Travel, Constraints

I'm sitting here in a Forsyth, Georgia hotel on this Friday morning. My family and I are on our way back home from visiting relatives in Lexington, Kentucky. Yesterday was a pretty intensive driving day, and part of today will involve a considerable amount as well. But I don't mind the driving, and Melissa has shared the chores.

No, I have to admit it, I just don't care that much for travel. I know some are crazy about it, but I would much rather just stick to my daily routine. I think one major reason for my lack of enthusiasm for going places is that my travel itinerary almost always has a particular agenda, and the people I travel with have their own priorities for the trip that require a degree of negotiation in the limited time (and expense) available.

Take this Lexington trip, for example. I love Melissa's relatives there and enjoyed visiting them. But I also wanted to go see Frankfort, the state capital, just a few miles down the road. I wanted to walk around the University of Kentucky campus. There was a park down the road featuring a cave. These are just a few of the places I wanted to visit but couldn't due to the constraints that my family role imposed on me.

I did go visit the Natural Bridge east of Lexington and hiked the 2+ miles to the top with my "kids" Will and Rebecca, and that was a lot of fun. There was some shopping and eating out. We did manage to drive through downtown Lexington and past the nearby UK campus just before leaving. At the hotel, I did get some swimming and running in to keep my fitness "continuity" going. And yes, spending time in the company of others was pretty cool, too.

I'm looking forward to getting back home to Gainesville later today. Then tomorrow I plan to embark on a trip to Hollywood in south Florida to visit my father for a couple of days. Another trip with possibilities that won't be realized because of the constraints...