August 19th, 2010

The magic of arrival

“Underneath it all, I’m sure I like the idea of travel much more than the reality. Not the being there, but the sense of motion, the magic of arrival. Destinations can be uncomfortable, bumpy, dirty, replete with bad food, hard beds and cold showers. In a hotel room, a cockroach scuttles across the floor, and I feel twinges of homesickness, a mourning for the warmth of the known. But mostly, when I land, there is often disappointment. Imagination is the lie I’ve been telling myself.” –Charlotte Gill, “Travelling Lessons” from the wondrous Room 33.2