post.5.

hello friends.

my european excursion is now complete, and i am home in the throes of my native land.

it feels so wonderful to be back, but my heart aches for the beauty and simplicity i spent such a short time experiencing. and of course, my stomach aches for a croissant.

i feel a bit empty, to be completely honest, not to be surrounded by the throng of creative and unique individuals that i so recently shared everything with. isn’t it amazing how a group of acquaintances can become such a close family in only a few days? travel encourages relationship with others, i've learned, be it a person you already know, or people you don’t. sometimes it encourages boundaries, but most times it discourages them. we are a unit – in one place at one time, relishing in the community, the culture, and the sights to see.

it struck me, though, as i was reflecting on this most recent journey, that travel is so much more than mere sight-seeing. travel is food. it’s adrenaline. it’s public transportation. it’s asking for directions. it’s knowing people for who they are in unfamiliar surroundings. it’s falling in love – with places, and – if you’re lucky – people, or a person. it’s an art, when done correctly, and something i’ll never give up. travel is waking up early and coming in late. it’s scarves and boots and fashion. it’s a snapshot of a moment – in your mind, not a camera, because i don’t have one. it’s music on the street, laughing over a beer, relishing the complexity of a painting. it’s a quiet conversation with a stranger or a friend, or maybe no conversation at all. it is a gift, such a gift – one that must be appreciated, absorbed. the only gift, i think, perfect for any age, any gender, any person at that.

_____________________________________________________________________

i am regretful to have not created a better written version of my travels over the past week; however, rest assured, friends, that all is not lost. my memory is alive and bursting with much to share. therefore, my next posts will be detailed accounts of my adventures and thoughts in and on the cities of paris, bruges, and amsterdam.

the city of love, the city of beauty, and the city of temptation.