“When it comes to adventures,” I wrote in a 2013 blog post, “the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You go on an ordinary high school field trip and get bitten by an irradiated spider, giving you special powers. You’re running for shelter from a tornado, and the next thing you know, your house is dropping on a witch. You’re starting a typical day with the family, and flesh-eating zombies overrun the planet. We’ve all been there.” The post then went on to explain why we had to postpone that year’s big railway trip, the one that eventually took us over 6000 miles through 13 countries and became my memoir Adventures of a Railway Nomad: How Our Journeys Guide Us Home. And now — what are the odds? — it’s happened again. Over the past few days, as Rich and I were happily ambling around Seville shopping for toothpaste and a few other final sundries to pack for our Balkans-to-Baltics railway journey, a series of worrying emails began to arrive. Rich and I read them with increasing concern and soon it became clear that family matters required our presence in California — not immediately, but soon, and for a while. The train trip would have to be postponed. I felt as if someone had dropped a house on me. But then I remembered what Rich says in moments like this: “Breathtaking changes are to be embraced, not endured.” After that there was no more time to linger over philosophical musings; the logistics of shifting gears demanded our full and immediate attention. Our San Anselmo cottage had been rented to friends for the month of April, so the first week of May was the logical time to return. While I sent off a flurry of emails, Rich began to research plane fares. On top of everything else (and I know that this pales in comparison to a family crisis, but still…) we had already paid for two overnight ferry berths and two hotel rooms. We like to travel spontaneously but had felt it was safe (and wise in light of infrequent ferry service) to make these few advance bookings. Over breakfast this morning Rich was gloomily outlining what had to be done to see if we could get even partial refunds. And that’s when our houseguest (readers of Dancing in the Fountain know him as L-F) said, “So why don’t you go?” “Go? Go where?” I asked blankly. “On the first bit of your trip. Leave Friday as planned, take the train to Barcelona and the ferry to Sardinia — have a little fun before you go back. Otherwise you’re just going to sit around Seville for two weeks being depressed and grumpy.” Rich and I looked at each other in awe. My God, the man was a genius! Or at least able to state the overlooked obvious, which often amounts to the same thing. Rich began to nod. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, that could work.” And with a speed so dizzying I still have mental whiplash, Rich and I changed course yet again. We jumped into final travel preparations with renewed frenzy. The apartment began to echo with shouts of “Where’s the — oh, here it is!” and “What did you do with my — ” and “Why aren’t there any clean socks?” Barring a zombie apocalypse or the bite of a radioactive spider (at this point, nothing would surprise me), Rich and I are now planning to leave Friday morning as originally scheduled. We'll head for the Seville train station taking our little roll-aboard bags, tickets to Barcelona, and ferry passes to Sardinia and Sicily. At the end of two weeks, we’ll meet up with digital nomad pals in Napoli then hop a flight from Rome to San Francisco. With luck we'll arrive in California feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for what is shaping up to be a very long summer indeed. As far as I’m concerned, Friday marks the real start of our Balkan-to-Baltics railway journey. Like all great adventures, it’s beginning with bumps, detours, and a tornado blowing the plan radically off course. And that, of course, when things tend to get exciting. I’ll let you know what happens next.
24 Comments
4/13/2016 03:11:47 pm
Good heavens! Great post but sorry to hear that life gave you an unexpected turn. We had such a blip as we were preparing to return to Greece last month, and like you (since it was the return leg of our airfare - no cancel, no change) we'd finally decided we'd come for two weeks and then return if need be. Who said you get set in your ways as you age? I am thinking the four of us are living proof that flexibility is a state of mind! Good luck and safe travels. Jackie
Reply
Karen McCann
4/13/2016 04:19:18 pm
Thanks, Jackie! You're so right that with life is full of blips and surprises, flexibility is the name of the game, at any age.
Reply
bill kimball
4/13/2016 06:17:46 pm
Nice reactions. Looking forward to stories from the Ferry! Gotta believe there are going to be some funny happenings aboard and along the route back to San Francisco. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help in California. I will be there most of May and June. You always have a place to stay in April or May, in Newport Beach. Cheers. Bill
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:25:41 am
Thanks, Bill! And of course, you're right, San Francisco has plenty of weird stuff to keep us entertained. Remind me to tell you about our visit to the Tattoo Expo at the Cow Palace last time we were in town. Definitely out there! Looking forward to seeing you this summer.
Reply
Jane
4/13/2016 06:28:10 pm
Oh my goodness, it is true that one never knows what is round the corner so best to get on with plans with no delay instead of thinking too long and realising that it has been left too late.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:27:42 am
Very true, Jane — best to get on with the things we really want to do, because you never know what fate has in store. Thanks for your good sense and good wishes!
Reply
Kay Funk
4/13/2016 06:59:52 pm
Love how you embrace what life throws at you and run with it! I have a feeling you would have made the decision to carry on with plans on your own, but glad you had a push. So sorry about the train trip and hope everything goes well in CA.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:34:04 am
Thanks, Kay, I appreciate your support in these crazy times.
Reply
Milton
4/13/2016 07:02:53 pm
Great solution and my hopes that things turn out well in CA,
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:39:04 am
Thanks, Milt. On top of everything else, this change of plans will put us in the US during the run-up to the election — something I was looking forward to avoiding as much as possible! Just another reminder from the universe of how little control we have over anything...
Reply
whitey
4/13/2016 07:08:21 pm
the lord works in strange ways indeed...with the return of the ..cracker...he could attend his 50th college reunion starting on June 3rd in Providence..there will be lots of praying and masses...so the question is like the tv ads says...should I stay or should I go ???? you would get to see Joe Mahan with his new wife...Birthday...Bill degans ex wife...as the world turns...carry on ...
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:41:04 am
Strange ways indeed! Not sure we're going to make it to Providence this year, Whitey, but I'll pass this on to Rich.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:48:53 am
Thanks so much for you good wishes, Maria. We keep reminding ourselves that the Balkans and the Baltic States have been around for good long while and more than likely will carry on until we manage to get there and make their acquaintance.
Reply
Susan Jackson
4/13/2016 08:58:54 pm
Oops, sorry to hear about your problems but maybe you can meet up with some of the California group. Best wishes.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:52:12 am
A cheering thought! I am looking forward to more time in California, which is always full of things to do, especially in the summer. Thanks for your good wishes, Susan!
Reply
Susan
4/13/2016 08:59:15 pm
Nice job adapting! I'm on the countdown (11 days) for my own four month European train adventure and will be in Rome when you are! If I see you and Rich on the street I'm afraid I'll jump up and down with excitement and make you join me for a drink. Your books and blog have been wonderful motivators over the past eight months that I've been planning.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 06:54:29 am
Have a fabulous time in Rome, Susan! We will be passing through at lightning speed on the way to the airport, so drinks are probably not in the cards this time around. Which is a shame, because I'd love to toast your grand European train adventure. Keep me posted — I want all the details!
Reply
Polly
4/14/2016 12:35:37 pm
Brilliant! So admire your resilience, very inspirational to me. Hope you have a fabulous time.
Reply
Karen McCann
4/14/2016 04:35:15 pm
Thanks, Polly! Looking forward to a couple of weeks on the road. I'll keep you posted ...
Reply
Kathy Carter
4/15/2016 02:28:15 am
Bon voyage, safe travels, and positive thoughts for your family!
Reply
Karen McCann
4/15/2016 07:11:42 pm
Your kind words are greatly appreciated, Kathy! Rich and I just arrived in Barcelona and tomorrow we catch the ferry for Sardinia. So we are off to a good start.
Reply
Kim Day
5/3/2016 04:28:47 pm
Sorry to be Johnnie come lately to catching up on change of plans. You have a wonderful way of rolling with what comes your way! Perhaps all those Sunday afternoon Sanghas with discussion of impermanence contributes to that quality.
Reply
Karen McCann
5/6/2016 12:56:08 am
Thanks for your kind wishes, Kim. Yes, I do think all the Sanghas made a big difference in helping me keep at least some sense of perspective during times like these. Impermanence and the idea of service as a form of meditation are such helpful concepts. As to the election — yes, as if we didn't have enough challenges, we have a front-row seat for the election madness. And I was so looking forward to sitting it out in Europe, with just an occasional glance at the headlines. Oh well, I'm sure this will all be good for my soul in some way...
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Welcome!
This blog is a promotion-free zone. As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only mention things I happen to find interesting and/or useful. Whew! I wanted to clear that up before we went any further. Thanks for listening. Winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Award for Travel
#1 Amazon Bestseller in Tourist Destinations, Travel Tips, Gastronomy Essays, and Senior Travel
I'm an American travel writer based in Seville, Spain and my home state of California.
Right now I'm on a Nutters' World Tour seeking eccentric people, quirky places, and wacky food so I can have the fun of writing about them here. Don't miss out! SIGN UP HERE to be notified when I publish new posts. Where else have I traveled and written about? Use this search box to find out.
BLOG ARCHIVES
September 2023
CATEGORIES
All
|