A Trip or A Vacation?

 

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” Anais Nin.

I am readying myself for an upcoming trip. I hesitate to call it a vacation. A vacation is a time when we put our busy lives on pause, and intentionally seek to relax and rejuvenate ourselves. A trip is where we go out to explore the unknown, to seek out new adventures, new perspectives. To discover something about the world, and in the process, about ourselves. I am a big believer in trips versus vacations. Although I do know there are times when we need to retreat and unwind, depending on how hectic one’s life is. Mine is just not that hectic, given I now only work three days a week, and have no caregiving responsibilities other than one small indoor plant and a couple of succulents that have miraculously survived my neglect.

I always travel with only carry-on luggage, and yet, each time, I end up taking more than what I need. And each time, I lay out items in advance on a bed and try to cull. Years ago, at the height of my hiking days, I created a packing list. I saved it and now use the same list, adding or subtracting a few items. The basics have remained the same:

-          Hiking shorts, pants, vest.

-          Hiking boots

-          Hat

-          Sunscreen

-          Wool socks (two pairs are sufficient, they dry quickly)

-          Outer layers: sweater, rain jacket

-          Inner layers (not cotton)

-          Knapsack + rain cover

-          Water bottle(s)

-          Handy wipes + little plastic baggies to carry out trash

-          Kit: Bandaids, Tylenol, lip balm, vaseline.

-          Sunglasses

-          Masks + hand sanitizer (new addition)

-          Extras/Optionals: bug spray (forget it, have at me), walking poles (no, can’t go in carry-on), flashlight (no longer needed, can use phone), camera (see phone), small drying/cooling towel (when will my phone be able to do this?)

Then there’s the other list for the non-hiking days. This list is much smaller and more of a reminder about filling toiletries into tiny little jars, vitamins and medication, plug adapter, phone charger, journal, books, pens. And of course, the ever important passport + credit cards + money. The saying goes:  halve the clothes you anticipate you will need, and double the money.

So you may have surmised from the above that I am off on a hiking trip. Well, sort of. It’s a combination of hiking, exploring a couple of towns, learning Spanish (at a school) and venturing out on my first trip post-Covid.

There’s some trepidation mixed with anticipation. It’s a different world out there now, with new requirements – arrival apps, vaccination certificates, forms to be filled 72 hours prior to arrival, QR codes and masks.

What will I find? What will I discover and learn? What memories and experiences will I return home with?

This week I received an obituary of the brother of a childhood friend. He was 55. There was a line in the obituary that struck me and really resonated: “He was a big believer in seeing the world by walking through it.”

Which is my kind of philosophy on travel: Slow down, Walk through the world.

For the next couple of weeks, that is what I will be doing.

Hasta Luego.