The Bittersweet Side of an Adventure

I am sitting here in my London hotel room, 24 hours worth of travel washed off of me, a glass bottle of mineral water (which looks suspiciously like a bottle of gin -- much to the chagrin of my students) by my side. I am trying to make my jet-lagged and addled brain remember all of the fine details of a day of whirlwind site seeing. I saw and heard about so many aspects of London that my head was swimming by lunchtime. It didn't help that I had only an hour or so of sleep on the plane and the airline breakfast of a roll, coffee, and yogurt didn't keep the hungry feeling away.

Our tour guide is a lovely fellow in his forties who truly loves the city and giving people tours. His energy and willingness to let us explore knows no bounds. But he is a guide for school students, with the philosophy of keeping everyone moving at lightning speed to keep the students entertained and worn out by the end of the day. While I enjoyed what he showed us, I learned something about myself -- I like a slow pace, to see things at my leisure, to enjoy and savor what is around me. Timetables and deadlines just make me anxious and I don't get to enjoy as much what I am experiencing.

As with any adventure, there were so many new and exciting things that I experienced today:

*my first 7 hour flight, and my first international flight

*my first stamp in my first passport

*driving on the "wrong side" of the road in a tourbus

*Trafalgar Square and the street performers

*seeing Van Gogh's Sunflowers and other wonderful Impressionist paintings

*eating lunch in St Martin's in the Field church

*drinking cider near the London Eye (sorry, my fear of heights was NOT going to let me go up in it) and watching more street performers

*hanging out in Covent Garden, and watching more street performers

*paying for the use of a toilet (felt like the 1970s all over again!)

So many exciting things I saw and experienced today, but, while I was enjoying myself, in the back of my mind was a feeling of the bittersweet feeling of the day. For several months, I had been talking about my trip with someone who would become a very good friend. Many people say that online friendships aren't real, that because there is no in-

person interaction, they do not have potential to be important or meaningful. I find I do not agree with that belief system. When you are in a relationship in person that does not allow or encourage interaction with others outside of the relationship, you search for connection where ever you can find it. This happened to me for many years -- after 20 years of marriage, I found myself isolated from family and without a single friend to whom I could turn. When I discovered the internet and met some wonderful people online, I began to have connections again. Out of these friendships, I sought help for me, found my voice, and realized my adventurous spirit. These friends have become dear to me, and one friendship in particular seemed very special.

I had talked about meeting this person on my trip, a chance I was very eager for. I saw this as an opportunity to say thank you to someone who helped me become the person I am working to be. Sadly, this meeting was not to be. My family helped see to that, and I had to say goodbye, something I didn't want to do, but felt necessary. As I walked through all of the wonderful places I saw today, in the back of my mind I found myself wishing I could tell this person about my day, to share what I saw, and to thank them for helping me find the courage to come on this journey. Goodbyes are bittersweet when coupled with an adventure, but such is life. Sometimes people are only along for segments of your journey, but they are no less important and should remain in your heart as you continue on your path.