Hello California, It's Been a While

I have mixed emotions about being back at home after three months. On the one hand, it is unbeatable to spend time with loved ones. It's gratifying to swap stories and reconnect with those who know me inside and out. The sun is shining and it's 70 degrees during the day - heck, I am wearing flip flops in San Diego after months in a down parka, gloves and scarf. However, my daily life is more stressful. Cell phones, driving in traffic, "to do" lists and other logistics tire me out in a way I haven't felt in a long while.

Life becomes surprisingly simple when you live out of a backpack. That 25 pounds housed all I needed for 1/4 of a year tramping all over Europe. Can it be true? You mean I don't need a car? Or a house with the loads of items that fill it? There is no such thing as Target? I learned that I don't need any of these "things" to be happy in life. Racing from train to train to bus to train was a whirlwind of activity, whisking away from one city to the next mountain village. But as soon as that metro door closed behind us with our hearts beating quickly, a sense of satisfaction washed over as we found a pair of seats and read a book or journaled until the next stop. It was so much fun. Carefree in fact. When we missed our train or the bus whizzesd right past us, so what? It's not like we have a meeting to attend to or a dinner we can't miss. What a joy it was to live each day completely in the present moment: walking, hiking, stretching, eating and writing. I can get used to this.

Traveling all over the world for the last 10 months has widened my tunnel vision to a girth I never knew existed. And going to South America next will widen it even more. This is why I am passionate about travel. I see and experienced things I never conceived and am awed at its magic.

Now, back to my cell phone.