October , 2000
Coming back to America, almost as a new place, certainly kindled up feelings of roots. Sharing the year’s tales with a loving family and catching up with warm friends no doubt has me realizing that there are some things I’m missing out on back home. Despite this, the urge to be on the foreign roads and rails persist. Things that have happened while away: friends had a baby, other friends got married, a presidential election is coming up, the prices of gas has gone up, the stock market down and a whole series of television has come and gone. That’s all fine, but knowing that it continues - missing the Halloween party, camping trips, Christmas at home and New Year’s celebrations.... The thought has come to mind what it would be like if I didn’t take my return flight back to London. I think a few months would pass in good spirits, do some armchair travel and start planning buy another ticket. The sandals of wanderlust have long to go before wearing through the soles. And even so, you know how comfortable worn shoes can grow to be. To the United States and now back across the Atlantic, a thought of thankfulness to goes out to you. Even if we’ve never met, I look over the subscription list for the Saunterings and smile each time someone new joins. Thank you also to those who’ve been able to come to one of the slide shows in New Jersey during my three week break from Europa. Now I’m working in London, but with the condition that my employer always plenty of time for exploring the continent, so you can expect to hear about new places and new faces through my paces. While curiosity thrusts my main drive into travel, it’s knowing that I have you to share my notes with that give an added sense of purpose, which might just well be what I’m out here looking for anyway.