Let's Get Real - Lauri's Travel Lessons

 Ok, I have been talking on this blog about how magical travel is and how much I have always wanted to do more of it. This time, I am going to talk about some of stuff that isn't as picture-perfect.

And I am finding out on my journey that one of the biggest things you need when you travel is a little resilience. 

Case in point:  suitcases.

Everyone, from my best friends to Rick Steves, always tells me to pack light. Every time I ignore their advice. I cannot decide between various tennis shoes. I need coats for tough weather, etc.  My suitcase this time was smaller than usual, but still not small enough. So I have been paying the price... quite a bit.

My London rental said it was "first floor".  Unbeknownst to me, that meant three floors, two of which were a windy little narrow staircase.  Getting up and down was a challenge with the suitcase. And, this darned suitcase has been very botherson on my train journey.  Every stop, I am schlepping this thing around. I have to keep taking lifts (sometimes broken) and then haul it God knows where so I can store it somewhere and explore the town.  Here in my request: if we are friends and you are reading this, you have my permission to remind me next time to PACK LIGHT!! The worst thing is I feel so American with my big suitcase.  And I have not worn half the stuff. Sgh.

Second challenge:  learning the train system has been a challenge. I am quite proud of myself for figuring it out, but sometimes it is a bit touch and go. I have been on wrong trains, gone the wrong way, got confused, etc.  But I gotta say, folks here are lovely. They are so helpful.  And a coulple of young guys offered to carry my suitcase on a few staircases.  I choose to interpret that as them being raised well (rather than them thinking I am old).  By the time I am done, I will be an expert.

Going to another country can be a challenge for your brain in other ways. My place in Bath seemed to be like a nightmare of things I didn't understand.  I can NEVER figure out the showers here in the UK.  Today I ended up spraying the whole bathroom with a nozzle and could never figure out how to unplug the bath.  I couldn't figure out the coffee machine so had to boil water and try to come up with something. I couldn't figure out where they kept things or how to turn lights off.  My favorite challenge today was breaking a wine bottle into a thousand pieces while packing and not knowing where the broom was... so I tried to sweep up pieces with a towel. This was dumb, of course. Suffice to say, no emergency room required but lots of blood left behind. 

Of course I came down with a bad cold two days ago, so that has left me a bit grumpy and out of sorts. But I feel proud of pushing through that, too.

So yesterday I saw Oxford and Bath. Today I stopped by Bristol and I am now headed towards Liverpool, where I get to be parked for a day or two.

And I don't want to be all negative.  have seen some amazing things here. Bath was as incredible as I always imagined. I even had tea at the famous Pump Room and saw the Roman Baths.

But the challenges are part of the journey too, right?

So now, as I take in the countryside while heading up to Liverpool, I am taking a big breath. I am going to order a glass of wine (if this is possible, which  really hope it is...) and try to take in the trainride. 

 Travel is not simple.  It has challenges and sometimes you get frustrated. And I have to say, it can be tough doing it alone sometimes.  It's just me figuring it out.  

But I am utterly proud I am doing so.... and this is why I think I need to keep traveling.  We have to face the logistical challenges and keep getting out there, because one day the logistics start feeling like too much to face.  I know I have a long way to go and a lot of travels ahead before that happens to me.... in the meantime, I am going to try to find some humor. Whether that is about lugging big suitcases, cutting myself with glass or spraying myself with a shower nozzle.  It's all part of travel, right?

Can I move to London?

  

Okay, first things first: London is amazing. I mean, really amazing.  I loved the tube.  Getting around is easy. I love the history and all of the beautiful buildings.  I love the theatre and all of the art. But I have to say, I REALLY love the people.  We folks from the U.S. are trained to think Brits are snooty and formal.  I have had such a different experience here.  But more on that later.  First... the theatre.  On Day 1 I saw Cate Blanchet in a fantastic play (Electa/Persona).  Day 2 brought me to Sinatra, a telling of his life with fantastic music. Day 3 brought me to Hamilton for my fourth time.... this time with the sensational Leslie Odom Jr. back in his groundbreaking role as Aaron Burr (Sir!).  It was just as fabulous as I expected. Don't hate me for taking the curtain call photo.... and yes, I was six rows away! This is one of my favorite musicals and it was so lovely to be surrounded by people who felt the same.  I chatted with a bunch of young women and we all were trading stories of where and when we had seen it (this was the fourth time for all of us).  I have to say, I found my people. 

Ben Platt.... Just Wow.

And last night..... oh my gosh.  It was Ben Platt in "Midnight at the Never Get".  It was a small cabaret setting - maybe 200 people? He played a singer in the 1950s who was in love with his composing partner but they were never able to be out.  The songs were amazing. Ben is always amazing, but these songs were heartbreaking.  It was just as great as you could imagine.  I became friendly with the young guy next to me (it was completely sold out and we were squeezed in there). At, the end we were crying a bit together.  I think it may be the bet show I have ever seen. 

The last couple of days have been amazingly full with sightseeing.  From Saturday until today, I have done about 25,000 steps a day (that's 10-11 miles) but one day I actually walked 17 miles. Suffice to say, I am exhausted every night.  My stupid sore hip flexor and stupid plantar fascitis foot are holding out!  I can rest when I am dead! 

 I adore the churches... I saw St. Pauls, Westminster, Martin in the Fields, St. Bartholomew the Great and many more. They are all gorgeous, but I was profoundly moved by St. Pauls and Westminster.

A big part of the London experience is learning about the wars, particularly World War II. I highly recommend Churchill's War Rooms Museum... it was probably one of my favorites.

As I went through the War Rooms, I found myself thinking a lot about a generation of people who were so deeply impacted by World War II.  In the U.S., many of us know someone who had fought in the war (though many are now gone...). But here in the UK, the war was not some far off thing. People were impacted and hid in the subway tunnels. In fact, across the UK, more than 43,000 people died during the blitz while they were hiding from the bombs.  Many of the historic building are still covered in marks from shrapnel, which the leaders have never wanted to repair, so people can remember what happened.  It is incredibly moving to see signs of it everywhere.

I have spent a lot of time seeing palaces and doing tours... Buckingham, Kensington.  I was particularly moved by Kensington Palace. I know Buckingham Palace is the big deal, and it was fun to see the changing of the guard and learn all of the history. But I have always been a fan of Princess Diana.  You could almost feel her at Kensington, where they had a statue in her name (appropriately surreounded by children). I found myself tearing up, just remembering all the good she did in the world. And yeah, I still am not into Camilla.  :-)  One of my tourguides said Brits have all moved on and love the King and Queen but Americans seem to harbor more of a grudge against Charles and Camilla.  :-)

Anyway, the palaces are fun. I love the police (this poor guy couldn't react when I took his photo). I love how immersed in the culture and tradition Brits are around their royals.  

And... I truly love all the tourguides.  I have now been on a number of tours, and I have to say they are all so lovely and understanding.  They just love history (and a little theater) and love people who love both.  So the tours have been fabulous.

I also have spend a ton of time on Hop On/Hop Off buses, a great way to get around (when you are not stupidly walking 12 miles). Between the Hop Ons and the Tube, you can cover a lot of ground.

But if you go to London, do not forget the neighborhoods. That's where I have been putting all my mileage on... I walked all over Camden, Regent's Park, Notting Hill, Kensington. There is something to see around every corner, some fascinating piece of history. I was expecially drawn to Notting Hill, because, let's face it, I love the movie.  It did not disappoint... Portobello Road was wonderful, and I even went to the Travel Bookshop!

A huge part of my trip has been around museums, arts and culture. Today I was very blessed to visit Royal Albert Hall - what a highlight!  And this is where the nice people come in.  My tourguide was such an incredibly kind person. We had this one woman on the tour who was offensive, ignored his directions, kept taking photos against the rules, talked over him, etc.  A few of us on the trip were embarrassed about her behavior. I ended up chatting with an older couple when I left and apologized for her (because she was clearly American) since she said about the esteemed Queen Victoria "I never knew she was so fat!".  The couple looked a bit bothered by this, so we chatted and I asked them more questions about their beloved queen. As we walked out, I said I hated it when people from my country lived up to the stereotypes many have of us - loud, selfish, indelicate. The woman grabbed my arm and said, "Oh, but dear - there are plenty of people more like you. I choose to think of them."  Like I said, lovely people.

And, because travel is all about the magic, I wanted to share three very cool things with you:  

1) The Kindness of Strangers.  Yesterday, I felt a little off my game on one of my tours. My foot was hurting and everyone was in couples. I just felt grouchy and a bit lonely. I do a lot of traveling alone, and I am usually fine. But for whatever reason, I was missing having a companion at that moment.  This kind couple from North Carolina started talking to me and announced we were going to be come a trio for the next three hours.  It made me smile. Somewhere out there in Charlotte, NC are two nice people who included me!

2) Wonderful travel coincidences:  I met Jen 30 years ago, when we both worked for the federal government.  A couple of years ago, we reunited for a Mt. Rainier hike!  Then earlier this year, she was in the San Juans while I was, and we met in Friday Harbor. Now, it turns out she is in London this week!  So we met for dinner at George (a very famous old tavern near Tower Bridge.). That's one of the best things about travel - how you have these unexpected meetings, opportunities to see new and old friends and moments of beauty, like meeting an old friend in a pub that was built in the 1600s.

3) Tube Expert.  So that brings me today.... another exhausting, fun, challenging, invigorating and magical day in London Town. I only get two more days here (:-() but I am so glad I made eight days free. It's not enough time to explore London, but it has been wonderful! Today... I found myself on the Tube, coming back from a museum. I was exhausted and ready to go back to my place for some downtime. I was transferring to the Picadilly Line and a woman came up to me. She asked me directions for using the fare card and how to get through the turnstiles. I helped her out, but before I left her, I asked her why she asked me. She said, "Oh, you just seemed to know what you were doing. I had no idea you were a tourist."  Is that not the most excellent compliment you can imagine? So I only have two more days in this amazing place. I have dreamed my whole life about coming here and it has not disappointed at all.  From here,  I will be heading to a train and spending six days hopping around other towns in the UK (Bath, Liverpool, York, with some stops in between). And.... in about a week, Bob will be joining me for the Scotland part of the journey! 

 

Prepare yourself for a Life Moment!

If we are friends, you know I have this phrase, "Life moments".  These are the moments that you know -- while they are happening -- that you will remember this forever. They are those spectacular moments when you have a dream adventure or experience. My sacred duty is to always tell my friends when it is happening.  I literally say, "Heads up - this is a life moment!

Frankly, my trip to London has given me plenty to choose from.  But tonight will be hard to beat.

I saw a show about Frank Sinatra -- my all-time favorite singer.  I saw the show in London. It was fabulous. And... at the end of the show, they cast led the whole audience in "New York, New York."  Then, I walked across the street to the Savoy Hotel and ordered a cocktail.  Just as the cocktail was delivered, the piano bar guy starting singing "Fly Me to the Moon."

So there I am.. in London, post Sinatra show, and the guy at frigging historic Savoy Hotel sings "Fly Me to the Moon" (which, by the way, was the song Bob and I danced to at our wedding.).

You can't make this stuff up.

So this is what I adore about travel. There are a LOT of life moments. Of course, there are challenges, too.  My AC and Wi-fi don't work, so I have been complaining. Today I came back to take a nap after another 10 miles of walking and the maintenance guy came into my bedroom to fix things while I was fast asleep.  That was a bit disconcerting.  But these little challenges are nothing compared to a "New York, New York" singalong in London, or drinks at the Savoy, or going to two museums today and seeing LOTS of Van Gogh paintings....

Tomorrow I see Tower Bridge, Tower of London, St. Paul's AND Hamilton (for my fourth time!!). I couldn't resist, since Leslie Odom Jr. is back in the role of Aaron Burr, Sir! 

Hamilton in London with Leslie Odom Jr.... hmmm... I feel a Life Moment coming on!

Day 1!

I have always believed in magic.  I think we decide if we are going to find magic in our journeys or not. And to me, travel is about as magical as you get.

Today, one highlight was on the Tube.  A couple of young women started singing "Amazing Grace". They had beautiful voices and were really rocking it, but I knew they could use an alto line under the lead. So I went over and joined them. We ended up singing together on the Tube and I will never forget it.  Of course, some travelers looked annoyed. But some looked like we might have just provided a little magic.

Another magical moment happened when I was in Richmond, checking out the Ted Lasso locations (The Richmond green, the phonebooths near Ted's bench, the bar).  I stumbled upon a beautiful old church and realized a choir was rehearsing.  As I sat in this old church on the other side of the world, listening to a choir rehearsal, I felt a little magic then, too.  How lucky am I?

And another one: Carly was one of my favorite Edelman colleagues.  It has been a long time since I have seen her, and we had high tea today together.  It was amazing to see her after all these years and I felt so lucky -- lucky to be part of her journey, lucky to know so many young people in my career, and especially lucky to see how their lives flourish later on.

Other highlights:

-I saw the Changing of the Guard and toured Buckingham Palace

- I went to the fantastic Courthald Gallery, known for impressionist art ((including one from my favorite artist, Van Gogh)

- I walked through Hyde Park (10 miles total walking today!!)

- I went to Richmond and checked out Ted Lasso venues! (phone booths below)

You know, Ted Lasso is the perfect thing to to have in my mind right now. He sure knew how to find joy, magic and belief in his life. It didn't matter he didn't know football. He knew human beings (doubt me? Find the infamous episode about darts.)

Anyway, like Ted Lasso, I am finding plenty to believe in here in London.

Tomorrow I check out Abbey Road, Regents Park, Camden, A tour on the river and a play with Cate Blanchett, in addition to other fun!

Cheerio!

Cheerio!

Tonight's the night!

I leave tonight for my UK adventure.

Among some of the (many) highlights:

- 8 days in London seeing a ridiculous amount of things. Tours. Shows. Walks in fantastic places. Teas. Pubs.  I will be sharing it all.

- I continue my solo journey, taking trains around the UK for another week. I will be spending time in Oxford, Bath, Bristol, Leeds, York and Liverpool. Highlights? A ridiculous number of Beatles museums and concerts and the history of Bath and York.  

-Then I meet up with Bob in Edinburgh. He and I will spend time there, before moving on to Oban, Isle of Skye, Inverness and Glasgow.  All in all, I will be traveling for the next 3.5 weeks!

I will be sharing deep updates on this blog, talking about some of museums, shows, pubs and more that I will be seeing. I will also be sharing photos on Facebook.

Wish me luck!! And thanks for the fun graphic, ChatGPT.

Tea, museums and Ben Platt!

 I will be leaving in 10 days for the longest trip of my lifetime.

3.5 weeks. London. UK by rail. Exploring Scotland.

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was travel. My biggest dream was to be a foreign correspondent someday and report on stories as I worked my way around the globe.  When we were raising the family, there wasn't a lot of time or resources for that.  So once the kids were launched, I decided to go after the travel dream... hard. In the last decade I have been to many places: France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, etc.  I have generally gone somewhere in Europe every two years and my list has been growing.  I also roadtripped of the West Coast, traveled around the Grand Canyon, explored Utah's parks and more.  Much of it I have done with my daughters, some with Bob. But a good portion has been on my own.

For this trip, I will be spending seven days alone in London and another week exploring the UK alone before Bob joins me for another 10 days in Scotland.

If you had to ask me what I am most excited about this very moment, it would be Midnight at the Never Get.  I will be seeing this show at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London. The seating capacity is 90. Yes, 90.  I am seated in Row A, which included a warning that I will be right next to the stage and this may include engagement wth the star.

Did I mention the star is Ben Platt?

Yes, I will be right next to one of my favorite Broadway singers as he performs in a cabaret setting for 90 people.

It's a hardship.

Beyond that, I will be seeing three other shows in London, taking in many, many museums, walking a lot and also having tea.  I expect to be posting frequently on Facebook and here on my travel blog.  I will be staying in Covent Garden (below) and don't expect to be doing much resting while in London.

As for Scotland, Bob will be joining me (!!) and wants to see things people usually don't see.  So we will be playing that a bit by ear as we navigate the roads and explore Inverness, Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye.

I love traveling. But I would argue I love -- almost as much - the thought of traveling. I spend months on my plans, putting together tours, figuring out what  want to see, reading the history and getting excited.  Since Christmas, I have spent hundreds of hours planning, particularly focusing on all I am going to see in London. So I ended up with a trip that includes Ben Platt, Hamilton for my fourth time (because Leslie Odom Jr. is back as Burr!), Cate Blanchett and a fabulous new musical about Frank Sinatra.  I also have booked tours, museum visits and more.  Whenever I get frustrated or anything in life throws me a curveball? My therapy is planning and dreaming of London.

Sometimes life can be tough. This year has had some challenges. And I look forward with great gusto, joy and excitement to getting on that plane and exploring it all.

Including seeing Ben Platt with 89 other people.

I will be posting soon! (and then they will be my OWN photos!)

It can be a real adventure ... having a life.

  Sedona!

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The headline for this blog is a quote from "The World According to Garp." It has always stuck with me. And now, as I pursue adventure after adventure through travel, I often find myself smiling.

The whole idea of pursuing adventure through travel got stuck in my head when I was a kid. In fact, I wanted be an international journalist (thank you, All the President's Men).  I wanted to report from Russia and travel the world. 

Life had other plans, of course. I had a great career in journalism, politics, public relations and nonprofit leadership. And, in a move NO ONE would have ever predicted, I took about a decade off to be home with the kids when they were little.   So this affected the travel budget, as you could imagine. 

I didn't really start pursuing the travel dreams until the kids were done with school. Since then, I have been to Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence, Prague, Lisbon, Seville, Vienna, Salzburg and too many other cities to name.  I have done a roadtrip down the coast to the Redwood Forest, driven through the national parks in Utah and Colorado, drove up the East Coast to Maine and done many, many hikes.  One of the greatest blessings in my life has been how much I have been able to travel in the last seven years. And a couple of times, I traveled with my daughters! 

 (me on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon)

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Now that I am a college faculty member at the University of Washington (another lifelong dream that came true!), I look forward with great joy each year to the Public Interest Communications Summer Institute.  This is a gathering of people I have come to adore. They are professors from Florida, Texas, Minnesota, California and more. And year after year we meet to talk about issues facing our field, grapple with things like the decline of trust in higher education, etc.  And, we connect with old friends.  I always build a trip around it, and this year we met in Phoenix.

 At the wonderful Tlaquepaque Village in Sedona

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Sure, the trip was not seamless. I lost my suitcase (more on that in my earlier blog...). That really challenged my resilient spirit.  But I survived and saw amazing places, including the Grand Canyon, spectacular Sedona, the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert and even Winslow, Arizona (and if you don't know why I visited there, I urge you to listen to The Eagles singing Take It Easy.)  I even squeezed in a Scottsdale visit to my old boss/friend Elaine Zielinski, whom I worked for in the federal government 30 years ago. 

What a trip.  

I keep thinking of those studies that show people stop traveling when they age. It becomes overwhelming, too challenging for some.  I have a lot of traveling to catch up on. I have many miles to go before I sleep. And I love every mile.

 (me with Elaine Zielinski, who ran the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Oregon/Washington office at the start of my career, way before women rose to success very often in land management agencies. She was a great boss. More importantly, she and I are still friends.) 

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And as I hang at the airport in Phoenix, waiting to go home to my little island, I find myself thinking of things like:

- gathering with dear friends and mentors and talking about how to be a better professor in these challenging times;

- sitting on the rim of the Grand Canyon in a hastily purchased Target t-shirt (thank you for the challenge, American Airlines!), laughing outloud because I finally made it there, regardless of the lack of a suitcase;

- looking at the spectacular red rocks of Sedona, which photos cannot adquately capture, knowing I will be back again;

- going to Winslow, Arizona, visiting the abandoned car on Route 66, checking out the Petrified Forest, seeing the adorable town of Jerome and its "ghost town" and other fun sidetrips.

 "Well, I'm a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see. It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me."

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Truly, Jenny in The World According to Garp was correct. And here's the whole quote:  "The thing is... to have a life before we die. It can be a real adventure... having a life."

I might not be a foreign correspondent.  But I am definitely covering some ground!

See you on my next trip!