As I celebrate Columbus Day, my mind doesn’t dwell so much on
what his rightful place in history might be, but rather my mind
soars with the metaphor of his travels.
“You dream of Columbus
With your maps and your beautiful charts
You dream of Columbus
With an ache in your traveling heart.” *
As I celebrate Columbus Day, my mind doesn’t dwell so much on what his rightful place in history might be, but rather my mind soars with the metaphor of his travels. I recently drove more than 1,500 miles alone across desert and over mountain to see the place my grandparents came from. Just as Columbus longed to venture into the unknown, I craved escape from the ordinary as I came upon one new view after another, never knowing what might be around the next bend. I journeyed beyond the Salton Sea , past long farms of date palms, down to a small oasis in the desert just this side of the border.
Each day brought completely new scenery. It was amazing to watch how one part of the countryside melds and blends into another, and how each part feels so completely unlike any other as you travel from one region to the next. Driving on my own meant that I could stop to look at anything that caught my interest at any time, and I didn’t have to keep to anyone else’s agenda. I could stay in a different town every night and choose where to stay as the day went on, depending on how I was feeling.
Columbus never wanted to admit it, but he was lost when he discovered America for himself – he was so lost that he wasn’t even in the hemisphere he thought he was in. The best adventures often happen as you veer off the beaten track and into the fun of discovering what’s unique about each new place, making note of all the unusual signs and names of things, meeting the different people in each area, and seeing sights you never imagined you’d see. Nothing will make you appreciate this country more.
“See how the cormorant swoops and dives
Must be some thrill to go that deep
Down to the basement of this life
Down to where the mermaid gently sleeps.” *
Columbus’ travels were the truest test of his capabilities, and while our modes of travel are not the rugged ones of his day, travel still teaches us much about ourselves. My road trip made me realize that I am always struggling to either keep up with my husband or go slow enough for my mom. It is eye-opening to discover that you have a pace all your own. I had forgotten that what I predict about myself isn’t necessarily true. When I define myself by what I imagine those around me are thinking, I assume I will be incredibly slow and inefficient, but that turned out to not be true on the trip. With no one else goading or nagging, I was actually up early, making good time, and I didn’t spend a lot on unnecessary frivolities (as my husband would have predicted). It showed me that a lot of times in everyday life, I am reacting to others rather than doing what I would do on my own. I realized that I need to give myself the chance to trust my own instincts more. Just as Columbus was true to his own vision, I need not be so afraid to follow my own.
“So I dream of Columbus
Every time that the panic starts
I dream of Columbus
With my maps and my beautiful charts
I dream of Columbus
And there’s peace in a traveling heart.” *
*(from ” Columbus ” by Noel Brazil, as sung by Mary Black)
Kat Teraji is communications coordinator for a non-profit organization benefiting women and children. Her column appears every Thursday in the Take 2 section of the Dispatch. Reach her at ka****@ve*****.net.
