As a child, I knew EVERYONE who lived on my block. In fact, I probably knew them far too well. We were a big, lovely, dysfunctional family – the good, the bad, and the – well, you know how it goes.

I remember the day a neighbor named John brought home an exotic new girlfriend. I couldn’t believe my eyes…she was so polished and different from anyone who resided on Deming Place. She wore beautiful clothes,  accessorized her outfits, manicured her nails, and seemed to have a purse and shoes for every occasion. I remember watching in awe as she grandly sat on her porch eating a carton of yogurt…making this intriguing new snack item seem delectable.

Pat didn’t hang out with “our people” for very long. In my mind, she went jetsetting to another block far away.  However, my memory of our local Jackie-O lingered and I dreamt of being as polished and self confident as she appeared & using Deming Place as a short stopover on a life journey.

After years away, I happily find myself a few miles away from that childhood street. Instead of craving Pat’s confidence and style, I long for her ability to walk in and explore Deming’s daily existence while maintaining the prerogative to wander away whenever she chose. Pat is just one small stepping stone on my path to Wanderlust.*

Tomorrow, I leave for Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal. Come on along and join me on this quest for…?

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*Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.