Travel is . . .

. . . Coming home

After all these years of travel, coming home has become a ritual. I unpack my toiletries, medicine and clean clothes as soon as I can. I do laundry - almost compulsively - and slowly empty the shoes, purses and the rest of the clothes, setting the dry cleaning aside for my next journey out.

I find the ritual comforting. While the travels may all be different, the sameness of returning to my home: my kitchen, my bed, my own belongings is very soothing.

That's not to say I don't enjoy travel as much as I used to. I still love the wandering and just returned from a seven-day cruise on the wonderful Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest ginormous ship. It was great. The ship is huge and offers a variety of wonderful entertainment, seemingly countless venues to pack on calories and great service.

I spent two days on the inaugural of the ship late last year and this past seven days, but I am sure there are a great many more surprises for me the next time I sail.

I had a good time with my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons and we are all looking forward to the arrival this weekend of another son, daughter-in-law and grandson and more family time.

And I am putting the finishing touches on a trip to New York.

There'll be plenty of time when I get old(er) to stay home.

As comforting as it is to be back.

Travel is . . .

. . .Waiting

I am waiting for my son, daughter-in-law and three young grandsons. They'll be here in about two-and-a-half hours and we will head for Port Everglades and a week-long family cruise.

That's a lot of togetherness. When one lives a quiet adult senior life, planning to spend time with family is always exciting. I love my kids and grandkids and enjoy the time we spend together - whether it is on a big, lovely ship. at a family party celebrating a rite of passage or in a European capital - I feel real gratitude that my kids want to share time with me.

So here I sit. My bags are packed. My computer, chargers for my phone, camera and Kindle are tucked away. I have the ship's tags on the bags and it's easy for me.

At my son's house I imagine a bit of a more chaotic scene with the little ones taking special toys and everyone rushing around.

It is basically one of those rites of passage I mentioned. The growth of a family vs. the life of a senior and I am doing what I have to do.

I have written about traveling solo, and it works out well when I do. I have met some lovely people and have no qualms about doing so again. But today will be different.

Cruising is a favorite of mine. It is the means of travel I enjoy most. You board, unpack and you're done until time for disembarkation. Doing it with some of the people I love most? What can go wrong?

I'll let you know.

Travel is . . .

. . .Wonderful on film.

I saw the new Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris, this afternoon. The film, out about three weeks, has variously garnered three-and-a-half or four stars and for my money, it's definitely a winner.

Anyone who has ever spent time in the City of Lights, will love the film. They will love the opening shots of the Champs Elysees, Montmarte, Place de La Concorde, Fouquet's Restaurant (which is very tourist-y but serves great roast duck,) Musee d'Orsay, the bateaux mouche and the city's myriad outdoor cafes. Paris in the rain, the film's lead actor thinks, is wonderful.

After half a dozen visits to Paris, I concur. The city is probably the most romantic in the world and definitely one of the most beautiful. Certinly very photogenic.

The film focuses on a young American writer. He, his toxic fiancee and her parents, go to Paris and stay at the presitigious Hotel Crillon. He wants to wander, he definitely wants to discover the Paris of Hemmingway, Picasso, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Tokls and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerland and the whole panoply of cultural icons of the 1920s who lived and loved in Paris. In his wandering he "sees" thexe amazing ex-pats and ultimately falls in love with a young woman who has lived with Picasso, Hemmingway and Modigliani and Braque. She, in turn, fantasizes about Paris of the 1890s, La Belle Epoque.

It is an entertaining film and may wind up an Allen classic.

And speaking of entertaining, I saw a piece on Saturday morning television about Debbie Reynold's costly collection of movie memorabilia going up for auction June 15.
She has been collecting for years and has Judy Garland's garnet slippers from the Wizard of Oz, Liz Taylor's headdress from Cleopatra, and the famed white silk pleated dress Marilyn Monroe wore in Seven Year Itch.

I saw some of her amazing collection in Las Vegas about 20 years ago. It is awesome.

Travel is...

Getting from here to there...

Or in my case yesterday, getting from there to here.

My son and I, his daughter and her boyfriend, had plans that included flying from Houston to Las Vegas. I would overnight in Houston on the way home and then take a flight - nonstop - to Fort Lauderdale.

The best laid plans of mice and man - and grandmothers - change. My son ran a fever -the young folks decided to go anyway, and I decided to come home.

My original ticket on Southwest was to fly direct from Houston Hobby to Fort Lauderdale. Quick changes don't work out quite as well as advance planning, and I was routed from Houston to New Orleans to Fort Lauderdale. I am not complaining. It worked well. I had lunch at Pappadeaux at Houston Hobby, a yogurt in New Orleans and didn't need to eat dinner when I arrived home about 8:45 pm. My time between flights was little more than an hour.

Southwest Airlines is a traveler's dream. Both flights left on time, arrived at their destination early and my luggage made the transfer. What more can a traveler ask for?

Oh sure, the business first on Iberia that I flew a few weeks ago from Miami to Barcelona and back was more comfortable (I think I slept five hours straight in the seats that reclined fully and were oh-so-comfy,) and much more luxurious, but if your goal is to get from here to there with a minimum of effort, Southwest is always the best answer. My gates were actually practically across from each other!

Being flexible is half the problem when traveling. But when a good plan comes together, it's probably because you flew Southwest.

Travel is....

Always a treat.

But travel to be with family, especially when it is a family occasion, is really special.

I came to Houston for two graduations: my grandson's eighth grade promotion to high school and my grandaughter's (she's my only granddaughter, the eight other grandchildren are boys) college gradutation. My son and daughter-in-law had a big party last night at their home to celebrate. It was awesome. The young people with whom our grandkids grew up, my kids' friends and my grandaughter's boyfriend's family who drove in from San Antonio made it a great evening.

I haven't gone to one museum, seen one historic site, taken pictures or spent time in tour buses. I have had a marvelous time with my grandkids, son and daughter-in-law, enjoying the sense of family that is the life blood of growing older.

I am a lucky grandmother and most appreciative of this kind of travel.

Travel is. . .

STILL an important part of my life.

I havn't blogged on this site since mid March, and truly have been traveling most of the last two-and-a-half months, but I have been blogging about my travels on another site. www.allthingscruise.com. Please take a look and read about my last few cruises and a week-long trip with other writers to Barcelonm Spain,

I am actually at my son's right now, (enjoying family times which are the cherries on top of travel,) and early next week some of us will head to Las Vegas for a couple of days. I'll be home about 10 days then ship out on another cruise with another son and his family.

Many years ago, in the 1950s, a popular book was entitled "What Makes Sammy Run?" It was the story of a guy with some nasty talents - and I claim none of those - but who kept on moving. A couple of my friends ask why I travel so much and some have intimated I run to escape. Not true. I have always juggled a writing career and a successful personal life, a love of travel and a love of my home.

So now, I'm back. I will be juggling both blogsites and sharing some unique travel experiences with you.

Stay tuned.