Life, Work & Wonder

Tag: travel

  • Travels By Michael Creighton

    PROMPT: One is one book that inspired you to travel

    I was never a Michael Creighton reader. Nothing against his writing, but his kinds of books just weren’t my highest priority in the finite amount of time I have in life.

    Until I discovered “Travels,” which some librarian in the Seattle Public Librarian system had decided to put out on a table as a recommended reading.

    How much I loved that book, with its short chapters documenting his travels one trip at a time. Of course, Creighton was a busy individual, what with being a best selling novelist, A-list director and a producer. And after each project he liked to unwind by traveling, usually to an off-the-trail non-touristy place that his travel agent would book for him.

    There were all kinds of travels he took, including scuba diving, venturing through the jungles of Southeast Asia, and my personal favorite of climbing Mount Kilamajoro. I thought these essays were interesting, efficient, honest and vulnerable, and also just captivating in the places they went.

    I will never be Michael Creighton. I’m not smart enough, driven enough, and organized enough to write best-selling commercial novels in my spare time. And I have no interest in being a movie producer or director. But how much fun it was to spend a few days dipping into the travels of his life, and I just love so much the unique way he chose to tell his story/memoir. And truth be told, it inspired me in my own way to travel a little bit off the beaten path when traveling and to not be afraid to try to blend in with the locals without worrying about the touristy-stuff. I’m on a five year break from these kinds of travels, but I expect that Larissa and I will pick it back up again in a different phase of our life.

  • If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be in Seattle

    Writing Prompt: If I Could Live Anywhere In The World, Where Would It Be?

    With the exception of two years away in college and part of year lived in Oregon, I’ve lived my entire life — five decades and counting(!) — in Seattle. My parents too have lived their entire lives in Seattle. My mom’s mom? Lived her entire life in Seattle. My other three grandparents? Lived their entire adult lives in Seattle, too. Clearly, Seattle is in my blood and has been for generations. 

    The irony is, although I love Seattle, I also dislike Seattle. 

    I don’t love the over six months per year in drizzly gloom. I don’t love the dysfunction of our city government that has always been true for virtually my entire lifetime. And I wish that Seattle as a whole was more extroverted. 

    Still, five decades later, and despite the ability to arguably live anywhere in the US and maybe a lot of places in the world, I’ve always lived here. I doubt I’ll ever leave unless we relocate to California to be closer to Larissa’s family. 

    Why? 

    Because it’s where my roots are settled and it’s where my family is. Because I’ve learned in life that no matter what we think about our current situation it can always be worse, and all things being considered I’d rather deal with what I know rather than undertake the tremendous hassle of changing cities. But more than that, there must be something about the city I love. 

    I do love that we are close to mountains. And creeks. With bountiful water. And mostly mild temperatures. 

    I love that we are a metropolis with a healthy job market and lots of eating options that mostly don’t include large national restaurant chains. 

    I love that there are libraries and theaters and universities, and public transportation, and no shortage of things to do, all the while being very close to one of my favorite things to do in the world — embark on day hikes. 

    So clearly there is something I love about Seattle that is deep in my soul.

    So, if I could live anywhere in the world where would it be? The answer is obvious. It’s Seattle. Because we are what we do, and I CAN live anywhere and yet here I am. And because wherever we go there we are, and I believe that happiness should come from within and not from exterior forces, so why not try my best to be happy here, where my parents and sister are, where my kids are, where there is so much to like, and where I’m lived most of my life. 

    Maybe that’s the real answer. If I can’t be happy in a city with mountains, forests, salt water, bookstores, libraries, great restaurants, and the people I love, then changing my ZIP code probably isn’t going to solve much. Wherever I go, I’ll still be taking myself with me.

    So if I could live anywhere in the world? I’d choose Seattle. Not because it’s perfect—it certainly isn’t—but because it’s home. And after all these years, I think I’ve finally realized there’s a difference.

    #Seattle #Home #Place #Family #Happiness #Reflection #Life #Pacific Northwest #Identity #Contentment #WritingPrompt #Writing