September Memories

In 2014 I went on a solo trip to Sweden. It didn’t seem like such a big deal to go by myself—more like an adventure. Until the airlines lost my luggage, until I couldn’t explain to the bus driver where I wanted to go, until my credit card stopped working. I could go on and on.

Right now I am stressing about my upcoming trip to England, September 1 – 26, where I plan to ride my bike from the top o’Scotland to the bottom of Cornwall, Land’s End. A journey of over 1,000 miles. I can think of an endless stream of things that might go wrong. And, likely will. But as I think back over Sweden and that trip two years ago, I had a fabulous time.

The weather was perfect.

I managed to meet up with 2 of my friends and have a great time re-connecting.

I ate wonderful food, and fell in love with Konditori cozy cafés that sell great pastries and coffee.

For the most part people spoke English—why don’t I speak 2 or 3 languages!?

And all those problems: the luggage got delivered the next day to my couchsurfing host, I made it to Sjötorp even though I could never manage to pronounce the name of the town, walked to a B & B and hired a bike to ride along the Gota Canal, and somehow my credit card started working—though never on the buses because I didn’t have the chip. (see The Traveler, post)

Always, always there was a way. This is not simply optimistic thinking. In tight places or times of travel confusion and mayhem, I felt the universe, God, the spirit of Marco Polo guiding me, telling me to walk through doors, trust, take another step.

Thank goodness for friends (you know who you are) for talking me down off the ledge yesterday when I started to panic. I just need to remind myself—to fall into the ever-loving hands of life, and live. Take the problems as they come, knowing there is a way.