Exactly a year ago I disembarked from a plane; haven’t been on one since. And while I haven’t lost anywhere near what too many others have during the past year, not being able to travel, especially internationally, has cut deep.
As I look back at the “long March”—it feels as though that first month never ended—I realize my desire to get back in the air is as much longing for familiarity as it is for difference. Although I want to discover new places, I also want to return—to favorite restaurants in Spain, dear friends in Italy, preferred hotels in India.
Why the impulse to go back as well as forward? Because of the thousand pieces of my life that are stored in 82 countries around the world—in their sights, sounds, smells, tastes. Much-loved shops, museums, landmarks, and the like are triggers of remembrance. I can hardly wait to blow the dust off my suitcase (and the world) so those memories—bolstered by prolonged absence—can come roaring back stronger than ever.
P.S. I’ve missed something else over the past twelve months.
Where I started: March 6, 2020. (Last salon visit.)
How it’s going: March 6, 2021.
(Uncut, save for Husband’s one attempt at a trim. People say you can learn any skill from a YouTube video. This is not true.)
