Geographical wanderings.

Geographical Wanderings

I do not want People to be very agreable (sic),
as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.

~ Jane Austen in a letter to Cassandra

Once upon a time, when I was but a young miss, my grandmother used to amuse me by telling me how it would become an advantage to acquire a love for reading, simply for pleasure and learn to become an avid reader like her because of the merits attached to such a luxury-filled hobby. Occasionally she would fill my young mind with recent tales of her ability to travel around the world, simply by picking up one of the books on her nearby stack of current reads. Some days I would giggle and not have any desire to pay attention, other days though, I was in awe as she reiterated the main thrust of the story.

Lest you feel she only traveled within the pages of her books, by contrast she was a woman of means at times, who was able to travel often, at the least she and my grandfather took a trip down to Palm Springs every winter to escape the bitter cold winters living in Canada offered them. She also traveled to Europe, Hawaii and other countries later in life and boarded a cruise ship when she was a widow, just because. More and more, she adhered to the principle that traveling within the pages of a great read would suffice and overcome any current wanderlust for more travel when it was no longer possible in her later years.

If adventures will not befall a young lady
in her own village, she must seek them abroad.

~ Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen)

Myself, I love to “travel” anywhere especially historically, and of course, there are many dreams for me to travel some day to the Mediterranean sea and parts of Europe to ‘see” firsthand those historical places so vividly appearing in my mind from many years of reading such tales, mostly all nonfiction of course. I love stories where I venture deeply into characters, those people who really lived, breathed, and walked upon this earth.

Today, and most of this week, I will admit wholeheartedly and with great enthusiasm to being away on such a journey, but only away when the pages of my fall wide open for me to jump in, admittedly at times becoming all consumed while on my journeys within the written words penned for me to travel upon the author's invitation.

My journey has taken me to England with Jane Austen and author Lori Wick as my personal tour guides. (The book is titled; "A walk with Jane Austen" by Lori Wick.)

Therefore, I bid you adieu my friends as the fire is stoking (gas, laugh) and my wing backed chair is beckoning me towards it for a gentle, but oh so lovely trek to Chawton, England. Be assured I'll be glancing back and forth out to the back of the property, watching the scenic view of children ice skating on their own private rink. A few friends are expected soon to join the fun, what a lovely afternoon we are having here.