It's Hard Out Here For Explorers
I am a traveler. I love to explore and wander. My favorite thing is walking a new place and weaving in and out of bars, restaurants, bakeries, cheese shops. I could meander through museums for days. I have a fiery passion for slender alleyways, secret gardens, tall towers, ancient cathedrals, tumbling castle walls. Give me a plane ticket, comfy shoes, and a bottle of sparkling water and I am radiating happiness.
Traveling looks very different these days.
My husband and I spent our first night outside of our apartment in Kingston, NY a few weeks ago for our sixth anniversary. This is rare for us; we typically would have traveled several times, spending the night visiting family, friends, a new city, Disney World, weddings, baby showers, etc. There are a million reasons to travel and this year, they have been canceled or postponed or taken to the virtual realm. So, we had yet to leave our home to sleep elsewhere. We have still yet to leave the states of New York and New Jersey.
We rented an Airbnb with a gift card I had collecting dust. It was meant for a getaway for me to write my novel but now my life had no distractions and my novel is coming along without that writer’s retreat for the time being. We wanted to do something, anything, to feel like ourselves again. We booked this incredible apartment that was an old carriage house renovated into a darling spot for a couple. The bedroom and kitchen were equipped with stable doors. There was an epic dining room table from 1939 and a screened in porch and massive leather couches facing a packed bookshelf. A table with chairs sat just outside the front door for evening wine and morning coffee.
When we travel, we do not relax. It is not who we are. We are the crack of dawn, take your shower, get dressed, out the door and on that Disney bus to be there for the rope drop when that park opens. I make itineraries and lists of musts, maybes, and if we have time. I make reservations, purchase tickets ahead of time, and we go, go go. I make the most of our trips because I love devouring every inch of a new place.
That being said, I always leave time for exploring. Some of the best memories are from not having any plans and wandering the streets in search of a cocktail and snack. We’ve stumbled upon favorite breweries, shops, art galleries, and secret tunnels, hidden parks, unique bars. We love chatting at bars with the bartender or other patrons. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve suggested places and have had places suggested to us at outdoor cafes. We’ve talked about beer, food, wine, art, films, books. “Oh, did you go here? Skip it, it isn’t worth the money but THIS place, it is way better.” “What beer is that? Sounds so good, I’ll try that next.” “So take the train to Amsterdam and this coffee shop has the best weed? Got it.”
The discoveries that come with exploring are the best part of traveling. The people, the culture, the real way to walk a city or town is by taking it all in without fear, restrictions, or any type of plan. My exploring is a mix: a plan with time to ramble. Depending on the place, it may just be a ramble or it might only be a plan. I like to feel it out and see what I want/need to see and do. Perhaps I’ve been there before and I can wander because I saw all my points of interest last time.
Kingston was a wonderful two days. We relaxed (what IS that???), read to each other, drank wine, made dinner and snuggled on the leather couch. My anxiety was curbed, silent even. We spent time in the present, staying off our phones except to take a few pictures. We took out our telescope and stargazed. Though it was not our ideal way to explore, I am grateful we were able to do it. It was a lovely weekend.
I must admit, I missed the way we explore and my heart was heavy with its absence. We attempted to grab an outdoor beer at this wonderful bookstore/bar/coffee shop. With the restrictions put in place and us not being comfortable inside, we were unable to secure a table that wasn’t taken by another party unless it was a bench inside the door. We weren’t angry; it was another reality check of the times. Grabbing a beer is no longer an easy, breezy option. It comes with a purchase of food, a table for only you and your party, and stress of how close things are situated. These are all NECESSARY, don’t get it twisted. It was a moment where we shrugged and thought, “Okay, how else can we appreciate this day?”
It is a difficult time for explorers. Those of us who live in the states and are not able to spread our wings as wide as we desire. I keep dreaming of some magical job that would whisk me away somewhere that is not the tristate area but alas, they are few and far between in normal times. Our hearts and souls long to be out in the world, smelling unfamiliar air, eating strange spices, drinking wine next to the grapes it came from hearing a language you do not speak.
We have to discover new ways to explore. We’ve been taking little drives around NY and NJ. We’ve found parks, quaint towns, waterfalls, lakes. Now that it is fall, the leaves are burning and it is my favorite season to experience outdoors. We stargaze now. We drink wine on sun porches instead of bar stools. We have virtual happy hours on our couches with those dearest to us instead of strangers in wicker cafe chairs.
I know how I like to travel and I know it awaits me down the road. I know I have the patience to wait to do it safely and to follow the rules that will get me there quicker. I can not wait to be drinking a $17 glass of wine with a suitcase at my feet, passport in my purse, planning when to pee so I might not need to on the plane. If you are in a part of the world that is able to explore freely, please do it for me. I miss it so; it is like I am missing a chunk of my body. I’ve learned so much about myself and the world from traveling. The world is meant to be explored. I can’t wait to be back at it.
For now, we take it slow, take it easy, save that money for all the cheese and wine that lies ahead. See you out there, explorers. Adventure awaits.
