Travel With Betsy

This is my last post on the January mega trip. I meant to post earlier, but frankly, I didn’t want to think of the trip at an end. I had such a great time…. met all kinds of interesting and fun people, saw some extraordinary sites, and ate and drank my way from one side of North America to the other side of France! Why end this adventure?! But, as usual, things…even good ones…..come to an end. And, so it is with my trip. Thus, I waited a week until the dust settled and I was back in some kind of life swing….still trying to figure out what that will be….to write the final post for this trip.

As I mentioned in one of my posts, Mike and I have been traveling together for at least 15 years. The first time we went to Europe, my mother (who has now passed) was beside herself. She told me that everyone she knew who had ever traveled to Europe died there. She was sure that I would be abducted and killed. Could happen…less likely with two people traveling together, but OK. Thankfully, this didn’t deter me from continuing on with the trip. (In those days, I was much less bold than I am now.) But, I really wanted to make sense of her concerns and so thought about this at length. I came up with two things.

First, most of the people she knew who had traveled to Europe did so during World War II. So, I guess that many of the people she knew who had traveled to Europe did die, were possibly abducted or had been hurt in some way. OK. Reasonable, in an off-beat sort of way.

Second, there was an issue of communication. At the time of my first European adventure, there were very few means for quickly communicating with people to let them know you were alive and well. Basically, there were post cards, very expensive phone calls and, later on, phone cards, most of which required you to understand 10 languages in order to decipher the instructions for use. None of these options were cheap, easy or fast. They were definitely not two way. So, I think this was her other concern. How would either of us know if there was important information to share. OK. Reasonable…more so than the World War II theory.

Travel has changed very quickly over the time that I have been traveling. So much so, that it’s almost like someone can be sitting in his own living room and still be on the trip with you! This blog is a fine example. You got all of the low down….and then some…in real time. In some cases, probably more than you wanted to have. But, there it was….for your reading pleasure!

Then, there’s the cell phone and texting. I was able to call Mike (and selected others) whenever I felt like talking. Of course, everyone was waiting for my call with baited breath! HA! But, still, I could call. I also texted a few people from time to time. Not cheap, but with the European phone packages, not too bad.

I could also email, which I did frequently as well. I was able to keep up with my work schedule at the winery and let them know that no, I wasn’t coming back from France to work at the winery in mid-January. I could also keep up with what my friends were doing, the pet sitter, the house sitter. my flights, etc. Not only that, I could make reservations for the wine tour that I could’t decide on at the very last minute in the comfort of my own little hotel room. Amazing!

Then, there’s Facebook. I was posting where I was each day, what I was doing and pictures of the hot spots for all to see. And, people were sending me notes and thumbs up at the exciting things I was doing! What more could you want? Actually…not much.

This was the third solo adventure I have taken for fun! My first adventure was a trip to Italy after attending the wedding of one of Mike’s (and now my) friends in Spain. I was between jobs (seems like that happens to me a lot! YIKES!!). Everyone else had to go back to work….not me. I went on and spent a good 3 weeks in Italy and then came across on a ship from Lisbon to Miami before heading back home. The second adventure was to Norway where I attended a conference and then stayed on for about 2 weeks to view the fjords, which, by the way, are well worth it if you get a chance.

I had a great time all around. But, I have to say that the modern conveniences of communication made this one a lot easier, less stressful and, in some ways, more fun. They almost make foreign travel a “no-brainer”, even if you don’t have a travel companion. Honestly, at times, I thought you all were right there with me having the same experience.

But, with or without the improved means of communication, there is no doubt that travel opens one up to a world that can’t be experienced by sitting in one’s living room watching the antics of the Kardashians. (I’m still not sure who they are and what they have to offer!) So, I hope my tales have inspired you to at least think about doing some travel. If not, I hope you have enjoyed my stories. I had a lot fun writing them. And, honestly, you all kept me company on the journey. I thank you for that!

So, this last trip is at at end. Sad news….boo…… But, the good news is that this end will lead to the beginning of another fun trip! We’re planning one as I write this. After all, once it’s in your blood, the adventure must go on….right?!!

So, stay tuned. I’ll be in touch!

Well, here I am back in the good old USA (in Paris) and eating a hamburger and french fries thanks to those great Marriott boys. I have an early flight out tomorrow morning….7:30 am to be exact, so I booked myself in at the Marriott Charles de Gualle. No surprises, no language barriers, no winding staircases to negotiate with my luggage….HA!! I will need to be up at about 4:00 am to begin my long journey back to the “real” USA. As I mentioned in another post, I signed up for Business Class, thanks to years of traveling for work and accumulating a mass of frequent flyer miles. I will go home in luxury….or at least with wine, some decent food, and most important…leg room! I see a full day of sleeping in my immediate airplane future!

Again, today was another exciting travel day. I told you about my train ticket purchasing encounter with the ticket agent…real communication issues. Despite that, he did a pretty good job. One thing I wasn’t expecting was that I would be taking my fist 45 minute leg on a bus, not a train. As I reviewed my ticket with the hotel staff, we realized that I was on a bus headed to Nimes and then to Charles de Gualle airport from there. This is OK. Hey, after all of my transportation adventures, I KNOW I can figure this out. The only downside is that If the bus is late, I will definitely miss the train. But, there will be a solution….there always is. Turns out, things worked like clockwork again. YIPPEE!! Made the bus, made the train and found the Marriott shuttle at the airport, thanks to the helpful woman at the airport information station. I love these people!….and, they speak English!

I am now a pro at deciphering the train tickets…found the right compartment, found the right seat and found peace. The first leg of my train ride was so peaceful. Again, it wasn’t crowded and I thought I was in heaven with my own row of seats and leg room. At about the 3rd stop, people started to pour into my compartment….you notice how I am now very possessive of the compartment. It’s mine. Anyway, about 20 very tall young women began to file in, all wearing work out sweats. Most of them spoke English and, of course chatter that I am, I had to ask them what was happening. Turns out they were part of 2 French women’s basketball teams heading for a game in L’Ille. The husband of one of the ladies was from Memphis…small world. I have never…and I mean never…seen such tall women. Some of their heads almost hit the ceiling. WOW! Big girls. It was Interesting, but they filled “my” compartment and I was no longer at peace. So, I buried myself in my book…Anna Karenina.

I started reading this book in Paris. Almost every time I do a solo trip, I pick a classic book to read. Somehow, I escaped this type of reading in my high school and college education. I really can’t believe it. But, we were never required to read the classics. So, I started at a late age. It’s actually better reading them as an older person. I think you have a much better appreciation of the plot and characters. For the most part, what I have found is that they are just really great stories. I have enjoyed my journey through the classics over the last 15 years or so. Anna Karenina, if you don’t know the story, is about happiness, adultery and deception, at least so far. It’s intriguing. It’s also been made into a movie lately, which is one of the reasons I chose it. I’m deciding on whether to see the movie….I’m thinking yes….so far..

I had some time on the train to think about my extensive trip and the things I did. What a diverse group of activities. I had fancy meals. I had cheese and baguettes. I visited museums and historical spots. I saw some beautiful vistas. I walked, and walked and walked, and walked and walked…I saw people selling their wares at markets all across the trip. I saw poverty and wealth…sometimes in the same place. I used every possible means of transportation available to get where I wanted to go. I made friends of all types and of all ages. I became part of a neighborhood. I learned to find the best strengths of the people I encountered in order to make my way and find the best opportunities to connect with the towns and the wonderful things they had to offer.

I have to say that a trip like this makes you stop and think about a lot of things. First, it’s a real confidence booster to be able to figure the whole thing out and come out unscathed. Pretty cool! But, more than that, it’s a way to connect with yourself. I don’t always want to travel alone. But, I do like it. It gives you time to think about what is important to you…what you really want. You are not moving along someone else’s agenda. You are moving along your own…doing things that are important to YOU. I think everyone should have an opportunity to do this now and then. We get so caught up in the day to day, taking care of business and taking care of others, that we lose sight of ourselves sometimes. As Cezanne points out, finding your own perspective is an important part of success.

Tomorrow, I will be back home…I say tomorrow, but it might be Sunday if there’s a glitch of any type. But, I hope that I can keep this perspective I have found on this trip as I move into the next phase of my life…..retirement…semi…. What does that mean exactly? As I get older, I find that it’s important to make the most of my time and feel good about the things I choose to do and consider them important, relevant and meaningful. I think that’s what I’ll shoot for now….one could do worse.