I have been reading A Year in the World by Frances Mayes off and on over the past month. It details her travels with her husband over various seasons during various years, compiled to make a full year abroad.
Early on in the book, she touches on something that Rich and I discussed but failed to fully explain while travelling in Delores – namely, why it is that we choose to go abroad. After reading a few sentences, the explanation was perfectly clear: we travel to observe; to see what life is like in this particular corner of the globe that makes it so different – or not-so – from the life we lead at home.
Our initial time in any given spot is spent relinquishing the role of active participant and is spent, instead, getting a feel for the everyday rhythms and activities of the town. I watch, I assess, I judge – but not in the harsh sense of the word. Perhaps ‘evaluate’ would be more accurate, and different from assess because one, to me, implies mentally collating information presented to me whereas the other implies using that information to make inferences and decisions. The main question is always the same: Could I live here?
Often, the response is instinctive, formed within 60 minutes of arriving and then simply confirmed over the days that follow. Other times, the charm of a town/culture isn’t immediately apparent, but instead reveals itself in pieces through individual interactions over a period of days or even weeks.
Asking this question bears no impact on the life I lead while not travelling. It’s simply a way of focussing my attention on aspects if everyday life that are different (some better, some not) from my familiar “bubble”. What do they do here that I wish we did at home? What am I glad to be able to leave behind? What values are reflected in the behaviours here?
The cities and countries change as my world view and desire to explore develop, but always, the question is the same and the desire to find the answer is what keeps me, as a traveller, on the road.
*For more on my thoughts about travel in general, click the Travel tab on the main menu bar.
