We're on the Road to Everywhere

For Carla and me, there have always been two threads running through our travels. One is the simple desire to see and experience as much of this beautiful, complicated, astonishing world as we can . . . to meet new people, hear other languages, walk through unfamiliar towns, and experience the many different ways people live their lives. That part has always mattered to us. But there has been another thread running alongside it. We’ve also been looking for a new home.

Being back in Chania reminded me that places, like people, can have a soul. And Chania, perhaps more than anywhere we’ve been, wears its artistic soul openly. It also reminds me that a place can be beautiful in more than one way. There’s another layer we always hope to encounter, even if we don’t have words for it right away. But when it’s there, we know. It is the creative spirit of a place, the sense that imagination has found its way into daily life.

One of my greatest joys is photographing the places we visit. That probably comes as no surprise to those of you who have followed Carla and me as we have wandered over these past four years. I have been anything but shy about sharing my photos on Facebook, Instagram, and here on the blog, and I love this way of sharing our travels with others.

This is a busy week as we prepare to leave Montenegro and make our way to Greece, so I don’t have the time I usually like to spend refining this week’s blog. Instead, I’m leaving you with a visual parade of photos from our time in Montenegro. It is a gorgeous country, and I believe this little photo exhibition will be well worth your time. Next week, I’ll return to the regular blog. Thanks for understanding, and I hope you enjoy this beautiful visual tour of Montenegro.

Remember that old word from the 1960s . . . vibes? Well, the more Carla and I travel, the more I have come to believe that vibe of a place may be one of the most important parts of whether or not we enjoy being there. Maybe even the most important part.

I write a lot about our travels and how they affect us. For me, sharing our journey is about more than simply telling people where Carla and I are or what we happen to be doing. My hope is that something in it may resonate with you. Maybe it opens you to a place you had never thought of visiting before. Maybe it opens you to a different way of seeing your life. Or maybe it simply puts words to something you have already been feeling and, in that way, offers a little comfort o

Even as Carla and I travel through Europe, we remain very aware of the pain, division, and deep unease so present in the world right now. And sadly, so much of it seems to be coming from our home country, the United States. We do not look away from that, and we do not pretend it is not happening. It saddens us deeply. But travel has also shown us something else, just as clearly: how much beauty, kindness, tenderness, and love are still happening around us every single day.

Split, Croatia has something that matters just as much as beauty, maybe even more. It has an inviting feel. It is easy to feel at home here. The people have been friendly. The city has energy without feeling overwhelming. The promenade is lively and full of life. There is always something happening, always people out walking, sitting, talking, eating, and meeting.

Every evening, as the light softened and the day slowly gave way to night, people in Zadar, Croatia, gathered at the end of the promenade to watch the sun go down, accompanied by the haunting songs of the famous Sea Organ and the glowing light show of the Greeting to the Sun installation. They take their gorgeous sunsets seriously in Zadar, and that alone makes the town worth visiting.

Dubrovnik, Croatia is undeniably beautiful. Nearly every blog post or review about it is glowing, and it is easy to understand why. Its setting on the Adriatic is stunning, the old stone streets are striking, and the famous city walls are among the most intact and impressive in Europe, perhaps even the world. Walking those walls and looking out over the sea and the terracotta rooftops was a memorable experience. And yet . . .