Travel Bucket List #4: Venice, Italy

Next - Italy...how can the world's most enticing country not be on the list? 

I've had the privilege of visiting Italy once - I saw some amazing things in that trip.  I was romanced by Florence, engulfed by Rome, nearly ran through Pisa (but there is a sweet story there that a future blog will tell of), and then we continued our trip West and ended in Spain.  It was quite the whirlwind tour - and of all the places we went, Italy still has my heart.

Take me to the city on the water.

I'm a sucker for old buildings!

When I visited Florence, one of the things I adored was that couples put "locks of love" all over the city.  It is so sweet!  They attach them to hand railings, bridges, walls, anything they can.  When thinking of my desire to travel, I remembered these locks.  They are a great illustration of why I love to travel - just like Florence is adorned with a collection of locks full of memories of couples in love, I want my life to be adorned with a collection of memories, trivia, smells, tastes and beautiful pictures from all over the world.  Florence may be, thus far, my favorite place I have collected from...but I haven't seen Venice yet.

Allow me to add one caveat in what I mean by "adorned".  Florence, for example, is not a city that is completed by these intricacies I love about her, but rather she is enhanced by the character they give her.  In the same way, I would love to be exposed to the culture of many more places around the world, not to complete something about myself, but to learn and enhance my character and personality by collecting valuable things along the way.  I could be quite content being a mere spectator, living vicariously through others who have traveled to other places.  After all, I agree with C.S. Lewis when he said, the things in this world that we adore are "only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited."  I am but a sojourner in this life, awaiting a much more radiant place to explore.  But if God brings a few opportunities here and there to allow me the gift of expanding my perspective of the world by seeing it, though it may only hold value to me a few others, I think I would enjoy it abundantly.

Locks of Love - Florence, Italy

Travel Bucket List #5: Mont Saint Michel, France

Yes, Please.

As I enter the world of blogging, it would be impossible not to share some of the places I want to visit - so I'll start with my top 5.  


The more people I meet, the more confident I am that I am far from alone in the desire to see the world and its wonders.  Why is that?  

• It could be because there are indeed many wonders to see.  The pyramids, European architecture, the natural wonders....those just scrape the surface of all there is to see.  
• It could also be because people love to get away, go on vacation.  They enjoy getting away from routine and trying out new cultures.
• Many people also want to travel because they love to collect pictures, whether on a camera or their own mental pictures, and make memories in far away places. 

I submit that it could also be because we are all sojouners of this life, and are on a journey to find the remarkable.  We love to be in awe, love to have our breath taken away and see things that are unexplainable or remind us how small we are compared to what's out there.  I know I love that in life - and I love sharing that with others.  Have you ever experienced the fun of taking your loved ones to a place that you know is amazing and you get to share it with them for their first time?  It's a treasure. 


More on the topic of sojourning to come in this countdown, but for now allow me to introduce to you this unique island in Normandy, France.


How did I find Mont Saint Michel, France, you ask?  Actually by iStockphoto.  One of my coworkers wanted to have a picture of a large edifice as the background to a verse in Scripture to give out, and found a picture of the island on iStock.  I happened upon the printer the same time it came out and as soon as I saw it, I asked her "where in the world is that?!"  She told me she found it on their site, so I went searching for about 30 minutes trying to find the location.  Then...I did.  And since, I have enjoyed looking at more photos, researched the airport nearest to the island and basically figured out I would need $7,000 at my fingertips to go there with my husband.  Sadly, not a trip we will take anytime soon.  But maybe if we visit another country one day that will be on this countdown, we could make a much more cost effective trip down to see Mont St Michel.  


So, there you have it.  #5 down, 4 more to go.  Hope this entry inspires you to build your favorite bucket list and enjoy window shopping the adventures out there.

Simplicity.

Simplicity - now there is a word that comes pretty loaded in our culture today.  It's almost as if, through the lens of assuming it's nearly impossible to achieve, simplifying has become a complex and weighty task.  Kind of defeats the purpose of simplicity's nature.  But I am feeling more and more optimistic lately that simplicity is not only very beneficial, but also possible.  (And I am speaking of simple in the good sense of the word, 'not complicated' - not the poor sense as in 'ignorant').

Life is busy.  This is a truth that most people in our culture can relate to - not everyone, but I feel confident in saying most.  I've heard it, read it, and definitely seen it in others' lives.  Busyness is not always a bad thing, but typically in seasons when things have been busy for a while I reflect on how I hunger for a simpler time.

My idea of simplicity, since I tend to think in extremes:

Solitude.

There are people in our society today that would have no idea what to do with simplicity - they thrive on doing and busyness.  But something's gotta give, and I think most people have their own translation of what simplicity would be for them.  I do enjoy being productive, and have had many seasons of my life where every hour of the day was dedicated for something.  And for that reason, I tend to think of solitude as my simplicity.  In fact, there was a time when I was smack in between coming out of very busy to extremely busy, and in that season I had a great desire (seriously) to move to Ireland and become a sheep farmer.

Why?  1) Because I love Ireland and desperately want to visit.  2) You don't get much more solitude than working  around only animals miles away from anyone else and away from media.  But see, for me simplicity didn't mean not working, I'm sure shepherding isn't as easy job! - it meant being in quiet serenity where the many voices and noises of the world weren't fighting for my attention.  (Sadly I was unqualified for the job, but one can keep on dreaming.)

Peace & Tranquility

One final thought on this topic of simplicity: Even though I hunger for a simpler time, my tendency is to complicate rather than simplify.  I think I'll spend my entire life learning how to chose the simplicity in every unique situation.  But I am thankful I am not alone in that effort - I can trust that the Lord will help me in granting wisdom and shedding light on the better choices daily.  I will charge forward in this fight for simplicity with His help - using His truth as a sword to fight off the enemies of simplicity like confusion, worry, busyness for the sake of busyness, people pleasing, circular reasoning, etc.  The fight will have new enemies as new stages in life come, of this I am certain - but I have decided that simplicity is definitely worth fighting for. 

“I believe we would be happier to have a personal revolution in our individual lives and go back to simpler living and more direct thinking. It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature.” 

Laura Ingalls Wilder