Travel When You Can
Like many people who were sequestered during Covid, this year we decided to take a trip. Having had travel plans thwarted for years, this was the year we launched. Last week we returned from a week-long whale watching trip in Baja.
I had forgotten how much work it is to plan a trip. Scheduling the itinerary, arranging reservations, booking flights, sending emails. If exercising the brain keeps us mentally sharp, this is one way to do it. The preparations involved careful attention to details and thorough organization.
Once on our way, we had to be flexible to face unforeseen circumstances (an expired passport—not mine), solve problems, and sometimes be uncomfortable. It didn’t hurt to have the strength to haul a small suitcase around.
Despite these difficulties, there is an undeniable intrigue about traveling. Even the challenges provide opportunities to test our problem-solving abilities and feel the satisfaction of managing issues that arise.
Meeting people who lead very different lives from our own is fascinating. We met Rick, an American photographer, who owns the cabanas where we stayed in Loreto. He has spent over thirty years photographing whales, birds, sunsets and natural habitats in Baja. He delighted us with stories about his art, his life in Baja and his knowledge about animal and plant life.
In Mulege, we met Salvador, our cave painting tour guide who drove us an hour over a rough, bumpy dirt road where we then hiked half a mile to a cave painting site, one of the oldest in North America.
In Bahia de Magdalena, a small village where we stayed, the captain of our boat makes his living through seasonal whale watching tours, deep sea fishing excursions, and harvesting clams. He reads the sea with the help of the sun to determine where the whales are.
Most astounding was seeing whales up close, watching the plumes of spray and hearing their spouts blowing. The mystique of forty-foot sea mammals being so close to our boat that we could almost touch them is unforgettable.
Throughout our trip we ate simply and deliciously with grilled seafood, homemade sauces and handmade tortillas. We practiced our Spanish, and immersed ourselves the culture.
One of the people we traveled with was Marge, a 92-year-old woman who said that whale watching was on her bucket list and now she’s done it. Although we did not use a tour operator, some such as Grand Circle Travel and Grand Circle Cruise Lines cater specifically to older travelers. Road Scholar also offers all-inclusive trips for older adults.
The ability to travel is not a function of age but of willingness and suitability. Travel cultivates curiosity and helps us maintain the wide-eyed wonder that’s so essential as we age. It’s a chance to maintain a connection with the world and discover new perspectives.
According to Harriet Lewis, vicechair of Overseas Adventure Travel, “Every traveler is a storyteller and every journey teaches us not just about the world but about ourselves and our aspirations in life.”
When travel pulls at your heart, be open to possibilities.
Mary Petersen is a retired COC English instructor, a 30-year SCV resident and two-time breast cancer survivor.