at least I have gone

This post links two ideas that have been in my head recently.

1. After hearing this historic announcement, I've been wondering how it will/has affected my family. Then I thought about myself, and realized that if this had happened when I was eighteen, I still would not have chosen a mission. I still would have chosen Semester at Sea.  No question. But what does that say about me?
2. Since I cannot travel physically, I make cooking exciting. I 'visit' different countries through cuisine. Most frequently we go to Thailand, India, Mexico, Lebanon and Italy. I envision what it might be like to cook and shop in those countries. What color are the eggs in Thailand? How do the Italians package flour? What kind of pan would a Mexican mother be using? What kind of market would I buy spices in Lebanon - what would it smell like? Who would I meet there and what would they be wearing? What time of day do you shop in those countries, and how different are the ingredients? What do you bring with you to carry it home in? How do they wrap the meat in India? This is augmented by trips to Asian Markets and grocery stores off-the-beaten-track, and online recipe wandering. This is immensely satisfying for me, and its a way to stave off routine boredom without sacrificing anything.

So as I was frying some naan today, thinking about India and the amazing ovens they have there, I realized that just because I still would have chosen SAS over a mission doesn't mean I am not a disciple of Christ or that I do not value spiritual experiences, just that my path is different than most. I am so glad I had the experience of sailing around the world, because it makes me a better mother. I can imagine what it might be like to shop in Thailand because I have actually been there, I have wandered through markets in Myanmar and India. My imagination is so much more expansive than it would have been if I had not traveled. And while I still have wanderlust that I have to deal with (sometimes it seriously does feel like a burden), at least I have gone.