UNO

"I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full." -Lord Dunsany

I happened upon this quote the other day when I was seeking reassuring or inspiring voices to quell some of my pre-travel anxiety. I am heading to Italy not Ireland, this is a blog not a bog, and the moon was full last night not this evening. Despite all these discrepancies, I can still relate to the worm who must follow an urge, the lunar lure, to come out from a hiding place and see the world in new light.  In a few days I will meet the famous Tuscan Sun, as well as the Tuscan Moon.  I have been rather worm-like during my winter break, sleeping late each morning in my bog (a basement bedroom), and being a bit of a book-worm in late night hours. In Florence, I vow to get up with the sun--metaphorically since I've heard the winter climate is actually quite cloudy--and enjoy more hours of the day during my Italian sojourn.

Speaking of vows, I have another. A quote by G.K. Chesterton (yes UH '08 friends, the author of The Dumb Ox, the book about Thomas Aquinas that Fr. Reichmann assigned us). He says, " The traveler sees what (s)he sees. The tourist sees what (s)he has come to see." I've provided Chesterton with the posthumous privilege of gender-inclusive language, which he might not appreciate, but sorry dude, it's my post-modern prerogative.  The point of all this is I want to be a traveler not a tourist. I want to see through eyes attentive to the periphery.  I vow not to take photos of any thing or place I could find on a postcard. When I return I want to be able to close my eyes and smell the Duomo, hear the Arno, and taste the air from Fiesole. These are hopes not expectations. 

My bags are packed but not zipped, my belly is full of my mom's pumpkin pie, and my eyes are starting to droop. I should go to sleep. If I didn't get the chance to say a personal farewell, please forgive me, the past week was a slightly frenzied preparation for my departure for Firenze. I look forward to seeing you in May, if not sooner, when I will be a new worm.

*For the more visual among you, I will also try to post pictures if my internet connections will allow such activity. Until I find some Florentine images of my own, I borrow these windows with filigreed shutters from a Flikr page of windows and doors around the world.