distance and difference

I am back. The last two days were spent driving north from the Carolinas, through  the stunning multiplicity of spring’s early greens punctuated by numbing blocks of urban sameness. Twenty hours of sitting provides a lot of time for reflection.

Last night as I was trying to remember just where I store the tea (and we were only gone 10 days!) I was rereading Jonah Lehrer’s essay on why we travel. He cites various experiments which show that travel has a lasting impact, making us more creative because we’re less insular. We’re reminded of all that we don’t know, which is nearly everything; we’re surprised by the constant stream of surprises. Even in this globalised age, slouching toward similarity, we can still marvel at all the earthly things that weren’t included in the Lonely Planet guidebook and that certainly don’t exist back home.

We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.

I walked along the expanse of beach early each morning and than again at night. This was my favourite part of the time away. I’ll share a few of the photos I took and then I am off to take advantage of the secret tonic of creativity. Maybe these glimpses of this wild beauty will inspire you too. I hope so.

Christine