Rules for Travel
I've never been much of a people person. The words "never knows a stranger" have never been applied to me. This doesn't mean, however, that I don't enjoy meeting people; it's just not something I'm completely comfortable with. I'm bringing myself along on the trip so there's always going to be that little bit inside that says "don't make eye contact. Keep walking" but I've decided not to let that part dictate my trip. And so as I've created a list of rules for travel.
These rules are not mere guidelines. I'm not going to do my best but if I mess up, oh well. No, these are red lettered rules that if I break them I will confess them and hope that the gods of travel offer quick absolutions. And if there's shame and guilt for having broken them, then there's shame and guilt. But at least now I have the ideal for which I'm shooting.
The list, in full*
Never choose media over a human interaction
Say yes
Don’t check the time
Drink coffee or wine whenever I want
Interact with locals
Determine side missions
Mass every day
Write every day
1) Never choose media over a human interaction
My go-to is headphones in and walking in silence. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing morally wrong with this (though I've found it feeds my narcissistic idea that I'm the protagonist of my own movie). Call me an idealist or maybe even nostalgic, but an interaction with a human being--whether good or bad--is always going to expand my understanding of the world. In a perfect world I'd be able to listen to the new Taylor Swift single and converse with the lady next to me on the plane who is flying to Chicago and won't shut up about the inflight movie.
2) Say yes
This excludes saying yes to anything potentially dangerous or stupid. I have this as a rule because my default is to automatically feel like any invitation is an affront to my independence. Of course, everything is dependent on actually receiving an invitation.
3) Don't check the time
I don't need to be back at 8 o'clock so I can be in bed by 10, in order to get enough hours of sleep. When I visited the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, the lack of clocks caused me to fall into a rhythm. I'm convinced time expanded even as I read for what I thought was hours only to find out thirty minutes had passed. Focus is the name of the game. I will walk by faith and not by clocks, or something like that.
4) Drink coffee or wine whenever I want
There is only moderation. If I want a glass of wine with my baguette then I'll have some wine with my baguette. Conversely, if everyone is getting wine and I want water I will feel absolutely no shame for getting water instead. Whenever I want includes the possibility of teetotaling, people!
5) Interact with locals
I fully understand that they are going to mock me. It's to be expected. Or perhaps they will be kind and speak slowly with me. As most people in Paris are humans, I'm awaiting the full range of human possibilities. Let's hope I can come across a French young lady at a cafe who will show me the city and yet will be strong and independent and couldn't care less whether I've found myself in her country because she will not be my manic pixie dream girl. Her name will be Francoise and she will be studying architecture and I'll learn to see the world through her eyes and on my last day we'll watch each other through cigarette smoke as we say goodbye. And on the plane I'll realize I'm being dramatic when I say I've left my heart in Paris because in reality I've left my luggage in the apartment and it's much too late to turn this jet around. So, interact with locals. Check.
6) Determine side missions
This one is admittedly a little hard to pin down. The gist is to find certain things to do that aren't on most tourist traps--I mean maps. This may include finding the hippest clothier in town and get fitted for a shirt. It may include searching the cafes for the best croissants. It may include leaping without looking, and tumbling into the Seine. Who knows?
7) Mass every day
This one is a personal goal. I've spent my entire life away from the sacrifice of the Mass and now that I'll be in a Catholic country as a true son of the Church, without a job or responsibilities, I want to begin (or end) my day with God on my tongue.
8) Write every day
This is a simple rule. At least 600 words a day (this blog, unfortunately, doesn't count). Nothing less is accepted; nothing more is expected. If I fail to write, though, I know I won't be the first person to call themselves a writer in Paris and never put pen to paper.
I'm not keeping my trip to Paris too tightly bound to anything. Some trips will obviously need tickets and will keep me to a close schedule. This is called prudence. But most of all I'm hoping that my time in Paris will be one of leisure, which is after all the cornerstone of civilization. À la vôtre
*These rules are followed with the understanding that self-care is healthy and sometimes I just need to be alone. Okay, continue.