Who doesn't occasionally daydream about being somewhere else, about packing up a suitcase and jetting off for someplace exotic, someplace with more culture, someplace with history, excitement, a place to just relax and get away from everyday life. Sometimes we feel stuck in our lives, in the mundane schedules we keep. We get up, we have coffee, we fight traffic, we work, we fight traffic again, we eat dinner, we watch tv, we go to bed, and then in the morning when the alarm clock goes off at exactly 6:05 AM, for the millionth day in a row, we do it all over again. This is not to say that there are not little bits of excitement and new things in our lives now and then, but for many adults, life is just about the same everyday, at least Monday through Friday. For me, the thought of having my morning cup of coffee someplace new is very appealing, most days anyway. I do realize that in those supposedly more exotic, more cultured places, places steeped in history and tradition, places with stretches of perfect beach and sunshine, the mundane probably still exists. Perhaps people living in Paris get sick of seeing the sun rise each morning over the Eiffel Tower and long for something more. Perhaps islanders who spend their days feeling a warm breeze off the ocean wish for the bustling and concrete of a metropolitan city. Who knows? The grass is always greener, right? Maybe. Maybe not.
I have been lucky enough to travel to many wonderful places in my short life thus far and there are definitely places I can see myself enjoying my morning coffee, afternoon cup of tea, evening walk and dinner, or my book before bed. There are also places I have never been that call to me, entice me to visit, or perhaps even stay and try out their version of "everyday life." Here are a few:
Switzerland: From Lucerne to Geneva, Zurich to Interlacken, even little wondrous places like Grindelwald, Swizerland has given me a feeling of peace each time I have been lucky enough to visit. The Alps make me feel to small, yet so at one with nature at the same time. There are many fun things to do and see in this small country. From the Junfraujoch to the Kappellbrucke, the famous "Lion Monument" and glaciers, I imagine myself spending more time in Switzerland in years to come. Oh, and the chocolate doesn't hurt either!
Austria: For a musician, there are few places in the world like Austria. Cities such as Vienna and Salzburg ooze tradition and inspiration, the life in these towns moving along to a rhythm one would swear is the ticking of a metronome. Salzburg is one of my favorite places on earth. It is both a modern city and a quaint throwback to the past, a time when gentlemen courted ladies and chamber music was appreciated by the masses. It is a place of beauty and tradition, the home of Mozart and the setting for much of the Sound of Music. Shopping is a must and sitting down at a cafe to enjoy some coffee and a piece of Sachertorte makes a perfect day. Classical music can be heard coming from all directions in this city, and nothing completes an evening like heading up to the fortress, Hohensalzburg, and listening to Mozart's music being played, right where he once played it. I have many fond memories of my times in this wonderful city and I hope many more are to come.
Greece: I don't know much about this country, but am drawn to its warm weather, cliffs overlooking the ocean, colorful people and tasty food. It is a nation with a great deal of history and ruins to prove it, many stories including those in mythology many of us know so well, the home of the Olympics. I imagine myself sitting outside on a balcony, overlooking a valley or even the ocean, enjoying a cool drink and some baklava. The people, the music, dancing, food, everything seems to say, come, welcome, join us. Someday I hope I can.
Napa Valley, California: As someone who loves a great glass of wine, I am drawn to a part of my own country that produces this wonderful beverage. California has always intrigued me, and not the beachy, Beverly Hills 90210 part, but the other areas, areas like San Francisco, Napa Valley, and the rest of the northern part of the state. It seems like life would be more relaxed and yet exciting, with easy access to so many other wonderful places. Who knows, someday I might enjoy my glass of California wine, sitting and overlooking the vineyard it came from.
Home: After moving 1,600 miles from my family, to a completely different part of the country, the place I would most like to wake up, have a cup of tea, spend my evenings, climb into bed at night, is home, good ole' Springfield, Illinois. It may not be the greatest place on earth to most people, but being there means being surrounded by family and friends that I love, who love me, and that is the greatest feeling in the world. To join my family for dinners and board games on Sundays, drinks with my friends at Brewhaus, even the Lincoln sites, it all has appeal, the right kind of appeal, something that says security, happiness, home. And a cup of tea with mom would be great, too!
