Journeys

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

10 years ago, while in college, I applied for a passport to visit a girl that I was in love with who was studying abroad in London, England. It was an expedited process as far as the getting the passport, as was the decision to visit. I knew at the time, even if I couldn't admit it to myself, that I was going to say goodbye, but it needed to be done in person and those fleeting moments still belonged to me. The trip was everything I could have hoped for as far as a first visit to Europe goes. We went sightseeing, we walked the town, ate dinners out and saw plays, thoroughly enjoying ourselves with only a hint of premonition that it was our last moments together. As the trip ended and I had to return to school, I left with a broken heart. She had met her husband to be on that trip and all the years of friendship and the months of passion that we shared would never be rekindled again. A side effect of this experience is that it did create inside of me a desire to travel, but on my own terms for my own enjoyment.


I enjoy traveling to new places and though many people have been there before me, I always feel like I am discovering something new. It has been a few years since I have traveled abroad and I wonder when I'll be able to fit a long vacation into my life. I also have places in my own country I'd still like to visit that I have yet to reach. I know that compared to a lot of people, I haven't traveled very much, but I also know that compared to others I have experiences they may never have.


Today as my passport expired, marking those ten short years, I filled out my renewal application and mailed in my old passport to the government. In it was the first stamp from that trip to London, and stamps from Mexico, Canada, Spain, Italy and France. These each have their own individual stories of intrigue, passion and in some cases heartbreak as well. One stamp that isn't on there because it isn't required of course is that of Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The memories I made will always be with me and they were all pretty special. A new passport will be sent to me and I'll stamp new countries with new experiences which I am very much looking forward to, but I'll never forget about my first real trip abroad and the reason I got a passport in the first place.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware