People ooh and ahh about my trip through Canada and Alaska. Sounds great, what a life, how cool. The truth, however, is that my daily life is not much different than it was before. I do the same routines here that I do in my “normal” life, like walking Tango in the morning while drinking that first cup of coffee, writing, cooking, grocery shopping, and laundry. Furthermore, I feel the same things that I do on any other day. Sometimes happy, fulfilled, stimulated. Other times lonely and bored. The stereotype of the enlightened, all together, the happy-go-lucky traveler is just that – a stereotype. Travel does not suddenly change my life in significant or in readily apparent ways. I gain experience and knowledge that might serve me someday. I have images burned into my mind and soul. How could I ever forget seeing Denali at 10 PM with the late summer sun still reflecting off the North Peak? But do these experiences truly change my life? Am I a better citizen or less self-absorbed? Maybe not at first. Maybe over time. And if I do become a better person it is mostly because I have had time to think something through. Time to let an awareness of something important settle in over me. Time to unravel a messy knot. As documented first many thousands of years ago (Homer’s Odyssey, etc), the classic pull to travel is to find the time and space to let life’s lesson sink in.
The other sides of travel? For me, it is all about the scenery and wildlife. I am called to the fabled places, like Denali National Park. I am lured to open vistas and amazing creatures. Mountains, river valleys, grizzlies, Dall sheep, whales, exotic ducks. They bring moments of unexplained joy that I cannot resist. Likewise, I am drawn to learn about the natural forces that carve out an area and the dynamics of the wild world that I see. It is the seeing and the learning that makes me feel alive. Why? Some people are just hard-wired to seek the earth’s grandeur and its intricacies. I think most people – especially retirees – travel to learn about different worlds, natural or otherwise and to meet interesting people. Sometimes it is that simple.
I know lots of people now who travel for at least part of the year and I would say that traveling as a learning experience is the draw for all but two types of people. Type A travels as a way to run from things. I have no idea what they are running from (inner discovery can be an ugly thing) but they run from place to place, zigzagging across the country, stopping at every roadside attraction, museum, show, and amusement park. They leave a place if they don’t find enough to do, always looking for the next thrill rather than sitting still and finding out what rides their tail. Type B is the traveler who still thinks that a perfect life exists out there and if they travel enough they might find it. I know both types and I believe that Type A and Type B are both avoiding a long, inward look at themselves and travel is merely a distraction. It beats drinking or other destructive avoidance behaviors, for sure! But sometimes the traveler must sit still to find themselves.
Today for me? Daily routines in a spectacular setting; a life made richer by the sight of a distant grizzly digging around on the riverbanks at midnight with the sun shining off his ginger-colored fur. It was worth the long trip and all those rainy days!
Savage River, Denali National Park
