Memories In The Making

I just returned from a long road trip that took me up through the California coast.  There was a part of it that was dedicated to business, however, I decided to make it part of my existing vacation plans.  I made a concentrated effort to take in everything as if it was the first time I had ever seen things.  Even those instances where I had been there before took on a new and interesting meaning for me.  I took my time in being present in the moment wherever I happened to be.  In years past, I believe that I would have leaned to complaining about how long my drive was or about some other item of little significance.  I was amazed at how my entire trip took such a different outcome, as I really enjoyed the entirety of the journey.  I recall that at one point I was stuck behind other tourists traveling slowly through highway 1 in Big Sur and I had a moment to myself where I realized if I had been driving faster, I would not have enjoyed the beautiful scenery that was unraveling before me.  I was in awe at the beauty of our coast in this wonderful state and how diverse our geography is, along with how grateful I am to live in such a place.  When I had the moments to stop and take things in even more deeply, I would take in a deep breathe of the crisp and chilly ocean air as I saw other people stop and pull over to take pictures to memorialize their trip as well.  In different parts of the state, I would always run into someone who was friendly and gracious either with directions or just a warm hello as they were familiar with the journeys of the weary travelers going through their town.  Whether I was in a gas station or at a restaurant, I listened and took the moments in with deep visual bites that were similar to the meal that I had just eaten.  I laughed at the familiar site of people sitting at a table quickly scrolling through their phones and returning texts or other messages as we all seem to be preoccupied with multi-tasking, even when we are trying to eat a meal.  Our ways of communicating to each other and the rest of the world have changed so dramatically, as I remembered my trips of long ago when I was a young child.  Back then we were a captive audience and there were no smart phones or other means of communicating instantly with our friends and family.  We simply had to talk to each other at our own table along with the waiter or waitress that was bringing us our food.  As I sat on a bench in the Monterey Peninsula, I watched as people jogged by with their phone and music device in hand as they wound their way through without paying much attention to their familiar scenery.  In San Francisco, there was a multitude of construction that caused plenty of time delays as I crisscrossed through the spectacular hilly streets.  I also did not mind waiting through multiple lights as I saw all of the buildings that had so much character along with age old architecture that made the city shine even brighter.  At the Golden Gate Bridge, I snapped pictures along with the busload of tourists that stopped for the familiar picture with the backdrop of the bridge behind them.  I smiled as people hurriedly unpacked their cameras and threw on a sweater to brave the whipping cold winds under an overcast and chilly day.  I particularly paid attention to the French tourist, who sat and smoked her cigarette as she chatted in her native language with another lady, while the rest of the group darted from one pose to another at the famed Vista Point.  All of it was spectacular in its own way and I was completely grateful for the moments that I was allowed to experience through out this period of time.  This week seemed to whiz by and yet my memories are completely etched and recorded in my mind and via the use of technology with beautiful pictures along the way.  I was reminded about the many ways in which we can make our own memories that captivate our senses and give us a perspective to think about a moment in time.  The next time you take a small trip somewhere, even if it is a familiar place, try to record new memories for yourself and for your future.  At some point in the years ahead, you will think about the many places you have been and the different people that you met along the way.  Hopefully your memories will bring back a smile as you think about the great moments that you witnessed during a lifetime of travels.