Travelin'

Next week i'll be embarking on a trip to Hungary. It's a business trip of sorts - paid for by my place of employment - but also a good will trip as i'm helping to co-lead a group of college students.  Our goal is to teach them some volleyball skills at a camp.  i love to travel.  i've not been to Europe in two yrs and have the 'itch' to do so. 

When i was young, my Father had a record (remember those?) of the sound track of "Paint Your Wagon" and on that record was a song "I was born under a wanderin' star."  My Father would sing that to me and tell me that the Irish side of our family (His side) had that wanderlust problem.  i think back then, i realized the urge to travel, to see new things, to meet new people....always wanting and loving home, but always in search of somewhere new and exciting.  Part of that could be the Irish in me - i've heard it said that American Irish aren't content and don't lose the wanderlust until they go back to Ireland - and part of it could be that i grew up in a little town, on the side of a mountain, close to the river.  Great place to raise children and room enough to allow developing minds to dream of what was over the next mountain. (by the way, in our case, it was another mountain!)

So, i'm excited to be going overseas for two weeks. The Hungarian people are wonderful, friendly and hospitable.  You can hear wonderful gypsy music in the subways.  You can still see the marks of years of communism but also the granduer of Budapest - imagining what it once was long ago. 

Look up at the sky tonight...do you see that wandering star?  i think it has my name on it...maybe yours too.