Traveling Pants

Traveling Pants

When my daughter was a wee-lass in the throes of ‘tween-dom,’ the movie, “The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants,” was out in full force. It’s premise: The adventures of 4 BFFs who have to spend their summer apart and the role a single pair of jeans plays throughout that summer.

So, here we have a globe-trotting pair of pants, with escapades most could only dream of. But here’s the thing about those jeans, it was only a tourist. A mere passenger. If it had arms it would be the one with the camera around its neck or the phone camera in ready mode, snapping a million pictures. There would be more duck-lip selfies than necessary, and these would be taken without ever really seeing or experiencing where they are.

So, what’s the point? Well, if you are blessed enough to be able to travel be sure to take in the brilliance of where you are visiting – the history, the food, the culture, the people, the diversity, the beauty. And, if the only traveling you are doing right now is to your local grocery store, the same rules apply. Take it all in. Breathe in the experience. Be surprised by the beauty. Experience the joy of seeing someone or something you hadn’t anticipated.

Life is too short to not be in awe at least once a day. So, whether in Belize or your backyard, be the Traveler, not the Tourist.