Special thanks to Tina for providing the photos. Tina is in the USA and I encourage readers to visit her at Travels and Trifles or her professional website. Please tell her I sent you and feel free to comment on her images here. Tina’s work is copyrighted by Tina R Schell Photography.
NOTE: Due to personal matters, I will not be posting next week. My plan is to return on Tuesday 9 March.
Click the video above for 2 minutes of background waves while reading.
I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
I see a cargo ship in the distance, plus a pleasure craft heading out to see. An airplane just flew over – probably associated with the nearby military base. From the balcony last night I noticed a ship’s lights far out at sea that seem like a cruise ship.
Planes, boats, and ships are means of transportation. They are traveling to and from somewhere, and the people aboard are travelers. With that in mind, travel is today’s topic as I walk this familiar long stretch of beautiful beach.
Some people love to travel. Others want to travel but lack the resources or have health concerns. Some people have no interest in travel. Others have no desire to travel because they are scared – consumed with fears compounded by myths, exaggerations, narrow-mindedness, and negative perceptions.
Travel – to go from one place to another over a presumed distance away from our home.
Travel can be a verb or a noun – a journey, tour, trip, voyage, expedition, excursion, sightsee, globetrot, roam, cruise, hike, trek, ride, gallivant, safari – by plane, boat, car, bus, train, bike, even our own two feet.
Travel is more than seeing sites. It is about learning why the sites are important to the people and why people are proud. After all, everyone lives in a culture with national heroes, traditions, values, and stories.
Travel is enjoyable while creating memories, builds confidence, and bridges cultures by understanding differences and commonalities.
We travel to learn, to share, to expand ideas, to discover and personalize humanity; to expand ourselves, to do better, to be better, to stimulate thought, and to make the world smaller.
Travel creates a lifetime of memories involving gorgeous landscapes and sceneries, historic locations, delightful people, and interesting food.
Travel is uncomfortable by design because the destination is a land that is comfortable for inhabitants – but not the traveler.
Travel connects the world and expands daydreaming if the mind remains open.
Travel involves a hunger to explore, adventure, learn, and challenge yourself – especially if you can explore on your own with comfortable shoes.
We travel to understand globalization, to discover the diversity of humanity, and to identify the commonalities bringing us together and while respecting the differences.
We travel to create meaningful relationships, to experience the culture, then share those lessons with friends.
We travel to help remove preconceptions, overcome fears, and deepen our perspective about all people.
We travel to learn that the majority of people in the world are good.
We are travelers. I have been fortunate to stand in all fifty states but, there is still much more to explore in America. Both of us enjoy and feel comfortable in Europe. We visited numerous countries, but there is still so much more to explore. Unfortunately, the pandemic has halted our journeys – but I believe that is temporary.
I yearn to travel because it is a time we inhale new wide-open spaces while gathering memories of people, places, and things.
I yearn to travel because it is a time to discover old city streets and charming villages to seemingly hold on to a time that has passed.
I yearn to travel so I can dream, wonder, growth, laugh, and cry. Yes, I love to travel, and I miss it.
Beaches are throughout the world, but for me, it is hard to imagine a walking beach as good as this one but, it’s probably out there – somewhere for a traveler to find. Meanwhile, I like walking on the beach because it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
See what other bloggers have written about travel
- Precious Moments (photos and short paragraphs by a visitor here)
- Big Valley Pennsylvania (poem and photos)
- The Highs and Lows of a Nomadic Travel Blogger (essay and photos)
- St. Petersburg (Russia) (essay and photos)
- Six Fantastic Travel & Adventure Books to Take Your Mind Off Things (essay)
Next Post: Return – Tuesday 9 March @ 1 AM (Eastern US)
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I thought I had commented… but even if I had, it would have been lost in the 208!!!
However, as a fellow traveller, I am feeling your pain. To think exactly one year ago today, we were five days into our cruise… Dang. And I cancelled France for the second time – I should have been going next month. In the grand scheme of things, we know this is a blip in our lives but man, while we are in it, we sure feel it.
I’m with you on travellers are more open, more aware, more interesting – learning about other cultures shows you you are not alone on this big blue orb and that we are different with different values and foods and cultures. Eye-opening and wonderful.
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Dale,
Cheers to a fellow traveler and one who sees travel as more than seeing sites. I recall you being on a cruise last year at this time because my wife was also on one around this time. .. and bummer that you canceled France twice. Was it a cooking adventure?
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Cheers, fellow traveller!
And yes, it was a cooking adventure… Now, one of the ladies I met in Tuscany (and with whom I was supposed to spend this April with) is asking if I will sign up for April 2022. I said I would wait…
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I’ve got the feeling 2022 will be the year we will be able to cross the pond again. Let’s hope … and cheers to another cooking adventure in the making. 🙂
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I so hope so, too.
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PS: aFa crossed the 500,000 threshold this past week!
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aFa?! And you mean in comments?
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No hits.
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Amazing.
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You know I like milestones
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Yes, you do! 🙂
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Very well said Dale – many cancelled plans but hopefully rescheduling is coming close for us all.
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Thank you, Tina! And in all the hullabaloo, I forgot to mention your photos are so lovely!!
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LOL, thanks very much. Hullabaloo indeed!
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😉
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I miss travelling too. But beaches are good place to get the feeling. With the whole world wide open. And letting mind travel freely.
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Otto,
For you, travel is very much a part of what you do …. so I can’t imagine how the pandemic has affected you. On the other hand, I can’t imagine who much you have personal gained by your travels.
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Well said Otto – Frank and I are both fortunate to live so close to the ocean’s soothing presence.
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I miss traveling even more than I thought I would. The first few months of lockdown I thought “I can do this.” It helped that we could walk outside and I could visit my favorite summer ocean town. But as fall and winter progressed, my wanderlust began flowing stronger and stronger. I love flying between the two coasts of US – east and west – with friends and family on both. I’m missing that so much. And I want to visit Europe again and perhasp see blogging friends – wouldn’t that be neat? I hope you’re right and we’ll soon be able to visit parts known and unknown, soon.
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Pam,
I miss travel a lot – but, these crazy times haven’t put me over the edge. I look at this as, “It is what it is.” Hopefully, you will get a travel fix later this year!
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I think that’s the mantra for 2020-2021 “It is what it is.” I’m trying to intone it sweetly enough that it calms me down. It helps that the temps are a ‘bit’ warmer and I can begin to go for longer walks outside. Yesterday – 30 degrees – a heat wave – and an hour walk “forest bathing.” 🙂
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There’s always a time when people are ready to be released from the bondage of winter, so glad you got outside! Spring is on the way!!!
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Well Pam, I think we’re all with you on our hopes that things will open up again soon. Fingers crossed!
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Ah, Frank, thank you for your journey of thoughts on …journeys and travel. [I thought I had already commented.. comes with age I suppose! 😉 ] And Tina’s photos complement your journeys beautifully!
Yamas!
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Marina,
Glad you enjoyed Tina’s photos and my travel thoughts. I’ve got the itch to return to Europe, but I’ve got the feeling that won’t happen until 2022. However, time will tell. Yamas!
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Very much!
I hope traveling will be free soon!
Yamas!
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Thanks very much for your comment on the images Marina. It was lovely to work with Frank on his beautiful post.
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Beautiful images Tina and I look forward to seeing more from your site! Frank is an amazing host, I know! 😉
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Beautiful post as always Frank. No doubt you will be taking journey somewhere.
Enjoy your break of posting. ❤️
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Cindy,
Thank you … and no doubt travel times will return … the question is when. Back to posting on Tuesday!
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Most welcome!!! I think thihkgs are starting to open but you’re right travel is a whole other story!💖
See you very soon!💖
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Hi, Frank – Your words with Tina’s photos provided for great virtual travel. Thank you! (And I also just realized how to subscribe to your post by email. Thank you for that as well)! 😀
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Donna,
Glad you enjoyed both the words and Tina’s photos. It wasn’t easy to write just about travel without mentioning places, but somehow I did it. That way, the reader can go to their own places, plus the images could do that, too. Hopefully, travel can become part of life again in the near future.
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Thanks very much for your comment on the photos Donna, much appreciated!
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Traveling was so great when I was in college, traipsing around Europe with my friends. Now, with kids, more stressful than fun, but I still miss it and look forward to traveling again.
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Betsy,
I can tell that travel is in your blood. Given the age of your kids, I can see why travel would be stressful for you. Before you know it, they will be old enough for you to enjoy – well, at least some.
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🙂
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Love the sounds of the sea! And some good thoughts on travel
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Sue,
Welcome first-time beach walker to the sands of my beach. Every published walk includes optional ocean sounds. Where are you located?
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Surrey, England….nowhere near a beach
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Southeast of London … thanks for letting me know. (I admit looking it up.) 🙂
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😄😄😄
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Lovely thoughts about travel. I miss it too, Frank. It was great to see Tina’s photos on this post. She is so well traveled, and one of those pictures is my favorite pictures of all times. Al Sig Petra in Jordan. I know you had fun with this one. 🙂
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Marsha,
Thank you for the kind words. As a whole, I travel to go places, but there is a glaring omission in the words. Some travel to see people – especially relatives – and the pandemic has limited that, too. Glad you enjoyed Tina’s images. I haven’t visited Jordan or any other country in that part of the world, but it looks wonderful. Maybe someday for me.
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She has been to some exotic places that I will never see. So, it’s wonderful to live through her wonderful photos. You made a good choice.
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We haven’t traveled to far away places in years, but we do enjoy spending weekends in quaint little mountain towns. We plan on traveling later this year. Thank you for following my blog.
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Eugenia,
Small towns have their own charm – one that is very real, so cheers to your joy for them. We enjoy travel – so we are antsy – but I also know that is not everyone. 🙂
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Cheers, and I hope you get to travel soon. We’re planning on sometime later this year. The fall landscapes are beautiful in the Blue Ridge mountains.
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Will keep that in mind – especially now because we are discussing our future travel plans.
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I enjoyed your post. I love to travel, whether locally by car, or to other destinations by plane. I love seeing new sites and experiencing new things.
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Kristin,
Glad you enjoyed my musings about travel. We too enjoy travel – unfortunately, 2020 was not to be. We are hoping for something in 2021, and looking to 2022 for more. Did you come over from Marsha’s?
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Beautifully done, Frank!
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Amy,
Thank you.
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