For those without myspace.....

This was my first blog/column for the encounter column on Lonely Planet Europe's myspace page. It's had a bit of a reaction - to which my sisters kindly jumped to my defence at the negative stuff... anyway your welcome to let me know what you think - I would love as much feedback as possible. This is the webaddress if you wish to see what people have had to say... http://profile.myspace.com/lonelyplaneteurope

I would have missed the best part.....

Anyone who has had the fortune of travelling is aware of both the benefits and the personal costs of travelling (i.e. missed births/weddings/funerals), yet even the best of us can be caught up in the process of getting to a destination without remembering to enjoy the experience of how we got there.

It has long been my belief that the people I have met along the way have shaped my life far more that the actual events or destinations I have chosen. I was reminded of this following a run of bad luck including a stolen passport, a brush with the law, a cancelled stop over in Hawaii, and a snow blizzard grounding all flights. All this in the space of a week left me feeling pretty deflated. Stuck in Vancouver airport, I was rushing frantically to notify people of my delay when I was approached by a man. He seemed very modest by appearance, almost out of place within an airport and yet he displayed the utmost exuberance and confidence. I was astounded at what I presumed to be arrogance – could he not see how busy I was.

In between searching for my diary, rushing in circles and unpacking and repacking my handbag 15 times, this man formed a conversation with me, and was not pausing to allow for interruption. The conversation began as he spoke of his inability to understand how a powerful nation which was a part of North America could have an international airport with only three working internet portals.

This man spoke with intelligence, charm and the hindsight of someone who had spent a considerable amount of time delayed in airport terminals. As he continued to speak an unexplained feeling of respect and gratitude came over me, I almost felt relaxed, the words which he spoke were no longer consequential, and I was transfixed by his calming demeanour, which sent me searching for my thoughts. I had spent six months working for this trip and I would have missed the best part had it not been for this man. I would have missed the excitement and anticipation, imagining what will happen on this adventure. His smile seemed to reach in and touch my soul, and as he turned away my thoughts turned to what I hoped would happen to me over the next months or years that would make all the missed birthdays, the lack of hugs from my nephews, the shared meals with my family and all the nights out with my friends, worth missing.

I took my thoughts outside and stood in minus 10c and I felt snow on my skin for the first time in 5 years. I stood in the snow and thought of countless trips I had experienced with my sisters, and my friends and how this time I would be without them. However, it became crystal clear to me on that day that as long as I brought them with me in my head and my heart, and remember to share my adventures with them, then I will never travel alone.