Notes to Self

I found this travel meme written by Mike over on Vagabondish and thought I’d give it a whirl. He asks to list out the five reasons why I travel.

1. Wanderlust. Lust being the operative part of that word. I lust for cultures I do not live in, languages I do not speak, food that I did not grow up eating, and history that I was not part of. You could also call it a drive or a passion, but I think there is a reason why it is called wanderlust.

2. Exapanding my boundaries. There are two types of people in the world. Those that are comfortable with the boundaries of home and those that aren’t. I’m not. I find home, wherever that is, to be a place of rest and restriction, while travel, wherever that is, is a place of rejuvination, discovery, and expansion. Travel expands me in the same way that a good book does. Except that I’m living it rather than reading about it.

3. Meeting people. I’m a very social animal and love to meet people from all cultures, all ages, and all types. I love to have conversations to see what makes people tick.

4. Landscape and Architecture. I love to look at and photograph landscapes and architecture. It’s almost as important as meeting people.

5. Art. I love to find great art, whether it’s in a museum, a cafe, an artist’s studio, or out on the street.

Tag: Anyone who reads this can write their answers in the Comments area or write a post on your own blog with a link back :)

Really, now, it’s a blog post! I got tagged with a ROAR for Powerful Words Award by Pam over at Nerd’s Eye View.

A Roar For Powerful Words is the chance to scream from the mountains the good news about the powerful posts that are produced every day in the blogosphere, despite what some mainstream columnists and journalists claim. — The Shameless Lions Writing Circle

The rules are:

1. List three writing tips.

2. Pass the award on to three more bloggers.

(I kind of think one of my other blogs would be a better candidate in the spirit of this award, seeing as it is actually creative non-fiction, but nobody reads it, so I’ll graciously accept the ROAR meme award for this blog :)

Here are my three writing tips for writers in general:

1. I’m under the opinion that a great writer is also a voracious reader. With that in mind, read. A lot. Read everything that interests you even a little bit.

2. Write something everyday. Even if it’s just a prepositional phrase. Or a bunch of prepositional phrases in a list. Even if it’s just a string of seemingly unrelated words. Hone your metaphors.

3. Write what you know. And spend your life getting to know everything.

Here are three blogs I like to read on occasion:

All Things Stone: Jordan Clary has a love of rocks and she writes about them in a way that will make you love them too.

Shanghai Adventures of a Trailing Spouse: Kristin Bair O’Keefe lives and writes about her daily life in Shanghai.

Paris Parfait: Tara Bradford writes about her expat life in Paris, and sometimes when she is off in other places. She has a taste for brocante and poetry.

Enjoy!

We have a section on the site called With Eyes Open, a collection of intriguing, and hopefully inspiring, survey questions that are mostly about travel – experiences, memories, and observations. In that spirit here are a few questions for you to consider at the beginning of a new year.

If you could take a dreamtrip in 2008, where would it be to and why?

I think the big circuit of SouthEast Asia, including India, parts of China and Japan, might be my dreamtrip of 2008. I have no plans (as of yet) to get there, but it’s been on my mind for the last six months or so.

If you could only visit one new (to you) city this year, which one would it be and why?

Oaxaca, or Buenos Aires. Sometimes I get these strong urges to go to places I haven’t been before, as if I was supposed to go there for a reason. Both Oaxaca and Buenos Aires have been pulling me towards them. I’ve given up questioning why this is, and just try to answer the call.

If you could go back to one place this year that you’ve been to before, where would it be and why?

The Yucatan. That place has been calling me back since the day I left it. The area, on the surface, appears to have not much to offer other than jungle and heat, but there is so much there to explore and experience. This is a trip I’m really trying to put together this year, sooner, rather than later.

Do you think you might travel more or less this year than in previous years?

I’m hoping more. Because I’ve been stuck behind the computer producing this site for two solid years now. Although that stickiness brings me great joy, it is a lot of work!

What will you be looking for in your travels in 2008?

I always feel a little bit wiser, and a little bit more compassionate, when I come back from somewhere. But other than wisdom and compassion, it’s anyone’s guess – more great stories and photographs perhaps?

Tag: Anyone who reads this!

Feel free to post your answers to the questions above in the Comments area, or copy the meme and put it into a blog post with a link back to here.

And check out the With Eyes Open section of the site!