The true purpose of a vacation is to know how good you have it back home

OK, OK, it’s only early morning on day four of our Nova Scotia vacation; so I agree, assessment of our 2024 travel experience does seem premature. But really, things have been wild so far.

In my previous blog I described our financial challenges which I will not reprise here. Suffice it to say that we have now developed alternative credit capacity and expect to take possession of our rental car this morning. Hallelujah. I was absolutely exhausted prior to a final meeting with our new bank yesterday as we ironed out the details of new accounts for credit and debit cards. If we are somewhat tired, we are now wiser. It is hard for me to work off my laptop while travelling but a new portable stand and a new tablet makes things possible.

Admittedly, as one problem compounded additional technical and logistical problems, more than once I wondered quietly if we should just go home (though we have commitments here). I even wondered if we would ever travel again. Given my deteriorating hearing I am fast becoming a homebody.

We have had more than a few complicated travel adventures in the past, horrible in the moment but a great story to tell years later. We could not figure out how to open a railcar door causing several hours delay after a long travel day. On that same trip the fire alarm at our B&B sounded at 1:00 in the morning. We did however meet acquaintances from Victoria during that early morning muster call. The cause was a failed water heater which refused to function for the next few days. We moved on shortly thereafter to a bedsit in a student area of Newcastle during “Frosh” week; Kathie sent me next door to shut up the drunken partiers at 4:00 a.m. Not fun! Not successful!!

In a different place and at a different time, a trip to a Galiano Island cabin was most unpleasant given sulfur fumes and a pit of snakes. I have written elsewhere of my first trip to South Africa here. And so it goes . . .

The comforts and predictability of home abandoned, travel is an adventure most, if not all of the time. Again, the best thing about travel is discovering how good things are back home. Canadian anthropologist and National Geographic traveler Wade Davis says that the best thing we can do for the environment (and for ourselves?) is to stay put; or as Roman Catholic musician Carey Landry used to sing “Bloom where you’re planted.”

Given the reality of dispersed family and social networks, and noting the challenges of some professions and vocations, permanent local residency is not possible for some. But for most if not all of us, less travel, especially by air has many benefits personally, socially, and environmentally.

As Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz clicks her red-shoed heels together, closes her eyes, and repeats over and over “there’s no place like home,” her wish, her prayer, comes trues as she travels many miles back to somewhere, some place, familiar.

Is this my wish today? Well not really. As the rain continues to fall, substantially, and ubiquitously, I shall enjoy “what lies before us, forsaking what is now left behind” (Philippians 3:13). This trip so far has been a series of unfortunate events, hopefully now past. See what happens.

The true purpose
of a vacation is to know how good you have it back home  OK, OK, it’s
only early morning on day four of our Nova Scotia vacation; so I agree, assessment
of our 2024 travel experience does seem premature. But really, things have been
wild so far.  In my previous
blog I described our financial challenges which I will not reprise here.
Suffice it to say that we have now developed alternative credit capacity and expect
to take possession of our rental car this morning. Hallelujah. I was
absolutely exhausted prior to a final meeting with our new bank yesterday as we
ironed out the details of new accounts for credit and debit cards. If we are
somewhat tired, we are now wiser. It is hard for me to work off my laptop while
travelling but a new portable stand and a new tablet makes things possible.  Admittedly,
as one problem compounded additional technical and logistical problems, more than
once I wondered quietly if we should just go home (though we have commitments
here). I even wondered if we would ever travel again. Given my deteriorating hearing
I am fast becoming a homebody.  We have had
more than a few complicated travel adventures in the past, horrible in the
moment but a great story to tell years later. We could not figure out how to
open a railcar door causing several hours delay after a long travel day. On
that same trip the fire alarm at our B&B sounded at 1:00 in the morning. We
did however meet acquaintances from Victoria during that early morning muster call.
The cause was a failed water heater which refused to function for the next few days.
We moved on shortly thereafter to a bedsit in a student area of Newcastle
during “Frosh” week; Kathie sent me next door to shut up the drunken partiers
at 4:00 a.m. Not fun! Not successful!! In a
different place and at a different time, a trip to a Galiano Island cabin was
most unpleasant given sulfur fumes and a pit of snakes. I have written
elsewhere of my first trip to South Africa here.
And so it goes . . .  The
comforts and predictability of home abandoned, travel is an adventure most, if
not all of the time. Again, the best thing about travel is discovering how good
things are back home. Canadian anthropologist and National Geographic traveler Wade Davis says that the best thing we can do
for the environment (and for ourselves?) is to stay put; or as Roman Catholic
musician Carey Landry used to sing “Bloom where you’re planted.”  Given the
reality of dispersed family and social networks, and noting the challenges of
some professions and vocations, permanent local residency is not possible for
some. But for most if not all of us, less travel, especially by air has many
benefits personally, socially, and environmentally. As Dorothy
in the Wizard of Oz clicks her red-shoed heels together, closes her eyes, and
repeats over and over “there’s no place
like home,” her wish, her prayer, comes trues as she travels many miles
back to somewhere, some place, familiar.  Is this my
wish today? Well not really. As the rain continues to fall, substantially, and ubiquitously,
I shall enjoy “what lies before us, forsaking what is now left behind” (Philippians
3:13). This trip so far has been a series of
unfortunate events, hopefully now past. See what happens.   

The true purpose
of a vacation is to know how good you have it back home  OK, OK, it’s
only early morning on day four of our Nova Scotia vacation; so I agree, assessment
of our 2024 travel experience does seem premature. But really, things have been
wild so far.  In my previous
blog I described our financial challenges which I will not reprise here.
Suffice it to say that we have now developed alternative credit capacity and expect
to take possession of our rental car this morning. Hallelujah. I was
absolutely exhausted prior to a final meeting with our new bank yesterday as we
ironed out the details of new accounts for credit and debit cards. If we are
somewhat tired, we are now wiser. It is hard for me to work off my laptop while
travelling but a new portable stand and a new tablet makes things possible.  Admittedly,
as one problem compounded additional technical and logistical problems, more than
once I wondered quietly if we should just go home (though we have commitments
here). I even wondered if we would ever travel again. Given my deteriorating hearing
I am fast becoming a homebody.  We have had
more than a few complicated travel adventures in the past, horrible in the
moment but a great story to tell years later. We could not figure out how to
open a railcar door causing several hours delay after a long travel day. On
that same trip the fire alarm at our B&B sounded at 1:00 in the morning. We
did however meet acquaintances from Victoria during that early morning muster call.
The cause was a failed water heater which refused to function for the next few days.
We moved on shortly thereafter to a bedsit in a student area of Newcastle
during “Frosh” week; Kathie sent me next door to shut up the drunken partiers
at 4:00 a.m. Not fun! Not successful!! In a
different place and at a different time, a trip to a Galiano Island cabin was
most unpleasant given sulfur fumes and a pit of snakes. I have written
elsewhere of my first trip to South Africa here.
And so it goes . . .  The
comforts and predictability of home abandoned, travel is an adventure most, if
not all of the time. Again, the best thing about travel is discovering how good
things are back home. Canadian anthropologist and National Geographic traveler Wade Davis says that the best thing we can do
for the environment (and for ourselves?) is to stay put; or as Roman Catholic
musician Carey Landry used to sing “Bloom where you’re planted.”  Given the
reality of dispersed family and social networks, and noting the challenges of
some professions and vocations, permanent local residency is not possible for
some. But for most if not all of us, less travel, especially by air has many
benefits personally, socially, and environmentally. As Dorothy
in the Wizard of Oz clicks her red-shoed heels together, closes her eyes, and
repeats over and over “there’s no place
like home,” her wish, her prayer, comes trues as she travels many miles
back to somewhere, some place, familiar.  Is this my
wish today? Well not really. As the rain continues to fall, substantially, and ubiquitously,
I shall enjoy “what lies before us, forsaking what is now left behind” (Philippians
3:13). This trip so far has been a series of
unfortunate events, hopefully now past. See what happens.