“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
I am not an accidental tourist. With my methodical, consistent approach to travel, I could never be accused of being haphazard or unintentional. I prefer to think of myself as a thoughtful and purposeful traveler.
After a two-and-a-half-year travel hiatus imposed by the pandemic, my spring trip appears to actually be materializing before my eyes. I feel so out of practice in all my preparations and fearful of traveling again. The day of departure arrives finding me a bit tired and perhaps a little anxious rather than excited to travel again. The ride to the airport feels a bit surreal. Rolling my luggage through the airport’s revolving door, I begin to recover my travel legs. Walking to the airline check-in counter starts to feel a bit normal, like my body remembers this exercise deep in the cellular level even through my brain cells are racing.
Evidence of the pandemic is visible from the covered faces with obligatory masks to the addition of hand sanitizer bottles randomly placed throughout the airport. Travel is both the same and yet different from the “Before Times.” The flight is uneventful, thankfully, except for the toddler in the row in front of me who ostensibly is too young to read the “memo” that it’s time for sleep on this overnight flight. I arrive at my destination a little worse for the wear.
My plan to have at least the first half of my trip to be in places where I’ve been before is solid. Yet even the familiar is unfamiliar. The driver for the hotel has retired. The front desk staff I used to see are no longer there. I feel untethered as my expectations based on what used to be unravel. Times have changed. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto!
In fact, we are in Paris with all its glamour and fashion, the plethora of art and ancient cathedrals, all against the backdrop of the Seine with its picturesque bridges. I will never tire of its beauty in the hustle and bustle of a big city, yet with the calmness and serenity found in its many parks. The familiar is transformed as I view this City of Light with different eyes.
To get to know this city is to look beyond the tourist attractions and focus on the everyday life of the Parisians here, to learn their unique history, sample their delectable cuisine, and walk the concrete sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Buying a Métro card and feeling very Parisian with my purchase, I ride the train to my various destinations – a perfume workshop, a classical concert in a simple but old church, a food tour of Les Halles where for centuries farmers sold their wares.
Along the way, I meet people who share a smile or a kind word, who are helpful in sorting out the differences that can trip up even the most intrepid traveler. All too quickly, my time in France comes to an end.
I navigate all the logistics that enable me to be transported to another country, one I’ve never visited. Stepping even further out of my comfort zone is both taxing and exhilarating. On to Croatia I go! Not knowing what to expect and being constantly surprised with Croatia’s beautiful coast, I lean into the unknown and sample it, savoring its newness, its uniqueness, and the living-in-the-moment that travel so creates.
Serendipitous moments happen, particularly if I am open to it. At breakfast in Zagreb, I sit at a table draped in linen and study the menu. The young waiter arrives to take my order. I ask about some menu items. And then, as I am fascinated with languages, I ask him how to say “please” in Croatian. I’ve been practicing this and other words like “hello” and “thank you,” but I want to ensure I’ve got this one right. He tells me and then apologizes because his native language isn’t Croatian. Curiously I ask him where he is from. When he says “Ukraine,” my reaction is truly visceral at the mention of this war-torn country.
This young man and his family left Ukraine at the time of the Crimean annexation. He shares that he wants to write a memoir about his experiences, but he thinks he is too young. I encourage him to start writing now as his experiences so far would be interesting to read. It’s a poignant moment, of sadness over his family’s loss at leaving their country but a salient moment when we connect on the writing and publishing of such a book. Curiosity opened a door that morning to an encounter that could have far-reaching consequences. In that moment, I feel part of something larger than myself and I gain a glimpse into another person’s world, one that is very different from my own.
Traveling is more than playing tourist. While we often hear we are to leave no carbon footprints, I would argue that a traveler, not a tourist, leaves an indelible footprint, a carbonless one that has the power to change the people and places encountered just as travel has the potential to transform the traveler themselves.
May we journey through life as a traveler, not a tourist. May kindness and encouragement be the footprint we leave behind.
Lord, thank You for always going with me wherever I go. I do not need to fear. While close encounters often seem random or serendipitous, You are not surprised. Help me to be open to what You’ve planned for me. May my words and actions be kind and encouraging to whomever You place in my path. Amen.
Text and photograph copyright © 2022 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Dubrovnik’s West Harbor, Croatia.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
I am not an accidental tourist. With my methodical, consistent approach to travel, I could never be accused of being haphazard or unintentional. I prefer to think of myself as a thoughtful and purposeful traveler.
After a two-and-a-half-year travel hiatus imposed by the pandemic, my spring trip appears to actually be materializing before my eyes. I feel so out of practice in all my preparations and fearful of traveling again. The day of departure arrives finding me a bit tired and perhaps a little anxious rather than excited to travel again. The ride to the airport feels a bit surreal. Rolling my luggage through the airport’s revolving door, I begin to recover my travel legs. Walking to the airline check-in counter starts to feel a bit normal, like my body remembers this exercise deep in the cellular level even through my brain cells are racing.
Evidence of the pandemic is visible from the covered faces with obligatory masks to the addition of hand sanitizer bottles randomly placed throughout the airport. Travel is both the same and yet different from the “Before Times.” The flight is uneventful, thankfully, except for the toddler in the row in front of me who ostensibly is too young to read the “memo” that it’s time for sleep on this overnight flight. I arrive at my destination a little worse for the wear.
My plan to have at least the first half of my trip to be in places where I’ve been before is solid. Yet even the familiar is unfamiliar. The driver for the hotel has retired. The front desk staff I used to see are no longer there. I feel untethered as my expectations based on what used to be unravel. Times have changed. We are definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto!
In fact, we are in Paris with all its glamour and fashion, the plethora of art and ancient cathedrals, all against the backdrop of the Seine with its picturesque bridges. I will never tire of its beauty in the hustle and bustle of a big city, yet with the calmness and serenity found in its many parks. The familiar is transformed as I view this City of Light with different eyes.
To get to know this city is to look beyond the tourist attractions and focus on the everyday life of the Parisians here, to learn their unique history, sample their delectable cuisine, and walk the concrete sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Buying a Métro card and feeling very Parisian with my purchase, I ride the train to my various destinations – a perfume workshop, a classical concert in a simple but old church, a food tour of Les Halles where for centuries farmers sold their wares.
Along the way, I meet people who share a smile or a kind word, who are helpful in sorting out the differences that can trip up even the most intrepid traveler. All too quickly, my time in France comes to an end.
I navigate all the logistics that enable me to be transported to another country, one I’ve never visited. Stepping even further out of my comfort zone is both taxing and exhilarating. On to Croatia I go! Not knowing what to expect and being constantly surprised with Croatia’s beautiful coast, I lean into the unknown and sample it, savoring its newness, its uniqueness, and the living-in-the-moment that travel so creates.
Serendipitous moments happen, particularly if I am open to it. At breakfast in Zagreb, I sit at a table draped in linen and study the menu. The young waiter arrives to take my order. I ask about some menu items. And then, as I am fascinated with languages, I ask him how to say “please” in Croatian. I’ve been practicing this and other words like “hello” and “thank you,” but I want to ensure I’ve got this one right. He tells me and then apologizes because his native language isn’t Croatian. Curiously I ask him where he is from. When he says “Ukraine,” my reaction is truly visceral at the mention of this war-torn country.
This young man and his family left Ukraine at the time of the Crimean annexation. He shares that he wants to write a memoir about his experiences, but he thinks he is too young. I encourage him to start writing now as his experiences so far would be interesting to read. It’s a poignant moment, of sadness over his family’s loss at leaving their country but a salient moment when we connect on the writing and publishing of such a book. Curiosity opened a door that morning to an encounter that could have far-reaching consequences. In that moment, I feel part of something larger than myself and I gain a glimpse into another person’s world, one that is very different from my own.
Traveling is more than playing tourist. While we often hear we are to leave no carbon footprints, I would argue that a traveler, not a tourist, leaves an indelible footprint, a carbonless one that has the power to change the people and places encountered just as travel has the potential to transform the traveler themselves.
May we journey through life as a traveler, not a tourist. May kindness and encouragement be the footprint we leave behind.
Lord, thank You for always going with me wherever I go. I do not need to fear. While close encounters often seem random or serendipitous, You are not surprised. Help me to be open to what You’ve planned for me. May my words and actions be kind and encouraging to whomever You place in my path. Amen.
Text and photograph copyright © 2022 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Dubrovnik’s West Harbor, Croatia.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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