“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ~ Mark Twain
I couldn’t agree with Twain more. In this past year I have met interpreters and deaf people of every size, shape and color – my own understanding of the world has been enhanced with each person I have had the honor of meeting. The foods I have eaten, the regional cultures I have observed or participated in, all of them have given me a sense of how large and cleverly connected the world is and can be.
My regret for this year is that I was not able to present for the southeastern United States RID chapters – I had hoped to include interpreter experiences from all over for my research. Life has a funny way of working out and the year is not quite over yet – so we shall see how that turns out.
The next series of shareshops are going to be a real testament to my traveling endurance – a marathon of modes of travel and tight timelines. Thursday November 6th I leave the Twin Cites, MN to drive to Champaign, IL. Friday the 7th, I present for ILRID in the morning. I will then drive to Chicago, and fly out to Baltimore, MD. Once in Baltimore, I will get a rental car and drive to Jamesburg, NJ. Saturday morning I present for NJRID. Saturday afternoon/evening I will be driving back to Baltimore. Sunday morning I present for the Potomac chapter of RID (PCRID). Sunday I fly back to Chicago, then get in the car and drive back home. And then promptly pass out for 24 hours. [chuckle]
I really appreciate having a driving element in my travel plans. There is something about the zen of the open road that leads to expansive thoughts. Not that I would be solving the world’s problems in a single road trip, but I often leave the car with a greater understanding of myself and the world I live in. It doesn’t matter if I am alone or if I have company – the conversation turns so many corners, often into the deepest territories.
