I love to travel.
I don't know many people who don't love to travel.
Whether we travel worldwide, within our continent, our country, state or region, it's always worth it.
Travel is GOOD for you.
It opens you up to new cultures, cuisine, language, dialects, geography, attitudes, climates, and outlooks on life.
It helps you relax, breathe deeply, and release stress and tension.
When you choose wisely travel can be one of the most restorative things you do.
(Mind you, you MUST choose wisely. Travel can also be stressful, frustrating and anxiety provoking. Once you set your boundaries, know what kind of travel WORKS FOR YOU, and do your best to stick to those boundaries, getting "away" is replenishing and expansive. I, personally, am done with the rush, rush, too many places in too few days travel. If you travel abroad you can't avoid the red-eye travel. BUT get where you are going and ease into it, if at all possible.)
What came to me recently when I was walking through a beautiful park about 10 miles from my home was: "I feel like I'm far, far away from home. I feel like I'm somewhere exotic, unusual and refreshing."
I was in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve near Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
It was a cloudy day in winter and most everything was dormant, but it was still stunning.
It felt like it could be ANYWHERE tropical.
The landscape is lush, full of birds, lizard and, yes, gators.
There are 5 trails of varying lengths - 2 to 5 miles - to explore.
Take a short walk, take a long walk or one in-between.
Languish by a river or sit on a bench on a marsh.
Listen to the wind in the trees, the birds singing, and the water flowing.
It can be so quiet that you almost hear the grasses grow.
It was hard to imagine that THIS oasis was in my "backyard".
No matter where you live there are parks, preserves, reserves, sanctuaries, forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers that are made for "escape" and renewal.
Some of us spend so much time desiring to travel to far-off continents and lands we feel are much more interesting, or have much more to offer, that we miss places close to home.
(I can't tell you how many friends of mine from New York City say they've never been to the Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, the Empire State Building or ridden a ferry around the island. That would include ME when I lived in NYC!! I only visited the Empire State Building. I lived in San Francisco for several years and NEVER went to Alcatraz!)
There IS a great, big, beautiful world out there. If you CAN explore it, then by all means HIT THE ROAD.
BUT...
... if for some reason you can't fly long, long distances, can't leave home for extended periods of time, have health issues that prevent you from trekking to parts unknown, don't have the (sometimes very costly) means to traverse foreign soil, THEN discover what is in your "neighborhood".
I guaranteed there are a myriad of destinations much, much more within reach.
You might be amazed at what your town, county, state or region has to offer.
Need some ideas?
Don't hesitate to contact me and I'm happy to give you some ideas in your own "backyard".
As always, thanks for reading.
See you again next time.