”Some of us choose our travel designations based on the iconic nature of the place. My trip to Peru was no exception.”
Thank you,
Amy, for giving us the opportunity to reflect upon our travels – because everybody travels sometime, somehow and somewhere. It does not have to be to faraway countries – we can also travel inside.
Some of my most intense travels – growing my self – important travels, were those I made as a young woman. Without a camera. I grew up with books, and many of them were about foreign jungles, rain forests, arctic areas and deserts.
My nose was always in a book, and in my mind I longed to see all those fantastic places and animals, meet those other cultures so different from my own.
Never did I guess I would get the opportunity to see so many of those places with my own eyes.
The extensive traveling started when I was 16 and met a young man who had reached the age for a driver’s license (18 in Sweden) – and, had a car of his own. We traveled through the whole of Europe for three summers. Then we decided to take the step over to Asia and a country much dreamed of – Nepal. Annapurna and Mount Everest, bicycle through the Kathmandu valley, Ox cart down in Chitwan. In the mountains we stayed at a bungalow owned by a Gurkha soldier. I had read that an Indian field marshal once stated something like: ”If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha.” Respect. Still no camera – my fellow traveler had one though.
All photos from our travels for the next 20 years are slides, dia positives. We never look at them.
All those years…Nepal, India, Russia, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Egypt, China, Iceland, Greenland, Peru…Yes, Peru too – now Amy got me wanting to open up those old dia frames again…
But, I have stopped wanting to visit places I have been…you don´t have to wait long before they look completely different and have lost that glory you remember from your first visit…I hate it how we destroy the originality of places, islands, countries, people… And we change ourselves as well, as we grow.
My travels. They started in the 70´s and hopefully they are not over yet. 43 years of growing up on the road, meeting remarkable people, living spectacular moments. The world opened my eyes – teaching me tolerance, patience, love…and how very much we resemble each other, we are the same all over the world, in fact one big family…So, let us work together to make this world a better place! Sustainable. Let love and caring for nature and each other rule.
Let us build bridges – not walls. We are all connected.
Leya 
Brilliantly captured……
Thank you kindly!
Awesome post. I love your story and I love your photos ❤️
♥ Thank you so much for a lovely comment!
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What a beautiful and moving post, A-C. I share your love of reading books and traveling and have been fortunate to have the time to do a good bit of both. I also share these ideals and hopes, which you’ve expressed so beautifully: ”The world opened my eyes – teaching me tolerance, patience, love…and how very much we resemble each other, we are the same all over the world, in fact one big family…So, let us work together to make this world a better place! Sustainable. Let love and caring for nature and each other rule.” I hoping that 2019 leads you to new worlds–both in fiction and in reality!
Thank you for a lovely comment, Patti! Let us hope the world will mend and we will still find it beautiful!
Yes, yes. I also share your hope.
What a traveller you are, Ann-Christine, and not just geographically speaking. You have travelled in the world of books, different cultures, different ways of thinking, different workplaces; indeed, you are more explorer than traveller. The images you have taken are wonderful. I often talk about going back to places but I don’t think I truly want to. For me, the only place one needs to go back to is home.
Thank you for a wonderful comment…which I feel I do not live up to.” …the only place one
needs to go back to is home.” This is the simple truth – well delivered. Thank you♥
Du tar vackra bilder!
Jag lade till dig i min länklista på fotobloggen.
Må gôtt!
/Skvitt
Tack så väldigt mycket!
Remarkable, Leya! I’m glad that you got to see so much and I agree with your closing thoughts. Bridges, not walls. And only where you don’t destroy the habitat by building in it.
♥
16! Incredible! Have you been in Latvia? Countryside?
I have been to Riga and the vicinity. A great trip with nice people, gorgeous architecture and delicious food! Loved Riga – Rozengrals!!!!We went to the outdoor museum as well and I must say, Sweden is famous for its Skansen museum, but this one was even better.
I’m glad you love Riga. Old Town is beautiful and I miss it a bit 🙂 (Haven’t been in Riga for 4 years)
I enjoyed travelling with you A-C Let me know when you are coming to Australia 🙂
I will ;-D
A beautiful post Leya, both in images and words.
Thank you, I am glad you liked it – when I look back, I am very grateful.
A very lovely thoughtful post Ann-Christine. I am the same. I rarely go back to a place I have already visited and if I do I always try to see new things. I am lucky, I started travelling at 17 but had many years where I couldn’t afford to do so, then a period where I could. Now I am mostly content to stay at home and explore around me.
Thank you – and I too am mostly content to stay at home. Mostly shorter trips for us nowadays. and as always, what we find close to us are the last things visited!
Beautiful photos and beautiful narrative, Lena.
Thank you kindly!
Beautiful images and reflections Ann-Christine, there are only a few places we have revisited (in Mexico and in France) and they were still as special the second time around. We count ourselves lucky and treasure the memories – so many other places have changed xxx
Yes, I guess you were lucky – how wonderful!
Wow! You have travelled, A C! And wiser words, too….. ”and have lost that glory you remember from your first visit…I hate it how we destroy the originality of places, islands, countries, people… And we change ourselves as well, as we grow” Places once visited need to remain as precious memories
Thank you Sue, I agree, they must remain precious memories. I made a great mistake once – and will not do it again. We took our children back to the Azores, my dream heaven on Earth, only to find that the tourist business had found it as well during those 5 years in between. Pristine once…now the hot pools in the tropical forest had been built around with stones and there was a road out there…and maybe 25 people in each pool. Our first time on the islands we were alone, resting in the hot water, looking up at the birds in the canopy, and the blue heavens above. I cried for the rest of that day. A tough way to learn the lesson.
Hmm, I have had similar experiences….
…..
Beautifully penned!
Thank you so much!
I love the reflection
I am glad
Thank goodness you met that young man. 🙂 🙂 And that Amy gave you the opportunity to take out the slides. I have 2 boxes of old photos and memories under the bed. One day I may do the same. Meantime, let’s keep building those bridges. Wonderful post, Ann-Christine. 🙂
Ah, dearest Jo, why does it take so long to open up for the past? I guess just living today takes too much time and energy…
This is a beautiful post.
Thank you.
I join the spirit of the others who have already commented ahead of me. This is a deeply reflective piece… my travels have not been as worldly. It’s from posts like yours that I enjoy traveling vicariously.
Thank you – we all need travels, don’t we – somehow we have to leave the everyday to make our spirit soar.
What beautiful and diverse photos! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Enjoyed this post : )
I am glad!
I like the diversity of images, all the different places and landscapes. The last image is my favorite. I love the sense of walking above the trees towards the horizon.
Thank you – and yes, walking above the Amazon forest is unforgettable.
Ann-Christine, I’m so impressed with your early adventures!! I too agree never to return to places that have such amazing places in our memories. You are truly a citizen of the world. Loved your post
Well, Tina, when I think back on all those adventures, it is amazing they really happened. I was so young – maybe the senses and feelings are stronger then. You and your family travel a great deal of the year too. It is always rewarding. Hopefully we will grow old and have time to relive all adventures through photos and fond memories!
A life full of travel and adventures, thank you Leya for giving us a peep into your past. I agree never a good idea to visit a place once seen and full of memories, time changes those places, they call it progress, but it is to be wondered if it is progress when the world and nature is telling us a different story. Earthquakes, floods, rising temperatures a world in chaos. We do not need to build walls but try to live in harmony
”They call it progress”…I know, and I agree with you wholeheartedly – just look at what we and our world have become. Like Voltaire said in ”Candide” – grow our garden is the best thing. Far away from the buzzing world. You do the right thing, you and Jack. Bless you.
Not many houses have gardens now. Our plot is certainly the only garden in our street. But then they do take a lot of time to care for them
Time well spent when I look at your photos!
I’d be bored without the garden to keep me busy
Absolutely!
Sustainable world, that is so precise. Love your narrative and I agree we are one big family. These photos makes me take a dream vacation in my mind. Breath taking.
♥ Thank you♥
Definitely bridges and not walls. You’re so right about visiting places only once. I feel the same way as you do. A place never has the same magic the second time around.
True, Sylvia. Sending my love to you and your family.
Beautiful reflection, Ann-Christine, in words and pictures!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
You’re a true adventurer, A-C. I love the glimpse into your life. I have boxes of slides, too. I need to go through them and get them put onto DVD’s. (Lovely photos, too.) Let’s keep on traveling.
janet
Oh Janet, those slides…we have thousands and thousands in two rooms. I fear we will never find time to see all of them. And I don’t know if their quality deteriorates with time. I would love to put them into DVD’s as well. But…
My parents had their slide put on DVD a few years ago and although some had deteriorated, many were just fine. It was wonderful to see all the photos from my childhood! The ones I have include my yearl-long trip to Europe in the mid-seventies, so I’d love to see them again.
How great! And the trip to Europe must be amazing to see again too!
Haven’t seen it yet again, but it’s on my to-do list. 🙂
😊
Lovely post! Stunning photos and wonderful commentary!
Thank you kindly!
Bridge’s not walls
💚
Your were an adventurer when you were just 16! That is incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your sweet memories and travel stories. ”let us work together to make this world a better place!… ” beautifully said, Ann- Christine.
Thank you for this inspiring post!
Thank you, Amy, for the opportunity!