Frank says:
Some how, we squeezed in some time before our departure to visit Cincinnati. Janet is a professional tennis buff, or may be almost a fanatic, and a great tourney is held there. (To clarify-her actual fanaticism is reserved for Spartan sports.). I enjoy the athleticism of these international players, too. Do you detect a theme here? In tennis, soccer too, identifying the nationality and culture of the player is part of their personalstory and identity. We dig it and the venue at ATP is grand. Janet’s favorite, the Scotsman Andy Murray, was upset in the finals. Boo Hoo! I liked the underdog.
We also met new friends at our first Airbnb stay, Kyle and Aeriel Ashlee. They are younger then us, our kids age, but kindred spirits who have traveled afar. They applaud diversity, appreciate varied cultures, and have themselves made great effort in formulating a personal philosophy to live by that encourage themselves and us all to work toward social justice. Their insight is far more complex then I could explain, but as they state in their recently authored book— Vital:
“Sharing stories and bearing witness to someone else’s lived experiences are incredibly transformative practices…When we intentionally listen to other’s stories, our stereotypes begin to fade as we see ourselves in their lives.” (pg. 137)
In our travels we are looking to pursue the same transformative goal.
There is of course the powerful spirit of adventure in undertaking our journey, but also the search for enlightenment of our mind and soul through others is paramount. This endeavor was never merely a picture, picture, & picture exercise. Our meeting Kyle and Aeriel was like an omen of good things to come. Ps. They said we would love Morocco too.
See photos below of the tournament and Kyle and Aeriel's book Vital
