Traveling Easy

I hear it said by people that traveling is a hassle, but I find it easy. I got up out of bed the other day in Bridgehampton, made sure I had the passport, reading glasses, etc., and drove my car to the bus station. I found my friend Alice there and was happy to travel with her to the city. She was going to meet her son Peter and run a few errands before returning home. I was going to Grindelwald, Switzerland. We parted at 40th Street and Lexington Avenue. I took the subway south to my loft. I stopped on the way to get some hiking boots at Eastern Mountain Sports. A couple of blocks later I went into the Apple Store to get a power cord for my laptop so I could write this when I got to my hotel. Then I walked another half a block to my loft, picked up my Patagonia fleece, answered the phone from the driver who said my car service had arrived, went downstairs, entered the car, went to the airport, checked-in with only my carry-on bag (traveling easy requires a minimum of luggage), flew to Zurich, boarded a train in the airport, went clickety-clack over the Swiss countryside up into the Alps, admired the precision of everything Swiss, including the exact timing of the trains entering and leaving the stations, stepped off the train into a picture, postcard setting below the Eiger and Wetterhorn Mountains, walked two blocks to my hotel, and met my friends for dinner. Just sitting here after a few days hiking and still marveling at the ease of it all. After tomorrow I’m going to take a train to Lugano, meet my friend Mark and spend three weeks in Italy. This will happen right after the hotel delivers my laundry. I only brought enough clothing for just a few days. Traveling easy means traveling light and wearing what I have lightly including my life.

Grindelwald, Switzerland
September 21, 2008