Travel Adventures/Travel Level of Comfort

My recent road trip to Florida made me think about both the adventure of travel and personal comfort levels involved in travel. My first long distance travel began when I was 22 and a new Peace Corps volunteer about to spend at least two years in Kenya, East Africa. My place of assignment that was undetermined at the time that I boarded the plane and, to be honest, the uncertainty wasn’t even an issue. I knew I was going beyond my present horizon.. Since then, I have traveled to other countries in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. I have also explored parts of my own country. Some aspects of my travel have changed over the years, while others have remained the same.

I have never been a traveler who has needed luxuries. Give me a clean, safe place to store my gear and sleep with minimal disruption and I am content. Four-star restaurants are not necessary (although they can be appreciated), I’d rather experience food and drink authentic to the place I’m visiting. While I’m no longer the person who spent nearly three months going from Kenya to Ethiopia, Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Amsterdam with just a backpack and a sleeping bag in 1972, I still tend to travel lightly when taking a trip that involves air or train travel. (I took much more than I needed when we drove our van to Florida, just because I could).

My travel goals have remained fairly much the same. I am more interested in seeing the place and how people live than I am visiting museums, although I recognize that museums have their value in helping understanding a place. I also prefer to get to know a few places well rather than add yet another name to “My Places That I Have Been” list. One of the things that I learned early my travels is that it is more enjoyable to travel with someone, and share the ups and occasional downs of the whole experience. I feel very fortunate to be married to someone who shares my joy of travel and has similar travel experiences in mind.

One of the outcomes of this last trip was that I started thinking about my level of comfort in different travel situations. There are some situations in which I feel very comfortable. Hitchhiking is a thing of the past (1960-70’s era) due to the less friendly, more violent world we live in. Planes and trains are fine with me, as is driving in North America. I’d rather deal with the limitations of public transportation than the driving conditions of other countries (I did have a motor cycle in Kenya). I feel comfortable exploring new urban areas, including those in which English is not a common language or in which I am a racial/cultural minority. I avoid places where violence is presently commonplace due to either political issues or wide-spread criminal activities.

An aspect of my recent road trip to Florida and back was how uncomfortable I felt in isolated rural areas. There were two instances in which I felt truly stressed, mostly for similar reasons. The first was the part of the drive from Central Florida to the Keys that took us across the top of the Everglades. The second was our drive back to Wisconsin through rural Alabama and Georgia. In both of these situations, I felt very vulnerable as a traveler. Long distances on well-kept secondary roads that contained isolated houses at best and mile upon mile without any visible inhabitants were the common worry-factor.. My stress was generated by my lack of mechanical ability and a concern that if the van broke down we’d be on our own. Yes, I have a AAA card for roadside assistance. Still, miles from the nearest town and potential “dead-spaces” of cell phone coverage made me edgy. Add the additional factor of a breakdown potential in an area that has alligators, panthers, and poisonous snakes (where the campgrounds are for daytime use only due to wildlife dangers) and you compound the issue. I am very much unlike my British friend who thinks nothing of driving his Toyota Fore-Runner off the beaten path into the sand dunes of Morocco. To be honest, our van had been fully tuned up before our trip to Florida and we were careful to fuel up before attempting long distances without towns. There was very little chance that anything bad would happen. In spite of that and the fact that there were interesting sights along those drives, there was a concern lurking in the back of my mind during those stretches of the trip.

As I sit in my wintery Wisconsin city and write this blog entry, I have very good feelings about the recent trip. Travels went smoothly and I got to explore a part of my own country that I had never experienced before. I have a better understanding of parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast and would like to spend more time there because our stay was both interesting and enjoyable. I also took many photos that I am happy with, some that need editing and will help pass the time during the cold winter months that remain. All in all, the trip was a success.

Thanks for visiting, please feel free to stop by again. I would be very interested in any thoughts that you might have on travel and comfort levels, and welcome and comments that you might share. May your own travels be interesting and enjoyable.

Kerry.