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I find that when I am traveling, seldom does
an opportunity like the one that is currently available present itself.
What is that you ask? Well, it is the early afternoon right now and
I find myself on the balcony of my friend Sabina here in small town maybe
30 minutes from Zurich. I spent the morning doing some errands such
as getting a haircut (28.5 Swiss Francs) and mailing a package back home
with some stuff that was weighing me down. Sabina dropped me off in
the town and I walked back. The two of us had a pretty nice day
yesterday, as she picked me up at the Hotel Tiefanu where I had spent the
past two nights and we then walked around Zurich for a couple of hours,
stopping in the packed Central Station where a big screen TV was providing
thousands an opportunity to root for Brazil in the world cup final against
Germany. Surprisingly, Germans are not liked very much here in
Switzerland. They are thought to be arrogant. They are treated
like any other visitor though, so I am told. After walking for
awhile, we drove home to Sabina's going over a hill or mountain, I'm not
sure which, and took some lovely pictures of the scenery as well of each
other, separately and together. This is the third visit with Sabina
and I find her company quite pleasing as she really is a nice person.
When we got back to the flat, I was pleased to
see she is living in a spacious four bedroom apartment on the top floor of
a small complex. We got changed into some rather nice clothes and
then went to meet a colleague of hers and her boyfriend for dinner and a
movie. The dinner was fine, as I had a pizza looking dish with some
onions and ham or bacon of some sort. Then, it was off to a movie
that I would not of gone to see if it had been my choice, but hey, I'm
easy. One surprising thing was halfway through, they stopped the dam
movie for an intermission. I couldn't believe it as people got up to
go out and smoke or buy concessions or potty. I stayed put.
Afterwards, we went and had a drink before heading home. Not much to
write about the day after that, other than we got back and Sabina put my
clothes that had been washed into the dryer and made up a bed for me in
the spare room. She was going to sleep on the lounge chair outside.
So, as she fell quickly asleep, I finished a cigar I had started and a
small glass of scotch, all the while listening to the gentle sound of her
snoring... Then I went to bed and slept like a baby. That's it,
nothing more, nothing less. I think both last night and today were
exactly what I needed. I have been traveling five weeks now and it
is important to rest once in awhile, which is what my visit here with
Sabina is allowing me to do.
After returning from my errands today, I sent
some emails to the next few hotels I will visit in the next few days, in
Montreux ( a palace!), another four or five star hotel in the same
location, and then on to Basel and over to Geneva. I also reserved a
car to take me from Geneva on Saturday to Italy and then to Austria where
I will return it and take a bus to Budapest for five nights, then back to
Vienna, and on to Prague. From there I will work my way back to
Amanda in Scotland, perhaps stopping in Copenhagen and Amsterdam before
doing so. I may and probably will extend my trip to visit with Amanda a
bit longer, but school will be starting and I will need to return for
that. Why I sometimes ask myself about going back to school, as it
is such grind. Hours and hours of study and memorization of formulas
and definitions. But, I am going to get that four year degree if it
is the last thing I do I keep telling myself.
With all that being said, I'd like to also
share some thoughts with you that have been going through my mind, if only
inspired by an email I got from my mom yesterday. One of the family
members had received some bad news and as you can imagine, the whole
situation deeply troubled my mother and I tried to console her in my
reply.
 Perhaps now might be a good time to share some
thoughts with you about my mother. Born Josephine Ann Sawhill, my
mother was what I consider the backbone of the family while my siblings
and I were growing up. It took the years for me to fully appreciate
the efforts she made raising us and with 20/20 hindsight, I have
nothing but respect for her now. I often get emails of support from
her which tell me how proud she is of me and that she loves me. Many
times when I am both traveling and just pondering life itself, I find my
heart filled with sweet memories of her. I simply find it amazing at
how night after night, our table was filled with both healthy and nutrious
meals, all prepared after hours of housework including laundry, making
beds, ( I was the only boy of six who was not a bed-wetter, so you can
imagine the daily chore making the beds...) and cleaning the house.
Simply amazing! Warm thoughts of her will occupy my heart for as
long as I live and I'm sure will be passed on to my children if I ever get
around to having them.
In closing this journal entry, I would also
like to share some other thoughts that are often on my mind as I travel
and have such wonderful experiences. It may seem that my travels are
all just about having a good time and fulfilling a lifelong dream of
traveling the world at will, but they are not. Often times, the
solitude of the road gives me the opportunity to both ponder my past,
present and future. When I am walking the streets, stations and
airports of this world, I often witness those that are so much less
fortunate than I am and can only wonder why I have been so fortunate in so
many aspects of my life. Sure, I have busted my ass to accomplish
what I have and some would say that I deserve it. But do I?
That is a question I often debate within my mind. Somehow, sitting
on the banks of such a river as the Danube or Rhein, or the balcony of a
five-star hotel, smoking an expensive cigar and glass of scotch whose cost
would equate to a months salary for some people in the world takes some of
the fulfillment of the same away. Honestly. Sure I enjoy it I,
but I often wonder that why with all that I have been given, am I not
trying to give something back or being more of a help to those less
fortunate. These thoughts are often the topic of discussion when I
find myself talking to God. I feel fortunate that I have reached a
point in my life that I don't allow that which I don't understand - or
perhaps don't need to - sadden me or challenge my faith in a greater
being. I used to wonder that if there were a God, why would it (ok,
call it a He if you like) allow such travesty in the world. To
this question that troubles so many though, I have found an answer, at
least which eases my mind. God doesn't allow such things to happen,
we do... |