Well, I’m off today, for the trip I’ve been waiting all my life to go on…I will travel to India!
image via Sandiv999 on Flicker
To me, India is place of ancient history, exotic lore and a mysticism that speaks to my heart and soul. My parents traveled to India when I was a child and ever since then I’ve imagined myself with a photo in the same place, in front of the Taj Mahal.
My parents in front of the Taj Mahal in the early 70’s
I love to see and learn about other cultures, to me they offer a glimpse into the wonders of the world and open my eyes and mind to much of what is possible. And, in widening my experience of what life has to offer, I feel that I have a very big back yard indeed in which to spread my wings and fly. My plan is to be on retreat from the world as I know it, to savor all that is different, and to meet up with some old friends…and new ones too. Part of the time I will be off line and in one place. And, once I start traveling around with a dear friend expect to see photos and videos on Facebook! I am overwhelmed with the support and information my friends from around the world, physically and virtually have offered me in the way of recommendations, tour guides and personal experience, all of which will combine to make this a trip of a life time!
The Taj Mahal, originally via Mundos Magicos
It will be a pilgrimage to all that is spiritual, tactile, colorful and the extremes of life. With amazing architecture, a history of both beauty and violence, and extreme wealth and poverty, it will stimulate all the senses…I can only imagine. I will be keeping my thoughts and countless photos I’m sure, all of which I hope to share with you when I come back.
With that, I’ll leave you for a month, and see you upon my return in March. In the meantime, to all my fellow wanderers, I share with you a beautiful poem on travel, sent to me by my Facebook friend, and fellow designer Terrie Hall. Enjoy, and see you soon. Cheers!
For the Traveler
Every time you leave home, Another road takes you Into a world you were never in. New strangers on other paths await. New places that have never seen you Will startle a little at your entry. Old places that know you well Will pretend nothing Changed since your last visit. When you travel, you find yourself Alone in a different way, More attentive now To the self you bring along, Your more subtle eye watching You abroad; and how what meets you Touches that part of the heart That lies low at home: How you unexpectedly attune To the timbre in some voice, Opening in conversation You want to take in To where your longing Has pressed hard enough Inward, on some unsaid dark, To create a crystal of insight You could not have known You needed To illuminate Your way. When you travel, A new silence Goes with you, And if you listen, You will hear What your heart would Love to say. A journey can become a sacred thing: Make sure, before you go, To take the time To bless your going forth, To free your heart of ballast So that the compass of your soul Might direct you toward The territories of spirit Where you will discover More of your hidden life, And the urgencies That deserve to claim you. May you travel in an awakened way, Gathered wisely into your inner ground; That you may not waste the invitations Which wait along the way to transform you. May you travel safely, arrive refreshed, And live your time away to its fullest; Return home more enriched, and free To balance the gift of days which call you. ~ John O’Donohue ~
If you have a trip you dream of…JUST GO!-image via A Certain Sort of on Tumbler
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