Travel now not tomorrow

Poor environment, bad weather or dismal economic opportunities can all lead someone to pack their bags and push off to a new life.   When this happens, we leave with optimism for change, opportunity, sunshine, the good things of life. Sometimes, we believe that leaving home will somehow change us. This is not uncommon after a loss such as death, divorce or redundancy. In this situation, we often travel alone. There are no compromises to be made when you travel solo. This type of travel is about escaping, changing surroundings and our daily schedules and gaining freedom from whatever we feel chains us. However, we can be pulled towards the new, because that is where we want to be. Escaping in the name of adventure. Heading out to an airport, train station or long-range bus terminal can give some of us a thrill. Escaping to where no one knows your name.   Oftentimes, we are warned against this type of journey. However, as Paul Coelho points out: “If you think adventure is da...

  Bus stops are good places to watch people. I often stand, leaning against a wall, observing, not judging, but looking for clues to a story. One day in a wealthy part of London, the road wide and peaceful, I watched an older woman come out of a nearby grand house. When I write that she was wearing a PVC cape, fish net stockings and heels, the outfit might give the wrong impression for a woman of her elder years. However, she had a perfectly pitched bun at the back of her head, subtle makeup and great poise. As she stopped to wait for a bus, a young man said to her, “You look very nice today, ma’am.” She nodded to acknowledge his compliment and thanked him. I felt awe. She had grace, style – her own style – and calm composure. I wanted what she had and wondered where she was going in PVC and fish nets. To visit a lover is too obvious. My preferred story is that she was visiting a husband or former lover who was in a nursing home. The style was too precise. I believe she was d...