Tie o’ the Day is a swell geometric take on red-white-and-blue. Today, I paired my green-striped, old-timey swimsuit top with my madras shorts. I am so ready to find a sandy beach where I can wear my entire old-timey swimsuit while I get sunburned searching for seashells or purty pebbles for Suzanne. Despite it being relatively safe to travel hither and yon again, we are still cooling our heels about resuming our travel adventures, until we get my Hanky Panky taken care of—whatever action that requires. Until the pandemic hit, we were used to flying off to new destinations 4 or 5 times a year. Don’t get me wrong: I love being home. In fact, I am a dedicated hermit. However, I also like leaving home on brief junkets to elsewhere.
Ah, travel! I miss $5 airport Diet Cokes, and renting cars, and taking gastronomic chances by eating in suspect local dining establishments. I miss trying to find parking in cities I’m discovering for the first time. I miss new forks in new roads, and I miss deciding which road to take and why—which always makes me think of Robert Frost. I miss staring out the windows of hotels, watching how the light changes across the skyline of whatever city we’re visiting. I miss the understanding and wonder that a heretofore unknown landscape inspires. And then I like coming back home, where I know exactly where everything is located, where sometimes life is tedious, and where I already know everybody.