“And all the secrets of the Universe, whisper in our ears

And all the years will come and go, take us up, always up.

We may never pass this way again…We may never pass this way again.” 

-James Seals and Dash Crofts (1973)

Once you start travelling with your kids you will never look at the same place the same way ever again.

I just returned from a fab solo journey to San Francisco.  It was like an expedition into the unknown! I have hung out in San Francisco hundreds of times: first as a child; then I lived there after college; acted in a musical there; visited my friends there; took meetings there; brought my stepsons there; brought my preschooler there, etc. 

On this recent trip I joined a group of friends who arrived from various parts of the globe to commemorate the one-year passing my best friend Dorothea…an avid traveller and bon vivant. (see: The Gift Of Travel)  I had been avoiding San Francisco since her passing because the city held so many memories of her there.  Why I thought that a bad thing I have no idea. 

In fact, it was a joyous revelation to me that I spent a lot of my time thinking how much my travelling kid would have enjoyed the trip.  The city is ripe with kid friendly stuff:  cable cars, trams, boats, great food, etc.  (See: SAN FRANCISCO).

I think that every travel-phillic pal I have could share an infinite amount of reasons they have for travelling and I am sure you have your own.  One thing that I have discovered is that the birth of my son and the death of my friend have ‘added’ to my repertoire of reasons.  The ‘secrets of the Universe’ truly ‘whisper in our ears’ when we travel.  Things never stay the same.  They morph.

We ‘may never pass this way again’…but if we do…we can rest assured that venture will bring fresh, amazing and perhaps startling discoveries and adventures to our lives. 

“Like Columbus in the olden days, we must gather all our courage.

Sail our ships out on the open sea.  Cast away our fears.

And all the years will come and go, and take us up, always up.

We may never pass this way again

We may never pass this way again.

We may never pass this way again.”