My Favorite Places

“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so we just keep on rolling under the stars.” Jack Kerouac (On the Road)

I was trying to make a list of my favorite places in the world.  There were favorite places I went to when I was in college, favorite places I visited in my twenties,  favorite places with beaches,  favorite islands,  favorite places where  I fell in love, favorite places I met old friends and favorite places where I made new ones. There were favorite places because of food or shopping. There were favorite places because I had seen something that I had studied in school.   There were places where  I viewed one of the seven wonders of the worlds, or places I toured  from  other people’s list of favorite places.   There were favorite places for theatre, art, architecture, sports, history,  nature or spirituality. There were favorite places where  I saw my daughter perform. There were favorite family vacations before  that are different from now.  There were favorite places that were so strange and favorite places that  felt familiar.  There were favorite places to be alone,  with my family, friends  or someone special. There were favorite places because I could check them off  on my  imaginary list of places I wanted to go to.

There are other lists:  the places you are planning to visit, the places you’ve planned trips  and cancelled and the places you want to go to in the summer, winter, spring or fall.  There are  the places that have the perfect hotel and the places that don’t but you go anyway to see something spectacular. There are places you have to go to before you go to other places. There are places you have to go to before you get too old.  There are places you will take your kids when they are older.  There are  lists of places that are too expensive, too remote or too crowded. There are places too overrun by tourists. There are places that everyone you know has been to and places that no one you know has been to.  There are  places that seemed perfect but weren’t.  There are places you never expected to love and  you do.  There are places you will always remember and places you would like to forget. There are places you want to go back to . There are places that you are afraid to go back to.

There are places you have been  on a cruise and wish to go and spend time there. There are places you want to go because there are things you want to see  and places  that are completely  unknown to you. There are places you never expected to be visiting alone. There are places you will go if you meet that perfect someone.   There are  the places you want to go to because  you liked a similar country. There are countries you want to go back to because you have enjoyed what you’ve seen so far.   There are the places you want to go to just because,  places you have dreamed about for years, and the places  that you never have to go to. There is the list of  places that you will probably never get to because of all the places you want to go .

Fly Safe,

JAZ