A friend encouraged me to express my reflections on travel through a poem. I wouldn't consider myself a poet by any means; although I wrote poetry in my younger years, that was decades ago. I don't usually share any poetry in these blogs, but today, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone.

Yep . . .  we’ve changed our plans again. Originally, we were going to South America, then we pivoted to Asia. And now - we’re heading back to Europe. At this point, we promise (and hope) - no more changes. With our flight just around the corner in early December, it’s too late for revisions anyway. So what prompted this latest shift?

There’s something fascinating that happens every time we start planning a long international journey. At a certain point, it begins to feel as though we’re not entirely the ones steering the ship. Sure, we make the initial choices - deciding which region to explore, where to base ourselves, and how long to stay in each country - but once those pieces are in place, something shifts. It’s as if the trip takes on a life of its own and begins planning itself. It's the journey before the journey.