A man of many travels

For the last month I have made it a point to write something concerning my most recent travels. The last four weekends have been filled with flights, train rides, and walking. While I had the best intentions in my ambitious schedule, I have to lay back and think about where I was last weekend.

Understandably this is a good problem to have, a blessed one actually. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some trendsetter, far from it, as my trips are budget friendly at best. Watch some of my videos, it’s not like we are eating at five star restaurants or staying at the best hotels. These trips are more of where I can walk and explore within reason. 

After many years of staying close to home (at least within driving range) and living the Dave Ramsey dream of “beans and rice” I haven’t had the opportunity to see and do what my soul has been craving. These last few months have been wonderful and ones that I will be forever grateful for. This was a major reason why I took my current teaching job in central Europe, to have this opportunity to see all these places.

I snicker a little knowing that my recent travels have brought a slew of new memories and some have nothing to do with the actual location and planned touring areas I visited. Thankfully, I have caught much of it on camera and put it out there for all those that find their way to my channel. 

Some highlights worth mentioning - my return trip to Warsaw after more than five years away was a dud but running in the rain for that last forty minutes in Lazienki Park was phenomenal. I loved seeing the palace and running through the gardens and forest. I laughed so much at the pro Ukrainian protest paint job across the street from the Russian embassy. You had to be there to see what it was. I might not have even noticed it in those dark wet hours of my morning run had that nut job on the scooter not screamed and raced down the sidewalk, forcing me to jump out of the way and take a breather. 

Częstochowa was overwhelming with crowds fighting to get into the monastery. I read about the quiet rules for visiting the place, truly, the thousands of pilgrims had other plans. I thought I would have some respite, but the place was nonstop. Thankfully, there was some foresight in booking a hotel room at a castle in nearby Lubliniec for the night. If only I had known there would be a wedding scheduled that very evening. Polish weddings are not for the meek and their love for dance music across all genres is extraordinary. I should know as I found myself sitting in the courtyard after a long evening walk, listening to those familiar lyrics of Mr. Vain transform into a Kenny G medley. My favorite moment in Lubliniec was finding a forest trail on the outskirts of town. Running in this forest of birches was serene and a welcomed surprise.

Katowice - the search for Spodek the spaceship was fun for a variety of reasons. It was my first time really testing out the new video camera and realizing that sometimes the best things happen on the train. The walk through Katowice went well enough, but truly meeting up with the group of moms from Szczecin who were on their way to a Backstreet Boys concert was classic. It was something out of a movie or book. I had no clue I would be singing “I Want It That Way” and other songs for the next hour with this dynamic group of women. 

Riga was a complete culture shock for me. When I felt like I was getting used to things, another trigger would cause me to be overwhelmed again. My favorite moment was actually leaving the city, sitting in the old bus station with the pink walks and the grandmother manning the bathroom kiosk. The second best moment was seeing the beauty around me on the bus ride towards Estonia. Truly, I wanted to get out and venture into the forests, the lakes, and the Baltic Sea. I know at some point I will return to that country for that sole purpose.

Estonia was what I needed after feeling shell shocked in Riga. The place wasn’t complicated, the beaches were therapeutic, and the running was perfect for those moments. As a whole my time there was pleasant, and my favorite moment would be minor to some. The accordion statue and his accompanying music was a delight to hear on my walks. When I was struggling one night, hearing the music put me at ease.

Next on deck was Ireland no less. I wish I had more time there and that I had worked out whatever residual mess had impacted me on my Baltic Sea tour. Nevertheless, the trip itself was a major success and that day hiking in Bray will be forevermore a highlight. I’m stoked the normal trail was closed and I got to scale the mountain to the cross, and of course onto the farmer’s land. Talk about living out a dream. That’s what that journey was for me. Without my Airbnb hostess mentioning Bray, I would have missed this entire episode. 

After a weekend in Krakow, I hit the road again to Gdansk and Sopot. Both were familiar to me, so much so I felt like I was visiting a childhood home. Seeing Wojtek the Polish war hero was a highlight. I felt like an idiot, realizing that I had run by his namesake at my favorite park in Krakow days earlier, let alone the night before. 

What stood out the most though was a missed opportunity on my end. A lesson learned perhaps, but I dropped the ball on what could have been a great time and meeting, and for that I have much regret. With that written though, as I rode the train back to Sopot and then walked along the molo, reconnecting with one of my students made the entire trip. There are some students you pull for more than others, that you want nothing but the best for. This was one of those conversations.

Five days later, I was back on a plane looking for Kerfus and getting to check off Germany for real this time. This was a weird trip with a ride of emotions. Even my runs were clusters because I kept getting turned around on their winding trails and the lack of distinguishable landmarks in the dark. I managed well enough though but the palace I wanted to visit was no Peterhof. I took more interest in the Mandarin duck I spotted along the water’s edge and a heron or stork that stood in the cold chattering away. The grazing goats or sheep, I can’t seem to tell the difference at this point for whatever reason, were a delight. 

Even the Christmas markets were failures for me, but the Anglican church market was a delight even though I didn’t have any cash on me and was far too tired to stay more than twenty minutes. Nevertheless, the drum and bugle corps was awesome and made me smile beyond comparison. And yet even with several cool moments on the streets of Berlin, exploring summer homes, and finding places of solitude within a bustling metropolis, running into the same fox two nights in a row was tied with an escalator ride at the airport for top traveling moments. 

This just proves that we can plan our trips, but we can’t truly know what will define them or what events will stand out the most. It is far more important we remain present, and take what we can from the experience bad or good. Being able to see other places and get glimpses into the lives of residents from the past and present is a gift unto itself, and one that we can carry with us in the days to come.

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