Journals

When there is a pocket of time in travels, my favorite thing to do is take a solo walk through whatever city I am visiting. I crank up the iPod to a playlist I have just in case I feel like adventuring solo - songs like Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" or DMB's "Where are you going?" and set off to explore. Sometimes things are best when you find them by accident - imagine turning a corner in Prague to suddenly realize you have found the Charles Bridge!   When it's possible, I try and create this time for myself in the early morning. Call me a romantic, but waking up in Dublin at 7am just to catch the sun and locals seemed pretty magical. I headed over to Merrion Square Park, my copy of Sense and Sensibility in hand, and observed the total Oscar Wilde presence in the Square and Park, then proceeded to watch all of the Dubliners cut through the park on their way to work. Some people cut through the grass, not caring about the dew on their shoes (why would they? it rains always) and some took the long way on the sidewalk. I sat there for a couple of hours, alternating between reading and watching, the sun on my face. It almost feels like when you choose to have a slow moment abroad, you really belong there, if only for a little while.