Traveling

I’ve traveled a lot (mostly for work) and it’s one of the things I enjoy most. And considering I will win the lottery sooner rather than later, my traveling experiences will only grow. Along with all this, seeing new places, experiencing new things, always inspires me (most of the time after I’ve returned home). From all I’ve seen, however, ideas grow. They blossom within my mind like spring flowers. They are cultivated like fields of wheat. And they are harvested like autumn crops. Traveling is what makes my thoughts go round.

In all the places I’ve traveled outside the United States (mostly Europe), 3 places have held my mind and body more than any others. Those places in order of preference are: Rome, Tel Aviv, and Paris. Rome for its food, history, religious aspect, and architecture. Tel Aviv for it food, people, and its surrounding significance in the religious world. Paris for its food.

I say Paris for only its food, but it is more than just that, though it’s the only thing that sticks out in my mind. My first impression of Paris (some 25 years ago) was that I’d never want to return. The people were snobby. Since then I’ve been back a few times and each time my impression has changed. Not only have the people gotten more tolerable, I have become more worldly, my palate has changed, and I have (at times) become as snooty and standoffish as most Parisians. Really though, if not for a friend named Simon, I doubt I would’ve gotten to know the real Paris, and still I’ve only received a glimpse of it.

As for Tel Aviv, the city and its people can only be called wonderful. With danger surrounding them on three sides, and the Mediterranean on the fourth, they’ve come to appreciate every day they are not threatened by war. They live life. They are full of energy. And they treat visitors as if everyone was a dignitary. Beyond that, though, is Jerusalem, Eilat, the Dead Sea, and so much more. Everywhere you turn there’s a significant historical place. And no matter your religion, you realize this little strip of land was the center of it all for a very long time. It’s awe inspiring.

And then there is Rome. I could dine on the architecture for decades and never go hungry. I could drink in the ambiance for centuries and never go thirsty. It is the main course which need no dessert, though a simple trip to the Vatican provides one. In a sentence, Rome is the center of the modern world. It brought about democracy, higher thought, and much of science. It is both slow moving and fast paced. Its like witnessing a festival of oddities where anything and everything is only a cab ride away. It’s my favorite place, and yet there is still so much I want to see.

Beyond these three cities, I have still yet to breathe in Greece or smell Madrid. Maybe one day I will and my short list will change. Until then, I dream of them all.