Memories and Faith in Traveling

What does a travel girl write about when she hasn’t been anywhere? When “Good to Go” has been “No Go” what’s there to tell? Memories. We rely on little trips down memory lane that bring us joy and satisfaction of a travel experience.  I’m not a big shopper, but I do buy small things that will conjure a memory for us in our daily lives. Yesterday at lunch, I had our chunk of salt and the tiny grater on a plate. We were offered a similar hunk of salt in Peru this last February. We all thought it was so fun to grate onto our food, so I bought some to bring home for our table. Yesterday’s salt reminded us of that wonderful trip, that meal, that experience.

The bacon crumbles were in a tiny colorful platter, hand-painted in Ecuador. We held the little wooden dish and remembered the market when the artisans used a riot of color on everything. Something like Pennsylvania Dutch tole art on steroids. Our little bowl brought back that trip to the handicraft market.

When traveling with Good to Go, I buy postcards that I never send during a trip.  In some of my Hunker Bunker cleaning/organizing, I happened onto stacks of these picture postcards of places I’ve been. I have mailed (sometimes randomly) about 100. A fun little memory for me and hopefully a smile from the recipient. Who doesn’t love to get a postcard in the mail?

Open up the closet of any real traveler and you are bound to find items of clothing purchased around the world. Son Caleb used to love to wear things to school that prompted the question from his buds, “Cool shirt, wher’djagitit?” And he got a kick out of answering with the exotic locale his mom had purchased it such as, “France,” or “Australia”. We’ve all got a T-shirt or 20 bought with the destination screened on the front to announce to the world we’ve been there. I’ve got a huge T-shirt with simply the word “faith” across the front. But trust me; there is a memory of how I acquired that shirt.  This past January the Good to Go Gang took a Caribbean cruise out of New Orleans. About the second day, I passed a rather big guy wearing this T-Shirt with “faith” across the chest. He smiled and spoke to me and my Perky Patti self, returned the smile with “like your shirt!” He surprised me with, “I’ll give it to ya next time I see ya!” I laughed appropriately and stepped into the elevator.

The next time I saw the big guy he had on the same shirt, this time in black. I grinned and said “like your shirt!” He remembered me, laughed and said, “Oh, yeah!”  The next time I saw him, I was sitting on the Lido deck having lunch with several of our gang. Here came my friend wearing a white “faith” shirt. He spotted me first and smiled and “This will probably embarrass me more than it will you!” and he pulled that cotton-pickin’ T-shirt over his head and tossed it to me. The shirt off his back. Well, I was more than a little surprised and I knew the back story, but you should have seen the faces of my travel friends. Jaws dropped and eye brows shot up and I’m sure their minds were a tornado of ideas on what the heck just happened.

I brought it home, washed it up and kinda laugh every time I yank it on. Faith in traveling… that’s Good to Go.

2020

I’m over this. Really over this. I’ve done the hunker bunker thing, eating my way though drawer organization, until I feel like a chunker clunker.

Social media provided a platform for people to brag about their safer at home accomplishments. Closets purged, honey-do lists crossed off, cleaning of areas until this where practically unknown to clean. Yea, I did that, too. The giant white board of projects for my guy and me to accomplish looms in the corner like a unsolved crime inspiration board. I’m happy to report most are marked off, but I keep adding to the suspects.

Let’s see....some personal favorites. I organized my greeting cards and matched them with their rogue envelopes. I emptied multiple tubs of newspaper clippings that had followed me from place to place. I called far-flung friends and actually talked to them. I got my Credentials of Ministry and was honored to perform two weddings. I binge watched The Tiger King. I took my suitcase out for a walk. I burned huge piles of downed trees and limbs....23 fires to be exact. And I wrote the word cancelled on my calendar. CANCELLED....as in, ‘it ain’t happenin’ this year’. I have written that word more times than I have in the past 20 years. Sniff.

For those whose life that was mostly inconvenienced, Covid19 will be a time of grocery pick-up and social hiatus. For those whose life had a major shift to include work and school from the house, the safer at home experience has been, perhaps, stressful but memorable. For those of us who feel like we’ve had everything ripped from us, our source of income, the ability to use our talents, and even our identity, 2020 will certainly be remembered as a year of loss.

It is a bit ironic that 2020 was the year we were blindsided. 2020 was the year we lost our vision. The buzz words “the new normal,” and “reopening” have no definition, we are in the dark. Walking blind in 2020.

This Good to Go travel girl swings from positive to positively devastated, sometimes in the same 60 seconds. The travel experts are all chiming in with their opinions of what the public will do in the future, but the future, which starts later today, is about you, our clients. YOU are driving the bus on this one. What YOU think. What YOU want to do. What YOU feel is comfortable.  WE will be ready when YOU are ready is our mantra.

“Jesus take the wheel.” I’m praying it’s sooner rather than later in 2020.

I Gotta Get Outta Here

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. It will be added to the list of events that due to Covid19 and social distancing, we had to change up our traditions. Birthdays, weddings, graduations, births and deaths haven’t been given the celebrations/memorials that were expected. We will remember 2020 as the year we were blindsided. 2020, we lost vision of normal. 2020, we couldn’t see. We are waiting as individuals, country and world to come out of the dark. We all know that most things will be different. We just don’t know how or when
 

As a travel girl, I’m getting pretty restless. There are just so many days I can  organize drawers and find honey-dos for my guy. I run my fingers over the zippers of my luggage. I stare, with desire, at my travel map. I see blank spots in the world that need pins and I need to get there while I’m still Good to Go. This must sound a bit sappy to some, but compare it with playing golf, or watching sports, or having lunch with girlfriends. THIS is what I do. THIS has been the thing that I miss.

I eased back out into the world this week. Connie, a long time friend who is also a tour director and a traveler, went with me. We packed our wet wipes, hand sanitizers and masks and took off on a road trip. We have an upcoming two day-trip to Arrow Rock, Missouri and we hadn’t been there prior. She had once seen a sign for Blackwater, Missouri and we hadn’t been there, either. So we went.

We were honestly giddy with anticipation. The green of the grass seemed more intense; we talked about Ireland. The flowering trees and blooms in beds around houses and fences were full of color; we chatted about gardens we’d visited. People were happy and smiling; we discussed past travelers that needed a “kick in the hiney.” We were absolutely thrilled to be out in the world; it was pouring rain. We did not care and it certainly wasn’t going to keep us home or dampen our spirits.

We knew that nothing was going to be open on our adventure, but we could make some decisions about the timing and good places to T.E.O. (Tinkle Every Opportunity) We knew we could see and assess the attractions that we were to visit in September, even if it was from the street. You know, we could do what we do. We did.

We rolled into Blackwater, population 155, and fell in love with this movie-setting of a town. From the old fashioned farm windmill in the center of town to the depot outside of town (the next block) this was a living postcard. We scampered from closed store to closed store, looking in. We walked every street and took pictures. We met the wine distributor. He knew people. He got us in. The manager of the beautiful  Iron Horse Hotel and Restaurant was as glad to see us and talk group travel. She graciously toured us through this historic treasure with its quaint nine rooms. Connie and I fantasized a group of ladies doing the same.

We cruised a few miles to Arrow Rock, population 57.  The entire village has been designated a National Historic Landmark through its association with Westward Expansion and the Santa Fe Trail. One shop keeper had her lovely gift shop doors open and we eased in. Her hospitality was as strong as the fragrances of the soaps and lotions filling her shelves....awaiting a buyer. We visited with a protective plastic shield between us about how we small businesses were to survive this. We chatted about the need and desire to buy American made products.  I overheard her placing an order and counting her expenses. I made a small purchase. I want her to be there when we go back.

It was a wonderful day to be out and about. Cold, rainy, hardly anything was open. It was wonderful. We got lost on a detour and now we don’t have to do that on with our motor coach. Sigh

Check out our video blog on the Good to Go Face Book or website to see some pictures, or better yet, join us on the tour.

I’m READY to GO!

I packed my overnight bag to go with the Much Older Sister to niece Jena Beth’s home to help with some flower planting, etc. My job as the GREAT aunt is to entertain the 18-month-old tot. I have to admit it was nice to have an audience again. I don’t usually have to resort to the belly button raspberries to get a laugh, but as we say in show biz, “Gotta give ‘em what they want, and leave ‘em wanting more!” It always works to pass a little time.
 

I was almost giddy packing my toothbrush and PJs. Keep in mind this was just overnight in Tulsa, but you would have thought it was the Maldives. I haven’t had drawers in a bag since February 15 when we got home from Peru and the Galapagos. For a Good to Go Girl, a blank calendar is not only very sad, but one with “cancelled” over much-anticipated trips is down-right depressing.

On that trip home from Peru, I remember my ring of the Peruvian Cross feeling tight and I pulled it off and dropped it in my travel purse. I didn’t think about it until a couple weeks into hunker bunker as I hadn’t had a reason to carry a purse or wear jewelry. I started looking for my ring. I went through every pocket and zippered pouch-came up empty-handed. When I pulled out my travel toiletry bag this week, guess what I found? It was a little present that added to my happiness. Maybe we should always leave a little something in our luggage to surprise us.

I’m not the only one ready to get traveling. I’m probably not the only one reading articles about what to expect when the crisis dust settles a bit and we are ready to hit the road. The one thing we are certain of is there is alot of speculating out there (read: guessing) and so much will remain to be seen. Here are a few things that I think might come to pass.

The big money opinion guys are thinking that domestic; within the USA destinations are going to be desirable. Historically when a crisis or tragedy occurs, Americans get a bit sentimental, patriotic and celebrate traditionally. We might not see huge numbers returning to places where there are crowds, but folks will continue “comforting” themselves in feel-good destination especially if Red, White and Blue. (Check out the Made In America trip set for August as this fits that travel desire perfectly!)

As airlines take travelers to the skies again, expect flight attendants to be wearing masks and gloves and refreshment service to be very limited if at all. Some airlines are already rolling out their passengers travel kits that include a mask to be issued to all fliers. We may see temperatures taken at check-in and those showing signs of illness will not be allowed to board. 2/3 is the number that I’m hearing of what airplane capacity will be. Wahoo! No middle seat assignment! But it will be a supply and demand market. I have my fingers crossed for some cheap flights just like you do, but we will see.

The Much Older Sister ran into the Sam’s Club while in Tulsa. She reported everything had been rearranged. The asiles were running a different direction, and she couldn’t find or figure things out. I expect our travel may be like that. It’s all there somewhere, but looks different. We just need to figure it out. 

Let’s go together. Remember I’m good for a little entertainment to pass the time!