By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
― Benjamin Franklin

America now stalls in a crisis of political stalemate as the prospects of a federal governmental shutdown looms in less than a day. Why does the President seesaw back and forth about immigration goals/policies that he will support to prolong this crisis? Why does Congress require an impending catastrophe to motivate them to pass a viable, budgetary plan? How much does our country’s image suffer at home and abroad in the current divisive atmosphere of hate and blame?

 Similarly, our worldwide travel experiences have taught us that waiting to the last moment to prepare for unfamiliar wanderings can result in unintended negative circumstances. Becoming aware of the challenges of cultural difference, border entry/exit and weather unpredictability, for instance, requires mindful diligence in our trip pre-planning efforts. Several lessons from our traveling past come to mind to more proactively plan our journeys beforehand.

When Communism reigned in Eastern Europe decades ago, our innocent arrival as backpacking novices to Prague, Czechoslovakia brought us a rude awakening about how to travel independently. Expecting to book a hotel room for a few nights as the city eerily darkened in early evening, we realized that certain, missing travel documents required for stay in the country would leave us stranded there without opportunity of booking a room. Finding little use for our English language as well as facing a frightening encounter with police ultimately ended with an uncomfortable stay at the American Embassy. We would now learn to familiarize ourselves beforehand with travel restrictions for visiting an unfamiliar country.

Another crisis would be encountered in Spain on a Metro Underground train to and from major sights in Madrid. On July 4, in the early 1990s, I drew attention to myself with my trendy, American sports hat, loose, waist bound fanny pack, and pockets of sloppily protruding map collection in a densely packed, subway atmosphere. Approaching a busy station, several young men working together suddenly sprung on me. They then quickly managed to restrain my arms, spray my eyes with irritant, cut the straps, and “make off” with my fanny pack through the now open, exit doors. Unable to stop their timed getaway, the whereabouts of these valuable possessions would never be found. Wearing our fanny pack inside our clothes, selecting travel attire for function not appearance, and knowing the most dangerous locations in cities beforehand would soon become our norms when traveling by public transportation in densely packed, European cities.

 I vividly recall as well a weather anomaly we experienced on a thirty day camping tour across the “Outback” Of Australia. Not realizing that July in the Southern Hemisphere meant the presence of winter, we were unprepared night after night for the cold, inland regions of this vast continent, at this time of year. Shivering in our frozen tent or in unheated, campground laundry rooms, we learned a hard lesson as tropically accustomed South Floridians to check out our weather tolerance for engaging in future outdoor adventures beforehand.

In a few weeks, my wife and I will embark on our 5th road trip cross country from South Florida.Some featured visits this year will include Seattle, Big Bend and Glacier National Parks and Eastern Canada. Our latest priorities favor improved navigation through online apps/website channels, packing less, and mindfully staying in better contact with our close friends and aging family. I hope you will continue to follow my travel blog as I relate my insights of the present moment in “Snippets of the Traveling Mind.”

“There’s no place you can go on the prairie that you don’t hear the white noise of the wind, steady and rough as surf curling along a non-existant shore.” Diane Ackerman

On many days,I feel overwhelmed by a constant barrage of mind-taxing distractions. Slick TV commercials gain my immediate attention to interrupt my flow of thought about a favorite movie I am watching. Car horns blast in congested highways as I attempt to negotiate around a blocked lane in front of me. The shrill bark of a neighborhood dog breaks the nightly silence while I need to experience restful sleep. As result of such random chaos in my daily routine, I must learn to better cope with my external environment to concentrate on the  intended task at hand.

To more clearly understand my solution to this attention-deficit dilemma, three eras of my past life surface immediately. In college, I recall paying avid attention to pulsating strobe lights on the dance floor, bubbling lava lamps in my college dorm as well as pleasing vocal harmonics of “Chicago”, “The Eagles” and “The Moody Blues” in concert. Being an innovation-striving teacher/professor, my later decision to play “Mozart Effect” music as a background stimuli for student journal writing activities proved useful for stimulating more focused thoughts and creative energy. As an aspiring athlete, I look back to my time as a 10K runner. Attempting to block out  awareness of physical pain as such exertion induced “hormonal highs”, I steadily improved my performance times in each competition. To further enhance my resolve to stay positive in performing this arduous task, I found it equally useful to headphones playing customized sets of quiet music.

Consider then, my logical reasoning to utilize “White Noise” as a new concentration paradigm now. Combining pleasing sights with natural sounds or classical music as a background stimuli, I continue my persistent quest to block out unwanted external noise that distracts my attention from focus on the present moment. Whether “White Noise” vibrations are artificially taped or naturally experienced, I strongly contend that the end result of using this technique in the following interventions will facilitate a focused mind in my retirement years.

Listen To Nature

As an independent traveler around the world, the pleasing sounds of nature evoke powerful emotions of feeling “alive in the present moment. On day hikes, I take notice of the steady sounds of a bubbling brook or a crackling snow field to set the tone for greater concentration on the “now” moment of my curious mind.” On long distance cruises, I read quietly on deck as I listen to the pleasantries of a lapping wave or hungry seagull.

Meditate With Yoga

At home, I feel privileged to practice yoga 2-3 times each week in the company of an experienced yogi trainer. In each session, I focus on conscious breath awareness accompanied by Buddhistic chants, wind chimes, and “thought of the day”recitals, In essence, I strive to find “zen serenity” and inhibit negative thoughts of past/present to control my incessant “monkey mind.”

Overcome Stress

There are great dangers when one chooses to become exposed to anger and pessimism In life. Resulting stress behaviors of worry and doubt can jeopardize your health as well as the efficiency of your daily routine. So I now consider it critical for me to begin each day with the prerecorded sounds of my “White Noise app rather than hear the latest blame-filled tweets of our current President. At mealtimes, I turn off the TV and ask Alexa on my living room, Echo device to play me some soothing nature sounds. Foregoing Facebook and Twitter rants at bedtime, I instead might put on an inspiring classical piece of music as I imagine my cherished house cat nearby pleasantly purring me to experience the egoless bliss of restful sleep.

Web References:

https://psmag.com/news/the-art-and-science-of-white-noise

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201706/does-white-noise-help-you-learn-0?

https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/w/white_noise.asp

I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
— Vincent Van Gogh

Any visit to Miami evokes a nostalgic flow of my emotions these days. During a difficult, thirteen year tenure of teaching disadvantaged, middle school students in inner city schools, there, from 1982-1995, I often lacked awareness of how stimulating this unconventionally modern city really was. Yet in my infrequent visits to downtown, now, I see both sides of the extremes of human condition. Witness now the stark contrast of glittering skyscrapers and luxurious mansions overlooking pristine, Biscayne Bay with the heart-wrenching poverty of Overtown and Liberty City further inland.

Miami also casts another flair for the extreme as winter-weary tourists and freedom-seeking immigrants flock to this magic land of subtropical fantasy to experience the good life of the “American Dream.” One would not be surprised to know then that the internationally renowned, Art Basel Exhibition would find an ideal home for its eclectic collection of bold, modern art here. Since its Miami inaugural in 2002, Art Basel now showcases over 200 of the world’s leading international modern and contemporary art galleries with eclectic artworks by over 4,000 artists, including paintings, sculptures, as well as installations of photography, film, video, and digital art.

Recently, my wife and I fortunately obtained free tickets to two, major exhibitions at Art Basel: “Context” and “Art Miami” in early December, thereby avoiding the normally the steep rate of $50.00 for daily admission. Our mid-morning arrival at the fair that day would allow us to saunter freely amidst the relatively uncongested aisles at our leisure. Having no desire to purchase art pieces that exceeded our income, we quietly reveled in the multifaceted spirit of “Embrace Love in Life” that pervaded this year’s collection. Several art pieces “caught my eye” to exemplify my own perceptions of this underlying theme..

1. Find Empathy For Oppressed Condition

2. Appreciate the Friendship Of Animal Life

3. Find Serenity Of Inner Peace

4. Arouse One’s Sensory Addiction Of Food

5.Embrace Political Differences

6. Feel Groove For Oldies Music

7. Be Curious To Travel

8. Arouse Sexual Pleasure

9. Conquer Mental Distraction

10.Lighten Up And Enjoy A Childhood Spirit

“Politics is an act of faith you have to show some kind of confidence in the intellectual and moral capacity of the public.” — George McGovern

Every morning, I wake up to a firestorm of doubt as to the direction of my country’s future. How can an alleged child molester be endorsed as a policy maker on the national scale in this country? Does a physically violated woman have any reasonable recourse to fight sexual harassment here? Why does Twitter allow our President to continue his personal attacks on others on a daily basis? Is fake news the law of the land? Why do conspiracy theories distort truth so that facts cannot be fully trusted? Is our country’s security being well served when our intelligence agencies become Presidential targets of blame?

Amidst this crisis of values, I do recognize that there are a several signs of hope. I am encouraged by the election of Democrat Doug Jones in a traditionally red state electorate as a mandate that our country has begun to heal from this confused malaise of values. I also believe that the emerging, open discussion of sexual harassment today bodes well for a fair resolution to this issue. As the Russian collusion investigation methodically continues, I finally take heart that justice will prevail without political obstruction/interference.

What actions will elevate my own principles to foster respect for “e pluribus unum”? I want to speak proudly of my country when I travel overseas. I desire to stand with all Americans at sporting events to salute our flag. I yearn to march in protest against acts of prejudice that sever our commitment to human dignity of any race, color, or creed. I will vote only for those who honor the spirit of my Constitutional rights and freedoms. I will stay readily informed about timely issues in my spare time with foremost respect for fact.

I cannot imagine that our country can wait three more years until new elections resume in our current state of ethical decay. An angry tweet, self-centered, photo op, or divisive campaign rally will not solve America’s crisis of human decency. If we are living in a reality show Presidency , understand that this TV show can be cancelled due to low ratings. Realize also that when this moment occurs, others will mightily fall. We can do better as Americans.

Let’s add up the numbers on our latest adventure abroad. In twenty three, consecutive days of independent travel to Paris, Dublin, London, and Rome, my I-Phone pedometer recorded that my wife and I had walked over 80 miles total distance. That’s around 3.5 miles or over 10,000 steps in daily exertion. Clearly, we continue to prefer traversing major sights on foot in our European travels. Yet, on several occasions, during this challenging journey, our will to “hit the streets” regularly had been severely tested.

1. The Complexity Of Stuff

The essentials of conducting city walks for us in densely populated areas in Europe requires considerable planning. Since heavy backpacks no longer suit us, we economized on what we included in in our smaller day packs for both space and weight purposes. Our most important essentials for daily storage would as a result include bottles of water, backup chargers, emergency snacks, and lightweight umbrellas/jackets. Bulky maps and travel guides had now been rendered obsolete as we downloaded information about desired places to visit beforehand using apps like “Triposo”and “Maps + Me.” Wearing well cushioned walking shoes seemed equally important as well.

2. Europe Often Designs Vertically

European infrastructure designs present a formidable pedestrian challenge. When traveling by “Metro”in the Chatelet stop in Paris or the Victoria Station “Tube” hub in London, for example, we typically traversed challenging distances into the depths of the underground to reach our designated point of departure. While escalators did exist at a selected stations, we often faced a stampede of busy commuter foot traffic along these pathways in reaching our departure points. Additionally, navigation around sights like “The Spanish Steps”in Rome or “Sacre Couer” in Paris, dictated that we ascend steeply by foot to obtain the panoramic views that we desired. Surprisingly, public access to restrooms in museums, restaurants airports and transit stations required several floors of laborious stairway travel as well.

3. Time Travel Matters

Tourists in major European cities today can easily be enticed to take snappy, tour bus excursions to view famous destinations. Yet our insight reveals that much of the old continent today remains best accessible on foot along cobblestone lined streets, narrow, pedestrian alleyways, and statue lined open plazas. For instance, a casual tour of the ancient Forum walls in Rome or a morning wander through the exquisite gardens of Versailles Palace outside Paris provided invaluable insights of his historical interest . On our pub tour of Dublin, as well, patient meandering through the Temple Bar corridor or a lazy stroll along the river Liffey induced a proper feel of “Old Town” medieval Dublin.

4.Security Clearance Matters

On our city tours, Europe seemed to be on “high alert” for the threat of terrorism. The crowd control measures along physical barriers near the Roman Colosseum and the Twickenham Football stadium near London, for instance, made us more vigilant to check our surroundings as we walked. By thinking beforehand about where/when to walk safely, anticipated trouble could thus be largely avoided.

Walk today and then trod some more tomorrow has thus demonstrated our independent spirit as we savor its physical challenge in our latest European travels. We could now return on our reposition cruise back home to Fort Lauderdale with a more restful frame of mind. A warm whirlpool, a comfy hammock or an easy chair on deck sounded enticing for sure. We had certainly earned these luxuries.