Thoughts in Motion

The sun is blasting her way out of the heavy mist as we travel south from San Cristobel towards Guatemala. It is 7:30 am and the van that is taking us is packed with travellers. Backpacks and luggage are piled on the roof. Paul and I are the only ones for whom English is the first language and, we are, by far, the oldest.

There is a young family from Germany travelling with us in the van. Two little boys, Ammon 4 years old and Noah, 5, remind me of our grandchildren, Stella and Oscar. We immediately make a tight connection. In fact, Ammon sits on my lap almost the entire 9-hour ride, and I realize he thinks of me as a grandmother. I am in heaven! It could be my Oscar!!! The family is travelling for 11 months. They started in New York in September and drove across the United States in to Mexico.  They intend to spend the next few months in Guatemala, learning Spanish and having the kids mingle with Guatemalan children in a pre school environment.

In fact, to all of the travellers in the van Paul and I could be the parents. I wonder what they are seeking as they travel. What drives them to explore like this? How long will they be wandering? What will they do when their travels are done? How will their lives unfold? They are so young.

I am loving travelling and thriving on the excitement and wonder of the unfamiliar world that is before me. I feel so deeply as I connect with others, sometimes from afar, sometimes face to face, and sometimes in more profound ways. I am loving learning through living and partaking in the life of different civilizations and cultures around the world. I realize how much there is to learn and to do as I travel through cities and villages and towns. I will never have enough time in my life to do all that I want to do. There are so many places where I have I been that I want to return to. There are so many people with whom I have connected that I want to see again. But what about Thailand, and South America, and Viet Nam and Europe? How will I fit in all the places I’ve read or heard about and never experienced?

Sometimes I think that if I were going to live again, knowingly, I might figure out some way to have everything I already have (all my children and Paul and my work) and just travel. I love the freedom and flexibility and adventure. It could be a good life for bringing up kids in this world.

And then, ultimately, I know that everything happens in the right time!

I am so grateful for how my life has unfolded. I have worked hard and developed a solid career. I have the most amazing kids in the world (forgive me for being so exclusive) I have a fairy tale marriage with the love of my life and my best friend with whom I share common dreams and hopes and family. I have worked, learned, parented, played, and even travelled while doing it all! I did it all joyfully (for the most part), responsibly (always) and I can actually say, “I’ve done a good job of it.” I’m happy I had my life the way I did! Now…. onward to Guatemala!