Day 41: Cheating on Grand Rapids

Or just taking a break. I intended to achieve a couple things this year. One was my yearly goal of an international trip. It’s the last day of 2011 and it appears I failed. But for good reason. Dropping a couple grand into a down payment seemed more sensible than fulfilling an expensive hobby.

But I did make it to parts of the United States I’ve never seen before. That’s got to count for something right? I spent a day discovering Providence and Newport in Rhode Island. I wandered the cobblestone streets of Boston learning about the city’s history. I fell in love with the artistic charm of seaside Portsmouth in New Hampshire. In fact, fleeting thoughts of that town still cross my mind from time to time. And how about a second trip to NYC in 2011? Sure, it’s by no means a new part of the world to me, but with each trip, a new adventure awaits.

The thought of new, different and foreign tempts me in ways a drug might taunt an addict. I’ve had to develop quite a strength to resist the overpowering temptation – avoiding travel shows, for one. They’re deadly. Apparently, text messages are, too.

I talked to my New Yorker friend yesterday. I sure did miss her. And I’ve never spent New Year’s Eve anywhere but in Grand Rapids. The all-too-common thrill of leaving home surged through me. Shoot. I was a goner. An hour or so later my flight was booked for 7 a.m. today.

So here I am. The last day of 2011 and I’m arriving in New York, my secret love. Although I may not have reached my goal of crossing foreign lines this year, I did spend a fair amount of time outside my hometown. Sorry, Grand Rapids. I love you, but I need a few breaks from you from time to time.