Traveling

     Snow was starting to fall outside and the weathermen were predicting a rough morning. I was content to sit near the window and enjoy the scene from inside the warmth of my house. There was a book I was reading so I wouldn’t be bored if the snow got high enough to keep me indoors. 

    Watching the snowflakes accumulate brought back memories of hiking during the winter months in the Laurel Highlands, visiting the mountains near Port Angeles Washington and driving through snow storms in West Virginia. Visiting Stonehenge on a New Years Day popped into my mind along with a visit to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.  Driving through the snowy German countryside, those were the days!

               

                                                        (Not my shots)

    I haven’t been on an airplane in ages. New York City is the furthest I’ve traveled lately and it definitely whetted my appetite for another visit.

    Due to the current state of our world, the amount of traveling has decreased everywhere. Whether it is because of fears of the pandemic, travel restrictions, the dropping of the economy or just worries about the general safety of visiting foreign places, people seem to be leaving their homes less than before.

    No matter what your reason may be, the opportunities for travel are always with us. There are numerous ways to leave your house without stepping out the door!

    The internet has provided ways that you can work without leaving the house, why not travel also? Whether it is to research places you’ve always wanted to visit or by watching other people’s adventures, you can visit the world while sitting in front of your laptop or TV.

    My own personal means of traveling without leaving the house is via literature. Books have the ability to take us to places we’ve never been to. We can learn about the citizens, the economy, their language and their weather. We don’t have to learn a new language to travel across an ocean. There is no need to take a two week vacation or to spend thousands on expenses.

    Of course, there will be some things missed such as the smells, the tastes of unknown foods and the excitement of trying to figure out foreign languages. Granted there is nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING that can compare to actually going to a new locale. But, reading can come mighty close!

    A good author can describe those smells and sounds along with the excitement of new experiences. They can share joys and the insecurities of travel along with the wonder of seeing things never thought of before. Good writers can take you along on their journey and make you feel as if you are experiencing it for yourself. If you want to, they can also take you to places inaccessible to man such as to the moon or other planets or even the center of your mind! They don’t have to be just non-fiction!

    Looking at my shelves I quickly pulled out some books that have taken me on various trips. I didn’t look long or hard, I just grabbed a couple. These are a few of them.

     A long time favorite of mine is Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck. Written towards the later part of his life, the book tells about his journey across the United States in a pickup-truck along with his pet dog, Charley.  This book never fails to excite the traveler in me. How much of it is factual and how much is fiction…it really doesn’t matter.

    The Wheels of Chance by H.G. Wells tells about a man’s bicycle journey across the English countryside and the meeting of a young lady while on his trip. The book describes the scenery and also describes a time when the automobile wasn’t a constant user of the roads. Wells was a cyclist himself, perhaps drawing from his own experiences when he wrote this story. I read this book when I was an avid cyclist myself, it helped pass time on a few of those rainy Pittsburgh days.

    Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin describes for us the authors attempt to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world. After his failure to get to the top he takes us into the villages in the lands below. His book not only explores the mountain tops of the Himalayas but also exposes us to the living conditions of the people who live with these majestic mountains in their backyard. He took me to a place I would love to visit, but I know I never will.

    Is it more than just scenery, oceans, seas and mountaintops that interest you?  Jules Verne takes us on an exciting trip in, Journey to the Center of the Earth. First published in France in 1864, one hundred and fifty eight years ago, it still tells a great story. Professor Lindenbrock believes that there are volcanic tubes which lead down to the center of the earth. He and his nephew and a guide go into an inactive volcano in Iceland and eventually return to the surface in Italy. During their adventure they discover an underground ocean and prehistoric creatures along with other dangers that threaten their journey. I read this first in grade school but I still find it an enjoyable bit of travel in my sixties!

    A completely different type of trip is told by John Waters in his book Carsick. Partially fact and partially fiction, (?) he tells about the time he hitch-hiked across the country. He carried a sign saying, “I’m not psycho!” It is a fun story that sometimes delves into his weird mind. When you’re reading it, consider who it was that wrote it. Enjoy your trip!

    To round out my little batch of books, I pulled out Walking With Spring, written by Earl V. Shaffer. In 1948, the Appalachian Trail wasn’t in the same shape that it is now. There was neglect in the marking of the trail and sections were filled with blow downs and were rerouted due to lack of manpower during the war years. Shaffer, a vet, decided to hike the trail from one end to the other. He ended up doing it twice and wrote this book shortly afterwards. He was the first documented person to walk from one end to the other in one continuous hike. If your idea of a trip is one by foot, this is a great read for you and while you’re reading it, you just might get excited about going out and doing some hiking yourself! 

    These are just a few books that I pulled out. All took me on journeys to different places. Whether they are non-fiction or just the imagination of the author, either way, they took me on a journey. The only danger consisted of staying up too late while I was reading!

    Books are literary travel agencies! Who know where you might end up when you open the cover of a book.

    I love to go to places I’ve never been to before. The best way to travel is in person but as I get older the circle of my travels has decreased. I do know that more adventures await me but for the time being, my next big adventure is right here, in-between the pages of my books!

    So, grab a book and let it snow!