A few years ago, I was mindlessly scrolling through my endless Facebook feed when an article caught my attention…and explained so much to me that I didn’t know I didn’t know…
This article explained why kids like to read the same books over and over again. And visit the same places. The author explained it’s because in a child’s life, there is so much they can’t control, and so many changes happening every day/week/month/year. Since children don’t get to pick what’s for dinner, or decide they don’t want take a shower today, and they also have to keep changing their grade every year (hopefully!) and end up on a different soccer team, kids crave something dependable and consistent. That’s why they want to read “The Boxcar Children” 127 times or watch “Frozen” again and again and again. It’s also why kids like to visit the same vacation places over and over – it’s safe, familiar, reliable. Like an old friend.
That’s what the Blue Voyage is to me.
At first it was odd to me that I kept wanting to go on the same Voyage. I have travelled the world, and rarely visit the same place twice (except when I’m with my niece and nephew who want to always revisit the same summer house in Michiana – now I know why!). In my travels I always planned something new. That was actually one of my goals (in my matrix…yes…my traveling planning matrix). I felt it was almost a disservice to myself if I retread the same ground. But then…I met the Blue Voyage. And I wanted to go back. And back. And back. And it makes so much sense to me that it is because my life is always changing. And the Voyage is my rock (made of rocks).