Traveling Companionably

Linda Lou Burton posting from Little Rock, Arkansas – I’ve traveled a lot with my cats, Alex and Jack. John Steinbeck traveled with his French poodle, Charley. Mark Twain traveled with various folks in his lifetime, firm in his belief that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Anthony Bourdain is the kind of companion I would choose to travel with; my favorite traveler of all time. What he has done, and seen, and filmed, and  written about is out there for all to see; his gritty, unflinching view of the world as it is, and his insistence on telling the truth about it. And he saw travel as a two-way ride; “travel changes you,” he said. “As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.”

As I began considering a visit to Africa some years ago, I thought about how such a trip would change me, and, of what kind of companion might approach this venture with attitudes similar to mine. Most people I knew had no desire to go to Africa! I had friends who had been; one on a mission to change things there; a few on a mission to climb a mountain; a few daring to race across the desert. I wanted to go to experience Africa, to meet people who live there, and to go away understanding the world a little bit better.

So I made a list, and whittled it down.

• 1st off the list – the Comparer! You know what I mean: “We don’t do things THAT way where I live!” “MY family always did it THIS way!”
• # 2 – the Whiner. “It’s too hot. It’s too noisy. It’s too far. It stinks! I’m tired!”
• # 3 – the Scaredy-Cat. “I’m not eating THAT! I can’t climb THAT! I’m not getting MY feet wet!”
• # 4 – the Bore. Droning on all day about nothing.
• # 5 – the Rigid. It’s got to be their way. Precise. No changes. No spontaneity! Point A straight to Point B, no stops, even to pee!
• # 6 – the Conjoined Twin. Connected to your hip. You can’t make a move without them, and they want to drag you everywhere they go.
• # 7 – the Humorless. Absolutely nothing is fun, or funny. No smiles.
• # 8 – the Blatantly Insensitive. Sneery nose up at anything different. No respect for others, their customs, or their way of life.
• # 9 – the Martyr. Jumps around to “caregive” instead of allowing others to do what they can.
• #10 – the Short Fuse. Blam!

An easygoing manner, a good sense of humor, and a taste for adventure top the “desirables” list. A willingness to try something new. A relentless curiosity. A Bourdain! I asked my retired son Rick (who had long expressed an interest in Italy) if he had a choice, where would he want to go – Africa, Europe, or Asia? He didn’t hesitate – “Well, Africa! Anybody can go to Europe. A trip to Africa would be the trip of a lifetime.”

Next step completed: my Africa travel companion chosen. Now, the planning. And the wait through the COVID years.