The Journey of a Lifetime

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." -- Miriam Beard, author, from USA Today, November 28, 2008

Back home for one week now both Frances and I recognize the wisdom of Beard's statement. Inspired by the wide variety of lodgings we inhabited throughout Central America--all plain, simple, comfortable, and uncluttered--Frances was compelled to purge our house. As we cull through our possessions and papers and sort through our basement, closets, and drawers we're also reassessing how we choose to live. How can we live more freely? How can we not be owned by our possessions? How can we simplify and delight in that simplicity?

For me, travel is one of my greatest teachers. Starting with a six week bike trip I took through Western Europe immediately after college to the present day, I've learned lessons on the road that rival years of classroom lectures. Those lessons have stayed with me longer and affected me more deeply because they were rooted in the art, architecture, landscape, culture, history, natural world--and people!--that I met, talked with, touched, felt, and heard. My mind was filled with new information but so, too, were my body, emotions, and spirit.

I'm often surprised when friends or family members admit that they admire our courage for taking this journey through foreign lands. Certainly there were times when we felt fearful or uncertain during our travels. But the insights and information, the surprises, frustrations, adventures, beauties, and bounties that we encountered, filled us with energy and inspiration that carry us forward.

Years ago I scanned the book, "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats" by Peter Menzel. This photo book showed one family per country from Australia to the United States (and many countries in between) posed beside one week's worth of groceries. I was struck by how prepared, packaged, unnatural, and unhealthy much of their standard fare seemed. One country stood out from the rest. The family from Guatemala was surrounded by fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, and beans. "I want to eat like that family eats," I thought to myself.

Not surprisingly, as soon as we entered Guatemala, we were greeted by huge, bountiful, and beautiful markets. Fruits and vegetables were piled high. Grains, spices, and unknown foodstuffs tantalized nose, mouth, and eyes.

During a walk through a market enroute to Rio Dulce we were enticed by bags of unidentified chunks of a green fruit or vegetable sprinkled with salt, lime juice, and chilis. When we asked our bus driver, he said, "Oh, that's green mango. Since it's not ripe it tastes sour, tangier. Do you want some?" We tried it and liked it ... What a treat! Green mango remains one of my favorite taste discoveries from this trip.

The picture of a Guatemalan family surrounded by their food made an impression on me. And, yes, I still believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. But experiencing some of those foods myself--without a camera lens between us--was so much better.