People have asked me what is the biggest factor or experiences in life that have helped me become the person I am... there are a multitude of answers that pertain to different aspects of who I am; but the biggest is... I travel. Given a choice in going on a long distance trek I would prefer to fly and get there as quickly as possible and start my holiday--- but there is sometimes a certain magic in taking to the road... or letting the road take you on a journey of the world and self discovery... traveling takes us out of our comfort zone and throws us into a new climate of people, cultures that will eventually lead us home with new knowledge of the world and people and their ideas and sometimes who we are and what we are capable of... it's very simple really... sometimes we just need to look at and experience something new in order to take the next step or turn... my journeys have taken me from Native American Indian Reservations in the Southwest to The Taj Mahal and almost everywhere in between. I love summertime because the weather and most people are generally happier and in most places in the Northern Hemisphere you can spend long days and nights by the ocean wearing little to nothing.
With summer approaching I've been thinking about different trips I've taken alone and with friends and loved ones from Antibes to Capri and Deauville (I once daydreamed about how great it would be to be The Mayor of Deauville... the last time I was there a lovely lady named Anne D'Ornano had the job)... I've never really cared for St. Tropez or even the people who like to go there but that's another story...
OK I know what you are thinking and before you judge this book by the cover let me just tell you I have had an equally wonderful (and sometimes better) time on summer trips going to places like the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson Kansas (where the movie "Picnic" was filmed) a friend and I found it by accident on a trip from New York City delivering a car to his younger brother in Boulder Colorado who was attending the University there.
One of the reasons I appreciate these sometimes random road trips is you get to actually see the country and countryside on these trips and meet and engage with people who may have a different viewpoint and sometimes opposing ideas that can challenge you to look at all sides or different sides of the stories in life... you don't get this perk sipping Champagne at 35,000 feet in the air passing over the world... but it can sometimes get messy and a little wild... On the trip from New York to Colorado there was a moment where it was feeling like a remake of "Thelma And Louise" except we were two guys and no one died... One of the things I like best are the summer fairs that take place across the country from now until Labor Day...
There is just something magical about them to me especially as the fairgrounds and the people take on a totally different dimension when the sun goes down... I think you really get a chance to learn about people from different areas of the world at a fair... perhaps that is why politicians often go to shake hands with their constituents there... or maybe they figure it's an easy way to see a lot of people in one fell swoop and it's not a political arena by nature... For me part of the allure is I like to see what the local farmers bring in from their crop and equally the contests of what people turn those crops into like pie and jam (two of my favorite things)
I learned a very valuable lesson once of not eating too many corn dogs, pie, cotton candy and snow cones and then going on the carnival rides... (the girl below me once on the ferris wheel unfortunately learned that lesson too)
So if you need a new perspective take a short trip... but take my advice with you... never pack more than you can comfortably carry and pack things that you look and feel great wearing and are easy to take care of on route... a nice pair of blue jeans and a clean white tee-shirt and white tennis shoes can take you almost anywhere on the open road. (But take something a little more fancy too in case you find a swell place to have a meal or you get invited to a wedding or party along the way) have a few things extra in case the weather changes suddenly... it's also very important to take an open mind with you... You can't just assume because you are visiting people outside of your usual tribe that they are not intelligent and have valid points even if they may be somewhat at odds with your own belief system... but don't also assume they are intelligent and that everyone from a small town or city is open and friendly and has integrity... these are the things you have to find in people just as you have to find them in yourself. Most importantly try to fit in and not stand out too much but whatever you do be careful if you decide to go native (it's pretty easy to pull off an Aloha shirt or Muumuu in Hawaii but most people from other places look silly wearing a ten-gallon hat and leather embossed cowboy boots in rural Texas)... and perhaps one of the most important things I can tell you is that no matter where you go in the world there you are... you can't run away from your troubles but you can take a break from them to help resolve the issues or demands on your everyday life. Above all else don't tell people in other places how you do things back home... it makes them dislike you and wish you would go home.
Perhaps one of the biggest draws for me on these road trips are Diners and roadside Cafes... whenever I see one I just have to stop for a Patty Melt and fries and an iced tea and hopefully homemade pie and ice cream... and if there is a jukebox it just sweetens the deal for me.
I've taken a lot of wonderful trips by car in the US and around the world and have become closer with my fellow travelers except once... it's important to choose your travel companions wisely... I once took a trip to Florida with three other people and I no longer speak to any of them because one of them is dead, one of them is dead to me and the third just got caught in the crossfire of the condescending and passive aggressive insults and snide comments and otherwise unacceptable behavior that led me to decide to fly home instead of continuing the drive and aggravation... people say and do cruel things to each other and sometimes it's because they were raised in an environment where it's the norm and accepted as a way of living and communicating... I'm not and have never been that type of person. I closed last week by asking you to think about what motivates kindness... it's simple really; it's treating each other with respect that can be as easy as remembering a birthday and making a cake or a sincere apology for forgetting one... it's taking the time to say please and thank you and remembering that we share the planet and it's limited resources with many others... and we are all in this crazy thing called life together and if we are not part of the solution of making the world a nicer place on a daily level than we are part of the problem.
I've been in such a state of despair watching the world news and what is becoming common place today in life and living... But if we can change as individuals then perhaps we can help change the world and create the building blocks for something better for everyone... even if it just means meeting someone half way or looking at another point of view and giving it some consideration... (I leaned that in Hutchinson Kansas all those years ago) I also learned how to make prize winning strawberry jam at home...
Strawberry Preserves
5 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp unsalted butter
8 cups hulled firm ripe strawberries ( halved if large)
5 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sterilize six half pint jars and their bands or lids for 10 minutes in boiling water and place in a 190 degree oven to dry.
Pour the strawberries in a deep pot and bring to boil over medium heat... when the strawberries start to boil stir in the sugar until it's dissolved. Keep stirring so the sugar does not burn on the bottom. Bring to a boil and add butter and lower the temperature and gently boil for 40 minutes... then gently stir in the balsamic vinegar. Fill the jars leaving about a half inch of head space... wipe the rims and set the lids on and tighten loosely.... now process in a water bath on high heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and continue to process in the water for another five minutes. Remove the jars... if you are using screw top lids you should hear the pop that let's you know they sealed properly shortly after removing them from the water bath. Allow them to rest for about six hours... tightly seal the lid and store in a cool dark place (for up to a year) refrigerate after opening. (I sometimes use pint jars and you should process them for 15 minutes at a boil and another 5 after the flame has been turned off)
I've always come home from the world having learned something new about it and myself... but if truth be told right now I would rather be in Deauville eating Madeleines (even stale ones from yesterday dipped in my afternoon tea--- a la Marcel Proust)
... maybe next week I'll give you my secret Madeleine recipe... until then happy travels but remember if you don't want to take the time to see the sites along the way... then book a flight... but don't forget to bring home some salt water taffy.
