The Joy of Traveling

The following post was handwritten into my journal while I was traveling through Sicily on June 26, less that 24 hours after my arrival there.

Three thoughts as I wait for my next train to arrive:

1) I had a blast jetting from major city to major city with my friends, but there is something to be said about the experience of simply traveling, and it can't be done by plane. After a while, for all their differences, big cities are big cities (even Istanbul), and large airports are all the same. Traveling alone by train through the Sicilian countryside and coast (or via ferry to Ios, an 8 hour ride through the Aegean and the islands) is an entirely different experience. It loans itself to self-reflection and an appreciation of true beauty. Right now, the main highlight of my day is not where I'm going. It's simply going.

2) Sicilians don't speak much English, but they do speak very, very fast Italian, Trapani is the most Catholic place I've ever been (even more than Rome), people can be sort of rude, and food is highly valued. I can definitely see its imprints on New York culture; I feel strangely at home here in a distinctly foreign land.

3) There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and finding a Chinese restaurant at any corner of the globe. I've seen Chinese restaurants in rural Guatemala, Sicily and Bosnia; I sometimes wonder if Chinese food sustained Shackleton and his men during their long trip home.