What sometimes happens when you haven’t traveled for a while? You lose your travel groove.
When I set out on my recent West Coast road trip, it was the first solo travel experience I’d had in a long time. And, not having traveled for nine months, I’d gotten rusty. Really rusty. In fact, I’d forgotten everything I knew about who I am as a traveler.
I spent my first full day in L.A. trying to find my groove with little idea about what I wanted to “do” first. Go to Hollywood in search of Grauman’s Chinese Theater? Tour Paramount Studios? Stalk some celebrities? I wandered aimlessly for the whole day, never really finding my footing and feeling like I was wasting time.
Thank goodness for my chocolate craving.
The following morning, to slake my growing appetite for some cocoa goodness, I headed to the nearest Trader Joe’s grocery in the Silver Lake neighborhood which looks nothing like Beverly Hills, its neighbor to the west. Instead of tony, trendy shops and posh, slickly built houses, I found myself driving down Hyperion Avenue, a street flanked by modest homes and dotted with small mom-and-pop shops, walls and utility poles plastered with faded fliers and half-torn posters. It was an overcast Saturday morning, early yet, and a handful of people were milling about their weekend errands on foot. In other words, the neighborhood felt lived-in.
Inside the Trader Joe’s, a bower of just-cut flowers for sale were displayed near the entry, greeting then ushering me past them to rows of fresh fruit and vegetables piled high on wooden stands. Beyond the cash registers, aisles and aisles of groceries receded into the far end of the small building.
Hooking a shopping basket into the crook of my elbow, I walked up and down the aisles, filling it with favorite things. Those caramel wafers I love. Some vegetable crisps. A few pieces of fruit. Organic cereal with dried strawberries. And, of course, some chocolate. Score.
At the register, the cashier chatted lightly with me in a charming English accent as she rung up and bagged my purchases. When the last item was secured, and I paid for my order, she grinned at me. “See you soon.”
I smiled to myself. She may have said “see you soon” but what my heart heard was “welcome”. Instead of feeling like a visitor to L.A., those three short words made me feel like a local. Like I belonged. It was as though the simple act of grocery shopping had drawn me into the community while simultaneously hitting an internal reset button.
I wasn’t in L.A. to “do”. I was there to be.
From that moment on, I remembered who I was as a traveler.
Rushing from attraction to attraction isn’t my style. My modus operandi is to travel slowly and deliberately, embracing each happy accident, and remembering that sometimes the best travel stories aren’t the ones I tell. They’re often the ones I hear from the people I meet.
You can really only hear those stories when you stop long enough to listen.
As I strolled out of the store, purchases in hand, I felt something had changed and that moment was a fresh start.
I got my travel groove back. Sweet.
Ever lose your travel groove? How did you get it back? I want to hear your story.
Christine | Grrrl Traveler says
It’s really great how the smallest things can set you right again and I agree that having a lead-in connection or personal familiarity with helps me to feel more blended. Thanks for the stroll back on Hyperion- I used to live on Vine in Los Feliz …and Trader Joes?.. I’m totally there with ya!
Marsha says
Christine–
Thinking back on that moment I’m still blown away by the remarkable change in my mindset just by going grocery shopping! It was one of those rare moments that set me right…and helped me to fall in love with LA, a city I’d visited before and hated. All thanks to your old ‘hood and TJ’s. 🙂
Rhona says
My travel groove was lost big time. Haven’t travelled in over 3 years. For shame on me! It is so easy to let life and all its complications overshadow your passion if you let it. I did and all this time I have not left Ontario, Canada. I will rectify that next week when I head to Boston for 4 days but still…I need to get back out. I need Europe again or South American or (my dream) New Zealand. My hope is that once things settle down in my life in the next few years (hoping to go back to school but still waiting on that), I will be able to travel like a rock star.
Marsha says
Rhona, I’m so glad to hear that you’re going to start wandering again. It was really hard for me to be still for such a long time, so I do understand how you’re feeling. Enjoy Boston! Have any special plans?
Scott - Quirky Travel Guy says
It’s cool that Silver Lake made you feel at home. I love that neighborhood and hope to move there next year. I don’t think I’ve ever lost my travel groove, although sometimes I need to remind myself to slow down when I start trying to cram too much in.
Marsha says
Hey, Scott–Thanks for chiming in! So you’re moving to Silver Lake, huh? Lucky. Great neighborhood, so different from the Hollywood version of LA everyone expects.
I think last year I learned to really be deliberate in slowing down and just letting travel happen instead of orchestrating everything down to the minute. And then I didn’t travel for 9 months (which is an eternity for me!) and I forgot all about that. Rediscovered it just in time to really learn to love LA. Best of luck in your move!