I notice whenever I travel that my sense of awareness and my attentiveness to detail are heightened in ways that they never seem to be when I’m at home. I’m kind of a creature of habit, putting the RAV4 on autopilot and getting caught up in my prayer time without fully taking in all that I pass on the road. I don’t have to think about each turn or notice landmarks to find my way back on the familiar roads.
But it’s not like that at all when I travel. I notice in new places things I’d never think to notice in my own town – the way the sugar packets are arranged at the tables where I dine, the light fixtures outdoors at night, the signs (not just what they say, but whether they’re metal or painted wood, and the colors, and whether they match anything around them). I don’t know why my sensory dial gets turned up on full blast in other places, but it happens.
On the last three school break trips I’ve taken – to San Antonio, Texas; to Rockport, Massachussetts; and to Asheville, North Carolina – I was drawn to the window boxes and the outdoor seating arrangements that seemed so artistic and welcoming. I’m sharing some of these today. I’m wondering how many others find the same fascinations when traveling. What are the things that draw you in about other places that you don’t often notice at home?
Hebrews 13:2 – Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Common Threads 