Dear Travel Partner

By Lucia Stewart, 11-17-06

I attended one of the most inspiring art openings last night in Bozeman. It was titled, “No Place Like Roam: Artifacts and Archives of Modern Nomads.” The Weaver Room at the Emerson Cultural Center was filled with people awing, laughing and daydreaming through artifacts and tales of the community’s far-flung adventures around the world.

How amazing it was to hear stories from my community, reminding me that everyone we know, and don’t know, has travel tales. It may just take the right artifact to spark the legend. The room’s walls are lined with items that to many, may seem like just a broken piece of pottery or a dirty, stained towel. But when reading the story revealed in writing next to them, its no wonder these items are encased as a community art exhibit.

Six individuals stood up in front of a microphone and shared with us animated narratives behind their travel artifacts. There were humorous tales of forgotten passports. There were gripping stories of transporting Malian goatskins through U.S. customs. There were accounts of life’s appreciation towards having a professional life that allowed world travel, but how thrilling it was when the plane landed back in the Gallatin Valley.

Oh, how I miss the adventure of throwing the daily routine to the wind, no real time schedule to keep, no place particular to go except exactly where you were. Remember when we dreamed of buying an around-the-world plane ticket or when we made our pact to get out of the country once a year? Remember the Merry Christmas socks that were our stocking on the Abel Tasman Track or that one cassette tape that grooved us for thousands of road miles?

Pull out that box of trinkets and photo albums. Revisit those moments and remind yourself what it feels like to travel. This art exhibit calls inspiration to anyone who is pulled by the world to travel to its faraway corners.

The world is calling, let us go!
Your travel companion,
Lucia

P.S. These tales will be aired live for the duration of the exhibit on KGLT, 9.19FM on Tuesdays at 3p.m. starting November 21st.
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