Why Do I Travel?

I am writing this post in response to a friend's comment that having read my travel blog, which she enjoyed, she has noticed that I often have mixed feelings when I travel and that this was especially noteworthy in my posts that I wrote during my second visit to Colombia.  Given how much grief Windows 10 (rammed down my throat by those assholes at Microsoft) causes my Yahoo page whenever I try to type more than one sentence, I am going to respond to my friend here on my blog, which Windows 10 screws up perhaps every fifth sentence so let's hear it for quality!  And then of course I will send her the link.

There are several variables involved in my choices of travel destination.  The first criteria has to do with where I feel called.  I know that for many people this is an odd concept and for those who don't believe in a higher being, somewhat inconceivable.  Be that as it may, that is the way it is for me.  I go where I feel called.  This doesn't mean that I will be visiting every part of the earth that interests me.  It means that I will selectively choose depending on where I feel called.

The second criteria has to do with language.  I speak Spanish with reasonable fluency as a second language.  I like to spend a month in a Spanish speaking country every year, living in Spanish, which does wonders for maintaining and raising my level of fluency.  As much as possible, when away, I live in Spanish and communicate almost exclusively in the language of Cervantes.  By the time I return to Canada I often find that I have a light accent for the first few days so, yes, I would say this is very effective.

The third criteria involves staying as open as possible to the place where I'm visiting.  This often evokes in me a plethora of responses, positive, negative and perplexed, sometimes absolutely delighted.  In my journals I try to report as honestly and candidly as possible my impressions and reactions.  There is always going to be a huge mix and part of my desire is that you, Gentle Reader, might participate with me in this process.  What inevitably happens is that an expanded sense and experience of community develops as I make new friends among the local people so that I now have friends in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia, all because of these trips that I go on,  It is kind of like an international sense of having an extended family.  Regardless of the negative experiences and reactions there is always a positive essence in these travels that often keeps drawing me back to some of these places.  This is something I can't always write about as the feelings are often so innate and intuitive.

The one remaining criteria has to do with affordability.  I live and travel on a very low income and I often have to accept certain sacrifices and tradeoffs while I'm away.  I often end up confined to places like Bogota for the very reason that I cannot afford to go much further but that's okay and I always manage to make the best of the situation.

My next destination will be Monteverde, Costa Rica, my fourth visit there.  This place feels like a second home to me.  I don't know if I will be writing my blog during this trip but it's likely that I will.