Entry 6 (Nov 1)
I lied! In my last entry, I said I’d talk about travel visas this month. Well, partly because of procrastination (I haven’t done any more research) and mainly because I’m currently sitting at a little table in the middle of Times Square and would rather write about cultural immersion, I’ll delay the nitty gritty blog about travel requirements until December…or January. (I better figure that stuff out.)
New York City! I love the sights and sounds, the crowds, the water towers, the hustle and bustle, the subways, the skyscrapers, the parks, the theatres, and especially that exhilarating sensation when standing on the bleachers at Times Square.
New York City is a different world than Jonesborough, Tennessee (where I currently live), nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I love my little town, but I also love the big city. And I love exploring fishing villages on the coast of Maine; and chatting with bronc riders in Cody, Wyoming; and studying the flora and fauna at Tohono Chul in Tucson, Arizona.
So many cultures to explore just in my own country! And they each offer something so lovely yet so diverse.
That’s what my husband and I will take a step further. A step outside our own country to experience cultures of other countries. We want to get to know the people and their customs, their cuisine, their traditions, and their beliefs. We want to explore their towns and learn their histories. We want to smell and hear and feel and taste each community we live and plant it in our heart and soul so a piece of it will never leave us. And along the way, I hope we can leave pieces of ourselves in their hearts and souls.
That’s why we’re doing this year abroad. Yes, we want to see the “hot spots,” the tourist destinations, but it’s not the focus of our travels. This journey is about getting to know our world and its people. To dive in a bit deeper than just breezing through. I hope you’ll tag along.
7 months and counting!
Hasta Luego,
Pam
NYC, Oct 31, 2021
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” –Mark Twain