| Subject: Left Behind? |
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The most most notable thing I left behind on my first trip abroad
was my youthful immaturity. I spontaneously took off for a solo trip
to England at age 21 back in the mid 70's--a time when it was more
unusual for women to travel alone. I'll never forget how frightening
it was to land in a strange place, all alone, knowing absolutely no
one. After a panic-filled first couple of days, I found the courage
to traipse around London and even go to restaurants and pubs on my
own (which got a lone gal more than a few curious glances, in those
days).
Then I got on buses, heading north. If I'd allowed my fears to keep me locked up in that London B&B, I'd never have argued politics with Dutch students in York, wandered into a wild, jump-on-the-tabletops fiddle competition in Glasgow, or played my guitar for dancing Pakistani children at the Edinburgh YMCA. I grew up a hell of a lot in those three adventurous weeks, and took home a lot more than I left behind. Didi |