T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
There is just something about traveling to a common destination with people that really solidifies relationships and ignites the synapses of memory function like nothing else can. I couldn’t tell you one iota today about my daily schedule as an eleven-year- old girl, but I can still smell the aroma of cotton candy and popcorn surrounding me in Orlando, Florida as I sat on the hot concrete curb next to my little brother. It was the perfect way to watch the parade of characters go dancing by on Main Street, USA, at Disney World with my parents in 1992. It was riveting! Not that the year I had just spent in 5th grade was not, but, come on! It’s Disney World for crying out loud! Travel , while a culture-building experience at its core, is also an opportunity of character and personality revelation. You may think you know someone, but until you have traveled with them, you really have no idea. If you are going to be sharing a small, confined space with others for a significant period, your true self will begin to peek out from behind the curtain of the Cordially Courteous Theater where we all play our roles for the general public. This is where the relationship rubber meets the road. Either you really do have a lot in common with your fellow travelers, or this is a one-and-done type situation. You may avoid talking with your mouth full at one meal, but who can do that for twelve meals in a row when there is so much to be said? Maybe that’s just me. I have had many more good experiences thanpoor oneswhen traveling.My take-away: when you find the people you really travel well with, hit the road together as often as possible. These trips do not have to be mega budget-benders or planned to the last detail every time you take one. (Even though a couple of those thrown in the mix every now and again is well worth it.) No, they can be a spur-of-the-moment adventure that just takes you a few miles away for just a day or a weekend. There is no rule of thumb for a good trip, just that you are willing to stick that proverbial thumb out there and hitch the ride. I mean, if you never go, you will never know. I still remember the first “grown-up vacation” I ever took without consulting my mother about the details. My honeymoon does not count because Mom had a copy
A SARINE THOUGHT… OR TWO COLUMN BY EMI LY SARINE
photo by Matt Cornelius
We Be Trippin’
So, it’s hot. The newness of out-of-school freedom is on the br ink of completely wearing off for the children in your home and a change of scenery for all involved is long over-due. We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t
been, you will at some point in your life. The solution: a summer adventure in the form of a vacation! Some of my fondest memories are from times when I set out with my family and/or friends in search of good food, good fellowship and a good souvenir (or two).
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L I F E & S T Y L E
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