at times... you think you are paying attention to the passing days, but then the hustle, hurry, stress, and joy of life takes over - and POW... you're saying, wasn't it just winter (in April)?
I never really thought I'd get the chance to do "this" again... EUROPE III (as I like to refer to this journey abroad) began with my arrival in Germany on Friday, March 27th, 2009. What was really just another Friday on the workweek countdown to the 48-hour "furlough" from the 9-to-5 for my family and friends back home... was a whole other thing for me. It was the beginning of another era you could say.
You know how in life there are times when you realize that a "moment" or a "crossroads" (C'mon guys, enough with the rolled eyes and such... I know it's cheesy, but it's real!) has come into your life? That's true for anyone, but I find it often even more so for world travelers, in particular that rare subset that gets to "deep dive" into the cultures of the world and learn it's subtleties, nuances, and depth...
Europe I was a study abroad trip to Tuscany in Italy (1994), and Europe II as I again cheesily like to refer to it... was a work exchange trip (BUNAC) to London, UK in 1997-98.
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Your "moment" and "crossroads" are what I refer to as my "freeway of life." Sometimes I take an exit to see the scenery or get a bite to eat, strech my legs or fill up with gas, but I always end up back on that freeway where I really belong ;)
ReplyDeleteTrue, so true... this "freeway of life" is something which I think runs through all real travelers. For me, it is the ever-present need to really get the "juice" out of life by seeing as much as can be seen of this world, to represent one's country in a positive light in as many places as possible, to learn something from as many people as you can.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your freeway. Stay traveling. B.