I set out on my journey this Spring from California to the British Isles with the intention of accomplishing several aims simultaneously and maximizing the precious resource I would be spending to travel across the world. It would be my first and long fantasized trip to Europe, during which I hoped to find a connection to my very English ancestry (my mother’s family has traced its roots back twelve generations to the Mayflower and my father’s side of the family came to North America from England three generations ago). Feeling sheepish about England's history of colonialism, and the fact that people of English heritage historically have been granted more visibility than many others in this country, I wanted to find something in England that I felt authentically proud of, while maintaining a healthy sense of humility about it.
I also wanted to be highly purposeful during my much anticipated vacation time, and to write about it. As an exercise, I asked myself the hypothetical question: Where in the world I would want to go if this were my last plane trip? And then: Where would the planet most want me to go? For me, the answer was easy; I would visit the Findhorn community in Scotland. I discovered that a phenomenal event would be happening at the very time I had hoped to go: “The Positive Energy Conference: Creative Responses to Climate Change and Peak Oil.” Thus began my marvelous journey from Scotland to Ireland (which was a surprise), and then to England, following conferences addressing Peak Oil, Climate Change, Ecovillages, and Transition Towns. The Transition movement in England, especially, gave me the sense of simple pride I was looking for.
Upon arrival in London, I was questioned in detail by a customs agent about my plans during my stay in the U.K. I mentioned the Positive Energy conference and he asked “And, what will you be bringing back with you?” I asked for clarification and he said “Well, with such a conference, one would hope that something would come out of it.” Eyes to the ceiling, my jaw suspended, I processed his question while he waited, sincerely interested in my answer. I told him I would be publishing articles. My intention was set. He then quipped as he filled in the box, “so you will be bicycling back then?”
I also wanted to be highly purposeful during my much anticipated vacation time, and to write about it. As an exercise, I asked myself the hypothetical question: Where in the world I would want to go if this were my last plane trip? And then: Where would the planet most want me to go? For me, the answer was easy; I would visit the Findhorn community in Scotland. I discovered that a phenomenal event would be happening at the very time I had hoped to go: “The Positive Energy Conference: Creative Responses to Climate Change and Peak Oil.” Thus began my marvelous journey from Scotland to Ireland (which was a surprise), and then to England, following conferences addressing Peak Oil, Climate Change, Ecovillages, and Transition Towns. The Transition movement in England, especially, gave me the sense of simple pride I was looking for.
Upon arrival in London, I was questioned in detail by a customs agent about my plans during my stay in the U.K. I mentioned the Positive Energy conference and he asked “And, what will you be bringing back with you?” I asked for clarification and he said “Well, with such a conference, one would hope that something would come out of it.” Eyes to the ceiling, my jaw suspended, I processed his question while he waited, sincerely interested in my answer. I told him I would be publishing articles. My intention was set. He then quipped as he filled in the box, “so you will be bicycling back then?”
Read on...
No comments:
Post a Comment