Scenes From My Life

What was I doing here? I do not even drink coffee. Besides, all of these places basically look the same. This place was no different, really. What was the point of my being here? I had no intention of ordering coffee. Yet, there I was, standing in a tiny Starbucks Coffee shop in Seattle. I was not alone. The store was packed to the point where I could hardly move. While most of the people in the store had a drink in hand, I spotted a few who, like me, were just looking around. In any other city, this might have seemed exceedingly strange, going to Starbucks with no intention of getting coffee. But, this was different. This was the first Starbucks. Seattle and coffee are somewhat linked. It was in Seattle that coffee became a pastime. What was once a drink largely reserved for mornings and evening meals, became a day-long obsession. Granted, Starbucks is just another large corporation. But, it was in Seattle that Starbucks began. Seeking out the first store see...

As the plane began to descend, the passengers looked out of the windows. Everyone on the plane found their gaze drawn to the approaching city below them. Their destination was in sight and they could not help but attempt to get that first glimpse. Those passengers who had been sleeping awakened to watch the approach. Those who had been talking grew silent, seemingly mesmerized by the sight of the city. Those on the aisles craned their necks to get a glimpse. I had not seen it before and have not seen it since. That rare occasion where each and every person on an airplane watched as the destination came into sight. Only one city could draw such rapt attention. That city was Las Vegas. It was my first trip to “Sin City” and my traveling companion’s first trip in more than two decades. The late night cross-country flight put us near Las Vegas just before midnight. Since our flight had flown over the Mississippi River, nearly three hours earlier, very few discernible s...

In my travels, guidebooks have been of tremendous assistance. Guidebooks have lead to great restaurants, must-see attractions, and more than a few nice hotels. However, there have been some pieces of information that even the most complete guidebooks have not revealed. Though they may initially seem to be a negative, these omissions can add to the traveling experience. In some cases, it is not what you know, but what you discover that makes traveling a true adventure. In even the largest of cities, there are still tiny, out of the way places to be found. Places that, without a keen or, perhaps, curious eye, one might otherwise miss. It is these places that often prove to be among the more memorable moments of any journey. For me, a great example of this is Manhattan’s Trinity Church. My first encounter with this Church came about entirely by accident. Wandering the crowded alleyways of the financial district, near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway,...

I love to find great quotes. Quotes can make you laugh. They can make you think. They are a great way to express yourself using only a few words. Here are some of my travel-related favorites: The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~ St. Augustine Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything. ~ Charles Kuralt A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu Most travel is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering; the reality has more to do with losing your luggage. ~ Regina Nadelson The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~ G.K. Chesterton Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~ Benjamin Disraeli I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list. ~ Susan Sontag