By Jan Penton-Miller

This time of year I usually feel the urge to find some new scenery. There are so many places that call my name, and I would love to whisk away to unknown parts for a while. It was always interesting when I helped my friend, Janice, at her Inn in Tennessee to converse with the travelers from overseas.

I remember one morning the Inn was relatively quiet, and a young man from England wanted to have breakfast with me at the kitchen table instead of eating alone in the dining room. I suppose he thought it was interesting to get to know me a bit as I did him.  

We shared where we were from and a little about our homes and families. He looked somewhat sheepish when I asked how long he would be traveling. He answered several more months, and I must have had a surprised look because we were so obviously from not only different countries, but also completely different circumstances.

The fact that I was the one working, and he was the traveler should have given me a little hint! But truly the fact that he was on a holiday for several months traveling from country to country caused me to understand that he was obviously from a very different socio economic position than I.

I don’t remember this fellow’s name, but I do recall that he was interesting and very likable. He was a good deal younger, but seemed happy to make my acquaintance and get my take on a good many things. In my estimation, one of the wonderful things about traveling is the chance to meet new people and learn from their perspectives on life.

The sermon I heard yesterday made mention of the need for the church to meet together each week to recharge before taking on our duties. I absolutely agree with this, and rightly so because it’s straight Bible. We need each other.

The beauty of this earth recharges me as well, and there are so many breathtaking sights in our own country. But I do want to experience Europe, and hope to make that trip before too long. A couple of girlfriends and I are looking into a trip abroad hopefully within the next year.

Since none of us are seasoned travelers we are thinking of choosing a planned tour. It will be a little different than my earlier dream of backpacking across Europe, but I think that since I am an official senior citizen a nice comfy bed is a must!

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace has been on my must see list since my childhood days. I think I would love Paris and could absolutely get lost at The Louvre among all the great works of art. These are only a couple of the places that I long to experience so I had better get planning. 

What a pleasant way to spend a January day.