I’m trying to hold out, though, as I pay off what’s left on my credit card and build up some more leave for work. In the mean time, I’m trying to rack and stack where I’d like to go next. I’m finding that I want to travel more and more and go places farther and farther away – to see things I don’t see every day, to experience something new, to marvel in the wonders of the world. I thrive on this. It makes me who I am. Traveling causes me to think and revel and respect. I become more open-minded. I thank God for opportunities like these to open my eyes
There are some trips that are down the road for me and that I’m not ready to take yet, whether it’s for financial reasons or time off from work. But they WILL happen! I’d love to go on an African safari with my dad – but those run an easy 5-8k for at least a 7-10 day safari. I’d love to take a 4-6 week long trip around Asia, with many stops along the way. I’ve always wanted to go to Egypt to see the pyramids, as well as Petra in Jordan. That would be a dad trip, I think. I can’t imagine my mom would be very much into that. She would, however, love to accompany me on a long jaunt around Italy.
Speaking of Italy… I’ve wanted to see Rome, Florence, Vatican City, and many many small little towns that we only hear about because of foods and wine – Sorrento, Chianti, Parma, Palermo, Genoa, and Bologna are only some of them. I want to go to the villages of which I’ve never heard. I want to see where truffles come from, I want to taste the cheese off the wheel, I want to see olives pressed in front of me, and taste local vintages. I want to delight in the rich aromas and colors of outdoor markets. I want to hear Italian spoken all around me. Molto bene! Part of me would love to simply rent a house in a small village, ala Under the Tuscan Sun, and live amongst the locales. Am I just dreaming? I’d love to make this a reality. Or maybe totally going off the map on this next trip…
