I am not one to run out and buy the latest model or the newest invention. On the contrary, it may be sometime before I catch up with owning what has been deemed a “must-have”. This was true with computers, e-mail, cell phones, and ipads. Yet, they have all become part of my daily life and to do without them would now be a great inconvenience.

I have just learned to take photos with my phone, modify them if desired (like the image with this post), send them electronically to my ipad and have them ready for this blog all in a matter of minutes (of course the ipad is a camera with effects too). Even with the little I know, the possibilities seem endless.

Years ago I associated computers with stifling our imaginations, and there still exists that risk, but overall I am dazzled by all the things these gadgets can do.

However, I seek a proper balance with the cherished knowns of old and the ever enticing new.

When I first started traveling to foreign lands, telephone calls were expensive and very inconvenient. It usually meant standing in line at a post office or other public communication center waiting for a phone to become available; such efforts were reserved for urgent matters.

To offer news of my days I generally mailed a postcard to my loved ones every week or so, knowing that the cards were likely to arrive back home sometime after I did. Otherwise I told tales of my voyage, later on, in person.

The pleasure of travel included experiencing a complete departure from all that was familiar, from all those I knew, and from all those who knew me.

Now, with the advancements in technology, it is common for us to stay connected with others while away.

But there is something lost when we fail to completely engage with our present environment and leave, for a time, the world we know behind.

Notions of beauty have defied definition and yet we are all capable of identifying it. Many of us look and find beauty in the usual places: museums, books, designs, magazines, people we know, people we see, parks, and beaches.

But do we forget to see the beauty that comes to us in more subtle ways? Do we catch the light falling on a building just so? Do we notice the first sign of green sprouting from a dormant tree? Do we appreciate the smile of a passerby engaged in her reverie? Do we enjoy the voice of a songbird beckoning the day?

It is easy for us to get lost in our tasks and thoughts, but it doesn’t take long to find an abundance of unexpected beauty along the way.

Some may define home as the place their ancestors lie and for others it is a place where they can be themselves.

If we have not been raised in the nation of our forebears, this need not impede our ability to identify with a new homeland.

I have been to places foreign to me and my blood; I didn’t speak the language and yet there I sensed comfort and familiarity. There are places I know well and have felt less so.

What we call home, when we feel at home, how we identity with home is personal.

I like to feel at home wherever I lay my head.

If it’s our habit to listen to the radio or engage with other means of communication, we gather news of our domain. The weather report is often innocuous ,the traffic updates are too. There are seamless streams of information that we ingest with our minds while making adjustments for the actions of the day, but then comes the news and it is rarely good. We hear of death and destruction.

But we go on anyway, performing the daily duties that define us.  We are motivated by thoughts of our family, our friends, our wants and our needs. We accomplish the multitude of tasks required of us.

We are perhaps the only living beings who are consciously aware of our vulnerability and mortality, yet we carry on.

We are a tenacious breed.

Virginia Woolf discussed the desire, both literally and metaphorically, for a room of one’s own almost one hundred years ago. Yet, it seems that the desire for such can still be deemed odd or novel.

While in college I yearned for an off-campus living arrangement. As soon as I was permitted, in my sophomore year, I found a place. There were four of us sharing the apartment. Although each of us had our own room, the common areas were perpetually used for impromptu social gatherings, and the television was usually on. I woke up at 5 a.m. to study, an hour when everyone else slept, and focus on my work. I also sought the individual cubicles at the library for my evening study hours.

I found communal living pleasant enough, but ultimately not convenient nor satisfying. When I mentioned to friends that I might prefer living alone, they disagreed and assured me that I would be lonely. In any case, my limited budget placed the idea out of my reach. I settled into an arrangement that insured my scholastic success, but the gnawing desire to live alone continued.

Some years later my career finally afforded me the funds to have an apartment of my own. I recall closing the door for the first time and leaving the outside world behind me. I knew even then that I was not going to be lonely after all.

What entices some of us to travel? We may not know the answer, but we do know who we are. However, some of us rarely or never travel because we lack someone to go with.

There are always group tours, but for those wishing for a different experience the options may seem daunting. My suggestion to you is go anyway. Perhaps Paris, Venice, or London has always been on your wish list? So many renown cities are accustomed to tourists, making your choice of activities plentiful and relatively easy to manage. Many offer inexpensive walking tours which are a great way to see interesting places and to meet fellow travelers. You might consider enrolling in a week long cooking, language, or art class. In fact the list is endless and can be tailored to anyone’s preferences.

If the quiet countryside is closer to your heart there are countless activities to find there too. Maybe finding a peaceful place to do some reading or writing, or taking some strolls is all you are looking for. There are beautiful oases throughout the lands.

If your budget and/or free time is requiring you to stay closer to home, do not fret. Contact a tourism office or chamber of commerce and discover the local treasures you have overlooked before.

Do not let the usual excuses hinder your desires. The world is almost at our fingertips. Accommodations, activities, and transportation can all be investigated with ease.

If you were born to travel, you know who you are.

Most of us played games as a child.

No matter what games we played there were lessons to be learned from each one. We learned our strengths and our weaknesses. We learned we could improve our skills with practice and patience. We learned the disappointment of defeat and the joy of success. We learned about strategies and what it is to take risks. We learned about playing fair.

Playing games taught us a great deal about others, the world we live in, and ourselves.

Although we began playing games as a child, the skills we acquired still serve us well.

Although I have always been social, I began noticing in college a feeling of depletion after spending time with a group of people. As a result I began gravitating toward one-on-one social situations or being alone. I generally seek quiet environments with a minimum of distractions and find pleasure in many solitary activities:reading, writing, drawing, etc..Yet, this does not discount the joy I find engaging in good conversation.

I recently heard someone describe the energy she derived from large social affairs. Although I can appreciate her sentiments, it is difficult for me to empathise.

Although I tended to think of an introvert as someone who is shy, it is now defined as one who generally prefers solitude to social situations. The woman mentioned above would likely be considered an extrovert. If neither describes you, perhaps the term ambivert is most suitable, a combination of the two.

Such labels are interesting, particularly as they evolve over time, but they are probably best used to provide some insight and acceptance of ourselves.

There are few vistas comparable to those seen from high above.

I recall arriving above the clouds for the first time and realizing that this perspective was unattainable to my forbears living not that long ago.

Such opportunities are practically common place today, but they still leave me in awe.