Space Goddess

I’m really not fond of buzzwords or fads, so when I talk about “green” travel I’m addressing some of our inner core values. What is “green” travel? For me, it means that I travel responsibly, only taking photos and only leaving footprints; I support hotels and travel suppliers that give back to the community—both socially and economically; I use the same sheets and towels for multiple day hotel stays; I avoid hoarding the plastic-bottled toiletries; I often walk or take public transportation when sightseeing.

What I don’t like about the label “green” travel: that it connotes “roughing it” vacations (shunning beds, hot showers, and yummy food); I resent airlines that “ALLOW” you to purchase carbon offsets for pollution caused by them—hello???? Why doesn’t the airline purchase their own carbon offsets and also research more environmentally friendly fuels? I also get my dander up (is dander green????) when companies charge you more for responsible travel. It’s like paying more for healthy food.

Core value? What kind of person am I? How do I demonstrate it? Do I care about others? About our world? Or is it, when I’m honest with myself, all about me? This isn’t just about travel–it’s about daily life. Sometimes I demonstrate compassion and yet, at other times, I forget that the world has a population greater than 1. My goal: be the change I want to see. And you?

Consider this quote by Hilaire Belloc: “We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.”

At first I saved this quote because I liked the concept of travel being fulfilling. Then I wondered, “And who is Hilaire Belloc?” According to Wikipedia:

“Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (27 July 1870 – 16 July 1953) was a French-born writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He is most notable for his Roman Catholic faith, which had an impact on most all of his writing.”

As I read more about Belloc, I learned that his meaning of “fulfillment” differs from mine. If something is fulfilling, it is both life affirming AND life changing. This led me to looking up the definition of and synonyms for fullfilled.

Here are some synonyms from dictionary.com: accomplished, achieved, actualized, attained, brought about, brought to a close, carried out, compassed, concluded, consummated, crowned, delighted, dispatched, effected, effectuated, executed, finished, gratified, made good, matured, obtained, perfected, performed, pleased, put into effect, reached, realized, satisfied.

Okay, are you still with me? Next thought that entered my head was that Belloc supported a type of capitalism popular in the Middle Ages and wanted to return to that. Is returning to the past fulfilling (using my definition of “life changing)? Next thought: Am I able to like a quote but not the quoter? Next thought: I don’t think I like this quote after. It sounds elitist, snobbish. Why can’t one travel for both distraction and fulfillment?

Oh my God, I’ve had way too much coffee this morning!

The other day I was driving down the street behind a vehicle bearing the sign “Mercedes Benz Customer Transportation”. Although the concept is not unique, it’s nice to see that a luxury car company still provides service for its customers…and yet….why use a Honda as the vehicle of choice??? Hmmmm, perhaps Mercedes is making a statement about value????