Honeymoon in Italian translates viaggio di nozze. Most literally, it means wedding travels or the trip of the wedding. I prefer this translation for I believe it can mean two very different things. One meaning is the most obvious and literal, the actual honeymoon where the bride and groom ride off into the sunset for a resort in Mexico. The other meaning is a trip that combines wishes and dreams into a matrimony with reality. It is the trip that we all hold dear, the one we place on this shelf until at some point in time we take it and go. We circled the purchase button as though we were Continue Reading
An Oddball in Search of Oddities on the Road to New Orleans
Stevie Nicks belts out “Dreams” countless times on the radio during my long drive down to New Orleans. It is a song, like most I gather, about wronged love, dreams foiled and hope at the end of the storm. One line sticks with me most, “Like a heartbeat drives you mad in the stillness of remembering what you had and what you lost.” I don’t feel my heartstrings tugging over a wronged relationship, but rather my heart beats for the road. It drives me almost mad as I search for reasons to be on the road, the zaniest of roadside attractions. These roads come into my travels, I have them for a time Continue Reading
Come September: My Travel Plans For Fall
In the film Come September, Rock Hudson plays a wealthy businessman, who every year, heads off to his villa in Italy for September. He decides he can’t wait until September and arrives early, only to find that his assistant taking care of the Italian villa has turned it into a 5 star hotel when he isn’t in the country. You can imagine the hilarity. It is a Rock Hudson movie after all. I have always loved this movie, mostly for its setting in Italy. What I didn’t realize is that old Rock was right. September is the perfect time to travel. For me, September is almost more of a January, a Continue Reading
Showers, Smells and Excuses on Travel Planning
I awoke yesterday morning, just like every other. I headed down to start the coffee. I took a sip and began writing away the morning. By noon, I figure I should join the human race and shower. I had bought a shampoo I also brought to Italy last summer. Lathering up, I was suddenly transported to that turquoise and yellow bathroom in Florence. It is amazing how a simple smell of recognition can bring you back to a time, to a place and most importantly to a state of mind. The smells of travel are what remind me to get out of my routine. I might put on a certain perfume or lotion I brought to Continue Reading
When Humanity Takes Flight
He looks out the window in awe, even before take off, fascinated by the loading of baggage onto the plane. He turns to his mother with a beaming smile. In flight, he keeps his eyes glued on that window, occasionally pointing out cars he sees, landscapes he wonders about. When it is all over, the pilot thanks the passengers for flying with the airline today. The 6-year-old shouts, just loud enough for a few rows back to hear, “You’re welcome. It was fun!”. A few travelers quietly laugh as he thanks his dad profusely for taking him on his first flight. It is another routine flight for me, one Continue Reading
Just One Please
“Are you looking for inspiration?” he said. I nodded as he gave my passport a beating with a green stamp. “Well, good luck.” I wasn’t exactly sure what border control had in mind. Was it a good “good luck” or one more of sarcasm? It quickly didn’t matter as my days in Ireland came and went. After spending a month in the country traveling solo, I am now a firm believer in taking a trip alone, however big or small. While the customs agent was referring to my occupation as a writer, for me, the inspiration I was looking for was not just for my job but also for myself. Solo travel can only make Continue Reading
Inconclusive Opinions About All Inclusive Resorts
A pool swirls around outside my balcony. The waves of the Pacific rock me to sleep at night. Unlimited food, towels and sun seem to be the motto at all inclusive resorts. Not that I’m complaining about these perks, but I keep having this sensation I am somewhat trapped here. I look around the pool at my all-inclusive resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. The crowd is mostly English speaking, but a few Mexican tourists seem to have come here for a winter break. I can hardly believe it’s winter here as I load up on my SPF 70 sunscreen. Older couples and families make up this crowd. Toss in a few Continue Reading