This is the end....(or maybe the beginning)

It is the last day of 2010 and my Facebook shows me that everyone is taking the opportunity to blog their thoughts on the year. Mine is a travel blog, intertwined with my own little life as travel often is. This year has been full of new places and old places, new faces and old faces, new ideas and old habits. And I expect more and more in 2011.

Here are some of my life and travel thoughts from 2010:

-Revisit places you have been before. There is always something you have left undone, there is always a new exhibition, there is always a little cafe waiting for you. A city, town, country, a place is a growing and living and breathing creature that will always surprise you... no matter how well you think you know it.

-Go to a place of worship. You don't have to be spiritual or a Christian or a Hindu or a Muslim or any other persuasion to enjoy the calming affect of a holy place. Stepping into a local cathedral or mosque or temple will give you insight into the soul of the nation you are visiting. People who gather in these places are often welcoming and open, and a wonderful source of knowledge about the very place you want to get to know.

This year we met at our church a lovely retired couple from Maine who are in Prague for four months visiting relatives. We've been able to give them advice on trains, buses, places to stay and adventures to have while in the Czech Republic. And in exchange we've been able to see "our home" through their eyes...And if we are ever in Maine, we have friends who have offered to host us in their cabin on a lake.

-Pay more sometimes. I remember years ago my great travel friend Jamie advised, "Sometimes you have to decide if you have more money than time, or more time than money." Wise words for travel. Now that Prague has a direct flight to JFK, I'm more than happy to shell out an extra $75 if it cuts five or six hours off my travel time.

-You don't have to go far to have big experiences. Some of our greatest discoveries were within an hour drive from Prague, for example: Soos Nature Reserve.

-Travel for someone else. Now, this one is a challenge and requires planning and research but was by far the most rewarding of our adventures this year.

After being introduced to my grandmother's friend Virgil, a World War II veteran who had been in Czechoslovakia during his service, we decided to find out exactly where he had been and go to those small Czech towns and villages, take photos and make a book for him. We hand-delivered the book at Thanksgiving. Virgil was surprised and at first wasn't sure he'd recognize anything, it had been 65 years! But after leafing through the book He did remember a bridge and a street, a building and a square. He was pleased to see how bright and colorful the towns are and that the people are happy.

SO, what are you waiting for? Put on your travel boots and get yourself out on an adventure!