The Italy Trip officially concluded today, when our second attempt at flying home was successful! It has been a very long day of travel. And yet I marvel that I showered and ate breakfast in Rome this morning…and tonight, I am in Joplin, Missouri.
To my body, it feels like 4:30 am. Since I awoke at 5:15 this morning in Italy, I am at almost 24 hours without much sleep. I never can rest on airplanes. I watched four movies during the 11 hour flight from Rome to Dallas, Texas. And chatted with Dayan, who was seated next to me.
As we neared our destination, we talked about the trip, and how much we enjoyed it. Italy 2017 truly was a dream come true for us. I asked my grandson how this experience changed him.
I loved the insights he shared with me. To state them briefly, Dayan mentioned that he learned more about not resisting what was going on. Our tour unfolded without a hitch. Our travel to and from Italy was fraught with disruptions and delays and cancellations. Dayan realized that fighting against what is happening is a waste of time. However, he also learned that taking action helps him move energy.
When our flight cancelled yesterday, after we sat on the tarmac for five hours, Dayan took charge of calling American Airlines to find put what flight we had been booked on today. That action helped him to release frustration he felt about the cancellation and find something productive to do.
Dayan’s second area of growth centered around our tour group. These 40 other travelers came from around the world. There were older couples and young adults, families and single people, quiet journeyers and boisterous ones. My wise grandson shared that he looked beyond outer appearances and personalities, getting to know people as they were, rather than forming judgments or quick opinions of them. He was more than sociable. He showed everyone that he genuinely cared about who they were.
I appreciated Dayan’s remarks. And I agreed with him. I feel like travel changes me too. It enlarges my borders, literally and figuratively. Travel expands my perspectives and views, opens my heart and mind, and deepens my trust. I choose to stay in the flow when I travel, trusting that all is going as it should.
There is a quote that reads: “Of all the books in the world the best stories are those found between the pages of a passport.” (Source unknown)
I so agree. In the upcoming days, I’ll be sharing some of those amazing stories from our Italy trip. However, now my body is crying out for rest. It’s going to feel wonderful to sleep in my own bed tonight!
