That Itty Bitty ol' Travel Bug

High above the city of Tegucigalpa

The rest of October will be spent traveling for me. I always look forward to trips and contemplate on the new experiences I'll have, the fascinating things I'll see, and the interesting people I'll meet along the way. Part of my travel time will be spent in Honduras where my daughter lives. Even though I have now lost count of the times I've visited this "adopted country," I still look forward to visiting every year because each trip brings a new exposure that I didn't have the year before. 

When the plane is approximately 15 seconds away from touching down, the tiny huts built into the hillsides come clearly into view and I recognize nothing that is familiar as I do when I come into Atlanta upon my return. The little houses are colorful and close together, representing so very well the people who make Honduras their home. It is a close-knit people but, in spite of the language barrier, I have always felt so very welcomed. Of course, my Hollie has gone before me and I ride the coattails of her reputation that she has built in this foreign land (AND her fluency in Spanish!). I am well-received by virtue of the fact I am her mother. The family unit in Honduras holds parents in high regard and we in the USA could definitely learn something from the Hondurans on that. It's always a joy to experience their culture and to have a tiny glimpse into my daughter's world and the life she has created there with her little family. I will not be able to blog much from there (if at all) because the internet isn't reliable to say the least, but I always return home with great inspiration upon which I draw for future blog posts. Technology is quite a few years behind there, but the slower pace of life more than makes up for that. Is living without the internet sometimes really that hard? Some would say yes, of course. But I've found from experience that it really isn't. We are forced to slow down, accept a bit of the unknown, and find things absent of technology to focus our attentions upon. Like the great outdoors. And people. And new adventures.

Even when I travel just short distances, whether it's to the beach or the mountains or to visit family in a neighboring town, I find inspiration in travel. To experience new things and to see the world from a different perspective makes traveling my number one source of inspiration. Viewing the planet from my little corner of the world will only suffice for so "long," then my "longing" to travel comes on like a terrible thirst that will only be quenched with a trip! To travel is to learn, to grow, to experience, to see, to conquer, and to coexist with others who are different, in places that are totally unfamiliar. To be in a new place you know nothing about forces you to call upon your adventurous spirit and your will to survive. Traveling is the best way to extend your personal borders, go beyond your personal comforts, to learn tolerance for those who are not like you, and literally see the world one town, one village, one geographical pinpoint at a time. 

Sooo...if you don't hear from me for awhile, no worries. I'll be taking my turn on the hammock with the beautiful Honduran hillside in my rearview.

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