Soul Travel
On my first trip to France I was 29 years old. I had dreamt of going to France since the summer between the fifth and sixth grade, right after I had finished my first semester of grade school French. Even more so after I read A Tale of Two Cities
It took a long time to get there, a long time to organize (ie: buy a one way ticket), and it wasn’t until my father had passed away and left me a little money that I could afford to go. And even then, it was still a few years before I got away. I had gone through art school and university and honed down my desire for visiting France to a desire of visiting the city of Paris – although that first trip was a long one and I visited many more places along the way.
I feel at home in Paris. I feel more at home in Paris than anywhere else I’ve ever lived in or traveled to. I have often wondered about this feeling, which happens to be a feeling in my heart. Like love. But more like home. I have often wondered if it was borne out of my French and Art History professors’ passion for the art, culture, and language of the place, that their passion had rubbed off onto me, or if it was, or is, something deeper within me.
Within Paris there are places that I visit often. Like the Basilica of Saint-Denis. The Winged Victory in the Louvre. And Rodin’s museum. Why? I do not really know, but I feel a connection to these places.
To this day, when I travel to Europe, I fly in and out of CDG, the international airport in Paris. If my destination is somewhere else, then I take the train from there, after spending a week or so (sometimes a month) acclimating to the time change.
Other places have called to me, either by my contemplating on where in the world to go next, or by sheer random invitation. If you believe in reincarnation, and I do, I have often thought that because of the ease of travel in this lifetime I am compelled to travel to places where I have lived and loved before. I also believe that invitations that appear to be random are not, not really, and it only takes a moment or two of contemplation to decide if they are right for me at the moment.
The next time you are thinking of making a trip or traveling to some far flung destination, sit with yourself for a moment and ask yourself where your next destination lies. You may be surprised at the answer that follows, but give it some serious consideration.
The soul always leads in the right direction.
Tags: soul travel
