I left on my trip to Provence with the idea in my mind of seeing the lavender fields in bloom. While I am not sure if I fully realized that particular goal, I gathered so much joy from this trip that I am not sure if I have the right words to summarize it. Let me try…
People have been asking me how my trip to Provence was. The only way that I can really adequately describe my time in France is to tell people that my heart broke the moment that I left, and I haven’t been the same since.
During the trip our plans changed like a river seeking a different course. This is the nature of the beast that we call “travel”. Our trip to Provence began in Paris and unexpectedly ended there, too.
We saw some of the things that I had planned for, and we saw other things that were so wondrous that there was no way that I could have planned them.
Seeing the Bastille Day fireworks in Carcassonne, France was the icing on an incredible delicious cake. It was truly an experience that I will never forget.
I think about France wistfully, in stressful moments since I have gotten home. I love all of France, but the South of France holds a special, reserved box seat in my heart now.
It is all a little bittersweet, though, because while I have no doubt that I will be returning to the south of France again, I know that it will never quite be the same. This first trip was a magical experience on a level that I don’t think I can hope to be lucky enough to reach again.
It is like the beginning of a new relationship. At first, things are fiery and wonderful, In time, that passion is replaced by a gentle familiarity and a comforting presence. Both are equally nice, but they are very different.
This is the price of travel, of the addiction. It seems like the more I travel and see of the world, the less of these “Oh my gosh”, life changing travel experiences I have. It is harder and harder to keep my perspective when I have been to so many amazing places in the world and have seen so many amazing things.
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If you missed any my posts from my trip through the South of France, here is a list of my “Postcards from Provence” and my posts from Bastille Day in France:
- Postcards From Provence: Going to France
- Unexpected Directions in the South of France
- Waking up with Bread and Pastries in France
- A Sunny Day Spent with the Romans in France
- Velo en Provence: Bicycling in the Cote du Rhone Region of France
- Spending the Night in Carcassonne France on a Budget
- Bastille Day in France: Waiting for the Fireworks in Carcassonne
- Bastille Day in France: The Fireworks in Carcassonne
- Bastille Day in France: Waking up with Naked Men
- More Photos from Bastille Day in France
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Is there a place that you were sad to leave because it was wonderful and you knew that it would never be the same again?
I have felt this a couple times during our travels, most notably in China when we hiked the Simatai Great Wall. It was a completely unrestored section of the wall and probably the single most incredible day while traveling. I knew it was only a matter of time until they decided to rebuild it and sure enough about a year later, that’s exactly what they did.
This is the downside of travel. It isn’t easy sometimes to come back. It can be an emotional roller coaster…exquisite highs and extreme lows. It is these extremes that make travelers into addicts…
Ah Paris, one of the greatest cities in the world and I am ashamed to say that I have not been!
Ahhh, you will go someday and I hope that you will love it…it is an amazing city!
I find that I never have the same experience returning to a place – but that doesn’t always mean it’s worse… =)
That is good to know. No, I don’t think any visit to France could ever be “worse”…it is such a beautiful country!
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It sounds like you had such a good time. And I think it’s great that you changed your planned path so many times. That’s what travel is all about and there’s nothing worse than being stuck on a particular course when you decide you really want to go a different direction!
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