I have had to come to terms, in the last four weeks, with the fact that it is a virtual impossibility for me to lead a tour of 18 people through Europe and continue my normal writing schedule. But I suppose if Congress can take a summer recess, so can I.
I was listening to an interview yesterday with founding executive editor of Wired Magazine, Kevin Kelly. While many of his thoughts are way above my level of intellect, I find it inspiring to listen to big-picture, forward thinkers like him. What struck me about this 70-year-old is his insistence on staying astonished.
I've written about this before. I've sometimes called it amazability.
We have just completed the first World to the Wise Cultural Tour since 2019, as Covid forced us to cancel our 2020 tour. As always, there was plenty to feed our amazability. Even though, from my perspective, there was little new about the destinations we visited, there is always something -- sometimes the same things, sometimes something new -- stops me in my tracks and keeps me in awe of this incredible world we live in.
Like Kevin Kelly, I hope I never stop being astonished.
A good deal had changed since Becky and I made our research trip this past March -- in fact, restrictions continued to loosen even as were there. The night before one of our group members flew back to the States, the US discontinued its requirement of a negative Covid test within 24 hours of departure, something that greatly simplified our logistics.
Public transportation was in full swing, masks being required on Italian buses and subways but only recommended in both Switzerland and France.
A few differences I observed between the current state of affairs in Western Europe and the US:
Gas prices had not risen significantly where we were like they have in the States, and in some places it was even a little cheaper than in March of this year; mind you, $8 per gallon is the norm in much of Europe and has been for years.
Store shelves didn't seem as depleted as they are here due to supply chain disruptions; I didn't get a chance to ask any retailers about this, so this is just an outsider's observation based on a few weeks' experience.
The war in Ukraine has not had much of an effect on daily life in the areas we visited; we did meet a Ukrainian refugee family in Italy who were hoping to eventually get to Canada where they have relatives. Their story of survival and escape was heartbreaking. The 16-year-old son told us that our young travelers were the first people anywhere near his age he had seen in over six weeks. We would have gladly adopted this bright, multi-lingual young man into our group if time had allowed.
All this to say that while Ukraine and its immediate neighbors are in turmoil, Western Europe is open for business. This made us appreciate all the more every moment we were able to take in the sights, tastes, and especially the people we encountered, whether old friends or new acquaintances, in this crazy, beautiful world that is ours.