“Marcia, it is two a.m. and you have to be up early in the morning. You need to get to bed” admonished my husband.“I can’t, I just can’t. I’m reliving that glorious trip we made through Europe on the Eurorail trains. Remember that year of the Achilles Lauro terrorist attack when that guy was thrown overboard? Everyone was afraid to travel and we had entire compartments to ourselves and no tourist crowds to contend with.”
Normally, I don’t live in the past. I have moved so many times; there is only the present for me. However, joining the Bayou Writer’s Group got me into writing my past adventures and what fun it has been remembering all those experiences.
With our three week Eurorail passes we were able to come and go practically any time of day or night, staying at favorite places as long as we pleased. We could leave extra baggage in railway lockers, take day trips or excursions without waiting in line for tickets or going through the hassle of restrictions. Boat trips across lakes in Switzerland and cog trains to mountain tops were included. We took ‘Sound of Music’ bus tours through Austrian Alps, watched the Lipizzaner dancing horses in Vienna, toured the blue Danube, walked through vineyards and enjoyed watching passersby at outdoor cafes. Venice, Paris and Barcelona were near enough to be explored.
Now because of my writing I am able to not only remember these places but share them with others who are interested. How often does one get to do that in everyday conversation? Ah, what a discovery this little secret of the written word.
Award-winning artist Marcia Dutton has published letters to the editor in the American Press and the only English newspaper in Saudi Arabia. She was a newsletter editor in Saudi Arabia and sent numerous letters home to family members about life in the various countries she lived in. Marcia is writing a book of memoirs about her days in the U.S. Navy and her many adventures abroad.
You're getting to have fun twice on the same experiences! That's great.
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