The open road

I guess there is a certain comfort in travel being born of parents who were not born in the US.  My parents were smart and planned the summers ahead enough to get them off.  My sister and I traveled to summer sleep away camps, dance camps and stayed with family out of the country over the school break.

I find you learn so much in travels.  What is it about an open road that welcomes new adventures and new understandings.  It is a gift to experience something new and to get out of the usual surroundings.  You take in the sites, leaving you in the present moment.

I have been in snow in June in the Rocky Mountains.  I have viewed the Presidents at Mount Rushmore as well as Crazy Horse in South Dakota.  I have seen bears live more than I would like to admit.  I have been steps away from an alligator in the wild.  I have our National Parks to thank for this as much as my travels.

I have taken every mode of transportation available thus far.  One year, when a huge snow storm hit the east coast, it took me a plane, train and automobile to get home on one trip.  These are only  a hint of my domestic travels, my adventures abroad have even begun in my home airport.  Gloria Steinem writes about what she has learned from her travels in her new book, My Life on the Road.  I probably could write two books about my experiences on the road at home and abroad.

We have to figure out how to take the breaks like the ones we get on the road.  It can be a break from the normal, a break from all we know.  It can be a break from everyday pressures and a well needed mental break.  What is it about the open road that clears our heads, and rejuvenates the soul?  What is it about the open road that opens up new pathways and can help us easily change direction?  What is it about travel that expands our minds and hearts?