INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: JUST ADD WATER

Them: I haven’t seen you in a while.

Me: I just got back.

Them: Where did you go?

Me: International travel. Same place you went.

Them: Paris?

Me: Yes, Paris. Over and back.

Them: Did you …?

Me: Yes, I did. Did it all. Saw it all. Ate it all.

Them: Was it …?

Me: Fun? Yes, it was more fun than I expected, and here’s why …

Them: I was there and it was fun.

Me: I met some of the best people I could ever expect to spend time with.

Them: Were you on …

Me: A Rick Steves tour, I was on a Rick Steves tour with about twenty others.

Them: Were they …

Me: Old? I’d say they were aggressively old. Not old, like infirm, but old and not worrying about it. They were people who knew how to keep up. Always on time and never complained.

Them: Where were they …

Me: From? All over, from Georgia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Iowa, Hawaii, and oddly enough, from Oregon. Some of them were from places right here who knew people I knew.

Them: That’s kind of weird.

Me: It’s Oregon. Not everyone stays home.

Them: Why do you say aggressive?

Me: If it was a game, these people knew how to play hurt. No one was getting left behind. From a bad reaction to French onion soup, a funky bike seat, or a sprained ankle, they had lots of get up and go.

Them: Was it hard?

Me: Looking at the schedule, I didn’t expect what I got. It was like class was in session everyday. The free time blocked out? After an early day of info-overload, some afternoons were even busier.

Them: Was there time to rest?

Me: I wasn’t there to rest and it wasn’t a restful group. They were into international travel.

Them: First timers?

Me: One of the guys was a retired Navy Commander. He was experienced in International travel. One of his trips was off Vietnam during the war.

Them: How did he like Paris?

Me: I don’t know, but I stuck with him.

Them: Because he spoke French?

Me: Were you ever in the service?

Them: No, but …

Me: If you had been, you’d know what to look for, and a Commander is the right guy to learn from.

Them: Because of their authority?

Me: Because they know how to address challenges. They know stuff by heart while others try and figure things out.

Them: Were you in the service?

Me: Army Pfc. No one thinks a private knows anything, and they’re usually right.

Them: So you needed guidance?

Me: Lifelong learner is how I’d call it. And I like smart people who don’t need to prove it.

Them: Why, thank you.

Me: For what?