Past, Present, and Future

It’s been almost a year since my last trip, over a year since I last went out of state and I can honestly say, I miss the travel. I used to have a desire to travel but a small fear to go ahead and chase that desire of travelling. After a few small solo trips and one massive trip with just myself and mom, that desire for travel has come out into a full place case of wanderlust. I want to see so much more than I’ve seen. I find myself wishing for a new destination, to revisit previous vacations to find the things I missed in the last visit.

Ireland’s journey has an ever changing ever growing list of things I want to see and places I want to visit. I want to go back and see The Book of Kells in Dublin, heck I want to see Dublin University. I would love to spend more time in Sligo or in Kilarney to see what other treasures they have to offer. There is so much more that I have yet to see.

I find myself wanting to visit San Francisco again. I have seen quite a bit but there’s still Coit Tower, Union Square, and so many parts of the city I’ve yet to explore. Yosemite is a destination to revisit, perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to nail down a parking space and actually get out of the car to explore a trail or two.

There is so much I wish to see again but there is also a mile long list of places I’ve yet to see. I’m excited about my upcoming trip to Seattle where I will get to explore Pike’s Marketplace, the Seattle Space Needle and other amazing sites, but am sorry to know that heading to coast won’t be possible this journey, it’s just too far. Sadly, but there is a destination goal for another trip.

I hope one day to explore the Champs-Elysees in Paris, take in the Eiffel Tower and Louvre and view the wonder of Notre Dame. I want to explore the views in Tuscany and take in the wonders of Pisa and Rome. In the States I would love to explore Route 66, see the majesty of the Statue of Liberty, or be enchanted by the beauty of Glacier Park. Yellowstone and Old Faithful call my name as does the views off the coast of Maine.

There is so much to see, so much to explore. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see all I want as it seems every time I visit a new destination I find so much more I want to see. All I know is, I can certainly try. One day, I will look back and see all the great places I’ve visited and be able to say that I’ve had some amazing adventures. Even if that day is today, because I truly have had some amazing adventures…I look forward to so many more!

A journey to the falls

When I was a little girl, my family and I traveled to Canada, at one point we went to Niagara Falls. That was an extremely long but memorable day. Some details are still quite clear for me but other moments I find to be as mysterious as the mist that floats around that impressive fall of water. We headed up to Niagara Falls from Lake Muskoka, leaving extremely early to make it to our destination. My first impression of the falls was how big they were.

I remember we walked around the tourist areas and visited the gift shops but what I remember most is standing at the overlook off to the side of the falls and wandering through the tunnels that went up to the water. At the entry to the tunnels we were handed blue disposable ponchos to wear as protection from the mist. The roar as we headed through the tunnels was deafening, we had to shout to one another to be heard. As we neared the water I kept wanting to move closer. We had a limit as to how close we could get, the railings kept us back a little. I remember the amazing power of the falling water and was mesmerized by the constant motion. It was just beautiful.

We stayed all day and as the sun began to sink an amazing thing happened. Lights turned on and illuminated the water as it poured over the edge. I couldn't look away. My family was ready to move on but I never wanted to leave. The constant pour of surging water. The powerful roar of the falls. The cool misty air that fell over me. All pulled me, called out to me and tugged at my very core. Still today, nearly 30 years later, I can picture the falls and feel the strength within me. One day I hope to return and view the beauty of the falls from new angles. Perhaps I'll even take a tour on the Maid of the Mist at the base of the falls, or take a tour of the river upstream. One day though, I want to go back.