To Travel is Fine, To Return Home is Divine

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
― Saint Augustine of Hippo

This evening, as the clock is nearing 11pm, I thought I'd answer a few similar questions from a while back. (And you all thought I'd forgotten!) From Brenda T. "Where would you most like to visit?" and Michelle M. "What is the one place that you would love to travel to? And why?"

Some questions you think would be easy, like this one. Not so. Maybe it would be if I only had one place I would most like to visit. As it is, I would like to visit:
     Ireland
       Scotland
          New Zealand
             Rome
               Jerusalem
                 Japan
                    Prince Edward Island
                      The Great Wall of China
                        The beaches of Hawaii
                            Nova Scotia
                              The city of Quebec
                                 Oregan coastline
                                     And the list could go on and on...
...but the one place I'd like to visit is probably the one at the top of the list, and that would be Ireland. Why? I just think it is a beautiful country with so much history, passion and pride. Whether in the quaint villages, the rocky coast, the craggy castles, the pubs on city corners, or in the fields fenced in with stone fences, I think it is a country I'd like to explore. But then I'd have to move on to Scotland because, it's close by and since I am already this close...

I do like to travel; it's just that little things like money, lack of vacation time, and the fact that I'd have to fly there, all put a halt to travel plans. I think that's why, when I have time (ha ha), I like to read. Books truly do "take you there" and inspire the dream of "someday".

Or I can just take a bath in Calgon which promises to "take me away..."
Or not, because I am not really even sure what Calgon is. I am not that adventurous.

Kinda like the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, I am. I like the idea of adventure, but when it comes down to it, in reality, I like things a bit on the safe side. Traveling is nice and I like to see new places, experience different cultures, but in the end, home is nice too. If I was away from home, the place I'd most like to visit would be right here.

So, in honor of the upcoming Hobbit movie (I can't wait!!!), here is a song from Bilbo as he is returning home after his larger than life, oh so grand, adventure of a lifetime.

Roads go ever ever on,

Over rock and under tree,

By caves where never sun has shone,

By streams that never find the sea;

Over snow by winter sown,

And through the merry flowers of June,

Over grass and over stone,

And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

Love,
Dianne