To get lost is one of the virtues of travel. In Florence, La Spezia and Milan, Italy, I circled, lapped and swept along alleys, piazzas and bustling cobblestone streets. I would say I was lost most all of the time, but to be lost would mean I had a destination. Save the desire to make it to the obligatory tourist sites and back to the train station, I was free to wander or to flâneur as was the way of the 19th century French pedestrians. Does not flâneur sound far more sophisticated than wander? To flâneur I turn off the Google Map and follow the compass of my intuition. Continue reading
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The weight of my duffle bag tips the scale at the Alaskan Airlines counter but remains a sly measure below the 50 pound allotment. The bag bulges with items requested and items required to make the next month on Baranof Island comfortable. Without surprise, I will find the TSA placard acknowledging their search of my belongings when I unzip the bag several hours and many thousands of miles later. Maybe the polenta or the jar of pesto or the packets of cumin, coriander, and turmeric have piqued their security curiosity. Or perhaps the smell of coffee beans seeping from the canvas calls to them. My cache also includes lemons, ginger, apples, beans and the specially requested whipped cream. 
There are many news items from an island town in Alaska that are not typically heard down south. Each spring residents are reminded to bring in bird feeders to reduce bear trouble. Citizens are asked to dispose of animal carcasses properly so as to not interfere with airport traffic. And this week, there have been reports on how to handle the latest issue: limited internet connection. I imagine Silicon Valley has never had a week where the ability to draw up Google or retrieve email messages has taken ten minutes or not happened at all. 
There are places in our lives that we can point back and think: That was truly a magical time. That was a sincerely special place. That was an incredible evening. Occasions, celebrations, and milestones mark the path along our lives where we see the unique moments that make this life spectacular. 
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