Authenticity

The other day I was talking with a friend and we were having a conversation about our shared affinity for travel. Although, when discussing our future travel plans and wish list of places to go, we quickly figured out we would not be good traveling buddies. I will go ahead and preface the next sentence with the phrase "At this point in my life". At this point in my life I prefer to see the world with a pack on my back, sleeping in a hostel, catching a discount airline or a train to my next destination and with an idea of where i'm going..but no real plan. While he much prefers a first class plane ticket with a stay at the Four Seasons. Now don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the luxury of first-class and the Four Seasons...and there is a time and a place for them in my life as it currently exists. I'm sure there will be a much larger place for it when I am hopefully seeing the world for a second time around in my old age! So he asked me a relatively simple question, "why..what do you enjoy about traveling that way?" It is a question I know the answer to, but had really never thought about in a way that I could verbalize. So I thought about it for a minute and the answer I came up with is Authenticity.

That pretty much sums it up, I feel like I get a more authenitic experience when traveling on the fly. He asked why can't he have that while staying a the Four Seasons. Maybe he can, but I feel like for the most part you sign up for "touristy" tours where you get to see but not touch, watch but not join in. That isn't how I want to do things, I want to touch and to join in. I also like leaving a lot of flexibility to my plans because I have also experienced that the things I have enjoyed the most while traveling were not things I had planned. You also meet so many other travelers along the way, especially when staying in hostels, and you share experiences and learn about so many things you didn't know about. So it is nice to be able to change your plans.

Traveling is about so much more than the places you see, but it is about the people you meet and the experiences you have. With all of the places I have been, the most memorable have little to do with the sites I have seen but the experiences I have had that make me feel a certain way about that place. I like to travel the way I do because I feel it creates more of an opportuntiy to find these people and form these experiences. For me it creates an authenticity that I can't get enough of.

Let Texas Fill My Soul

I've finally made it back home to Texas!  My flight home seemed to take forever, I'm not sure if it was the anticipation or the little boy kicking the back of my seat, but either way it was a long one!  On the flight I had my iPod on random and a big smile creeped across my face as Southbound 35 came across my playlist.  I've always loved that song, and felt an appreciation for Pats inspiration for the song.  I've always loved Texas as much as any good Texan should, but it's hard to really grasp until you've been gone...there really is something so special about this place.  And most would probably argue they feel the same way about their home, but I beg to differ.  But it's not their fault, they don't know, they're just not from Texas. "Let Texas Fill my Soul" that has always been my favorite line of the song, but it sure does take on a whole new meaning.  I truly do love London, but I am glad to be home!

I'm so lucky that I can work in our Dallas office while I am home so that I don't have to take vacation days to visit my family, I am able to be in the States for entire month because of this! I will be in Dallas through the New Year, then off to Houston for a few days, then on to Steamboat to ski with some friends for a week! 

Sorry I have been ignoring my blog the past few weeks, they have been a crazy few weeks! I left off at Thanksgiving with my family coming to visit me in London! We had the most amazing week, but I can't tell you how exhausting it was! We packed in anything and everything in those 6 days, and we did it with a baby!  It was such a great time, I would love to tell you guys every detail, but the thought of that is exhausting! Luckily, my sister has written all about it on her blog, so if you are interested, I will now direct you there!!  One cool tidbit I will let you in on is that we did see the Queen! What are the chances!

After my family left I only had a week before I left to come home for the holidays, so it was a week full of packing, seeing friends, Christmas parties and now here I am....off to let Texas fill my soul :) Family, friends, Mexican food, etc!