To Travel Is To Live

We traveled from Maine to northern New Jersey yesterday.  It rained (it was a downpour) most of the way.  We arrived in New Jersey by late afternoon and spent a pleasant and restful evening visiting with my brother and his wife.  We enjoyed a delicious lasagna dinner.  This morning we continued our visit and sat around the breakfast table much longer than we had anticipated.  But we have no regrets about that!  It was good time!

It was almost noon by the time we got on the road again heading toward home.  The sun was shining.  We drove through High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest in northern New Jersey, then crossed the Delaware River and drove south through the Delaware Water Gap National Wildlife Refuge and a small section of the Poconos, enjoying the “laid-back drive,” the landscape and fall foliage.  But then came the real challenge.  We entered the race course known as the Northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The speed limit is 70 mph most of the way—but 18-wheelers and  many of the other vehicles on that stretch of road seemed not to be aware of that limitation.  All I can say is that we survived the ordeal and eventually arrived home in one piece.

Traveling has its highlights and its challenges.  It has both lonely, quiet country roads and its frantic freeways and turnpikes.  You cannot have one without the other when traveling.  Travel is just real life—ups and downs, good times and bad times, pleasant moments and frustrating moments.  Hans Christian Anderson had it right, “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live.” 

I love to travel!  I love to live! I will travel any where, every where, any time. You see, once you’ve traveled, the trip never really ends, not ever. It is replayed over and over again in the quiet chambers the mind and the heart.  Now that I am home, I’m already thinking about the next adventure on the road again.  I’m already thinking about my next visit to Maine.  Maybe I’ll see a moose next time?  Maybe I’ll have two lobster instead of one?  Oh, I just can’t wait to get on the road again!