What I lost While Traveling

As a frequent traveler I lost many things. To be fair, I have gained quite a bit, but that is not the topic for today.

Allow me to frame this up a bit first, if I may.

My childhood was spent in rural America. Not just the regular rural America — I mean RURAL. One stoplight rural. The nearest McDonalds within 20 or so miles rural. One school building for kindergarten through high school rural. Backyard was a cornfield rural. Now you understand.

Do not mistake my meaning to say that this is a bad childhood. In many ways it was idyllic. However, this did provide me with pre-conceived notions about many things. As a result, for the first 18 years of my life I was certain about some things in the world and was secure in those beliefs. I clearly understood that normal meant living the way we lived. Normal was dressing the way we dressed. Normal was talking the way we talked. Normal was worshipping as we worshipped. You get the picture. My view of the world was very narrow, limiting and choked by paradigm.

Through an unlikely series of events, I find myself plucked from this environment (interesting story for another time) and planted in an urban, diverse, lively setting. BOOM. Mind blown.

So let’s get back on track. Given this framework, and a partner that wanted to see the world, travel is put into…