elizabethlevett

”A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” Moslih Eddin Saadi

Whenever you come back from a trip abroad, friends ask you, “What did you see?” The expectation is that you’ll visit all the points of interest, all the famous places. For me, travel isn’t necessarily a quest to find all the most important sights, it can also be a chance to spend time truly observing the commonplace; allowing myself to be available for those mundane surprises that wait in the passing of a day in any town or city. It’s these moments that I know I’ll remember and cherish.

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent.” Miriam Beard

While visiting a dear friend in Japan, I did take a day to visit the great Buddha of Kamakura. And yes, it was breathtaking. But my friend and I also took a break to sit for a while in one of the smaller temples. Just to be quiet and watch the light under a massive canopy of maples and notice the gnarled branches of ancient cypress trees.

For me the magic is in the sublime ordinary of a place. Being present for the sudden, breathtaking reflection of a tree branch in a windowpane at sunset, or seeing a troop of preschool children splashing through a puddle. Watching a very old couple walking hand in hand. Noticing the way the light changes on the water. Happening to be in just the right spot just when an elevated train passes overhead and feeling its thunder. Sitting still enough to watch the feral cats gather for breakfast behind an ancient tea shack. All this is magic.

”There is ecstasy in paying attention.” Anne Lamott

Travel can be stressful, especially when you’re all alone and unspeakably tired. There’s something about not being absolutely sure I’m on the right train or waiting in the right spot and being hopelessly inadequate at communicating in another country. It’s a heightened awareness that changes me for a little while and I have a feeling that it’s healthy, that it makes me stronger. Even this, as scary as it might be, is something I cherish. My usual concerns become irrelevant and I’m forced to accept the circumstances and trust that things will work out. They have so far and I’m very grateful.

”Journeys are the midwives of thought.” Alain de Botton

What I’m most grateful for are the moments I’ve been privileged to witness. There was that time when my sister and I discovered a fawn resting in the grass while we were on a run in the woods near her home in Virginia. I’ve seen sudden storms come over the mountains, leaving the fragrance of rain in the soil. I’ve found perfectly crafted bird’s nests to wrap in tissue paper and bring to show my young students, and stared one night at an owl in the backyard. Most breathtaking though is to have been present to sit and talk with an old friend and laugh about how young we used to be. Nothing is more beautiful than the face of someone you’ve cherished for a long, long time. These are the things I came for and I wish this very same magic for you.

“Those who do not believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl