Literary Journeying


Almost every evening I watch jets taking off into the sunset.

I live near an international airport and my neighborhood walking trail curves around the back of the runways.

Sometimes I wish I were on one of those planes, flying to Italy or Paris or some other exciting destination, and other times I breathe a big sigh of relief that I'm staying home without the hassles of traveling.

Before I ever thought about journeying to faraway places, I read books about girls who traveled. I felt as if I were along for the adventure when my fictional heroines packed their bags. Even now, my favorite books to read are letters and diaries from women who traveled.

Sometimes I think I like reading about traveling more than actually traveling.

{I'm reluctant to admit that since it makes me sound highly unadventurous.}



But part of travel's appeal for me is the spacious stretch of time I have to read during the hours it takes to get to my destination.

I got an early start at this practice.

Every summer, my sister and I filled the backseat of our car with stacks of books to occupy us as my parents drove us from Pittsburgh to Florida for our family vacation.

I couldn't imagine going anywhere without my books.

And I still can't. I always pack my carry-on with far too many books for my journey and then have to lug the unwieldy bag through airports.


Trips are bookmarked in my mind by what I'm reading.

The summer I was eleven, I sat on a beach in Ft. Lauderdale while Prince Edward Island enchanted me through the pages of Anne of Green Gables.

Only once do I recall my mother getting mad at my sister and me for reading.

Driving through Washington, DC, she was pointing out landmarks from the front seat but both of us were in the back, absorbed in our books. I closed mine just a few minutes before my mother turned around and ordered my sister to put down a book she could read anytime we WEREN'T in our nation's capital.

{For once, my timing was impeccable.}



So even though traveling through books is second nature to me, I’ve never journeyed through the Bible from beginning to end.

This summer I decided to meander through passages of chapter and verse, with no timetable or ambitious goal of finishing within a year.

These stories are quite familiar to me since I grew up in the church.

I’ve heard about Adam and Noah, Moses, Joshua and David. I know about the Bible’s women like Eve and Sarah and Ruth and Esther.



But I'm also making my way through the books of Leviticus and Numbers, with their myriad of laws and endless lists of names. And I'm reading the stirring chronicles of kings and nations and battles.

There are plenty of travelers in these books who pack up all they have and leave home, sometimes without even knowing where they're going. They wander and settle, scatter and rebuild, always yearning for their home.

And during their journeys, as they attempt to pick up the rubble of their lives, God steps in and does something beautiful among the ruins.

It's his story, after all, that I'm reading in these pages, the history of God.




I didn't expect to become so absorbed in the stories of those who had lived so long ago, but I think about them during the day and I look forward to picking up where I left off.

I'm struck by the thought that I'm just another living soul in the very long history of this world who is captivated by God's story.

There are books that take us to places we've never been.

And there's a book that takes us closer to the heart of God.



Most nights, I stop on my neighborhood trail to watch a few jets head up into the skies brushed with the blazing colors of sunset and I wonder if any passengers have filled their bags with books.

I keep reminding myself to look into buying an e-reader {although I'm not a fan} so I can ease my book-load for my next trip.

It might unburden my suitcase, but I don't think it can take the place of that crinkled Anne of Green Gables paperback I accidentally dropped in a puddle beside the pool that summer in Ft. Lauderdale.

I think writers are the best inspirational travel guides and we readers bravely journey to wherever their words take us.



I'm joining my friends at Holley Gerth's place for Coffee for your Heart.


Comments

  1. As always, your photos are wonderful! I do like reading from my iPad because it greatly lightens the book load when traveling and it doesn't require a bedside light if I'm reading at night with a sleepy husband next to me. Also, I've discovered I can check out library books on my iPad so my fiction reading has stepped up several notches this year. Have you read the Book of God? I bought it for Henry several years ago. It's the bible told as a story with characters and scenery added. It takes the actual stories but fleshes them out if that makes sense. It doesn't take the place of the bible at all so it shouldn't be taken that way. Just thought it might be something a reader would enjoy at some point.

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    1. Hi Debby,
      I haven't read the Book of God! I'll have to check that one out since it sounds really intriguing and something I'd definitely like. I love to get into the mindsets of the characters. I suppose I'm late to the party for an iPad but I think I could do library books on there, too. I just love reading the physical books after a day on the computer at work, though! xoxo

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  2. SO MUCH TO SAY in response to this post! First of all, I would much rather travel in books - unless it's a road trip with hubs or my daughter and the grands. I've never desired to travel internationally - I go to Cornwall and Scotland with Rosamunde and that is enough for me. Second: I do hope your Bible journey is chronological - it makes for a much more interesting read. Let me know if you need a chrono plan, I have one. Third: I love my Kindle reader and have just about worn it out this summer (you really can't wear them out) - I have been hanging out in the Low Country of SC; Isle of Palms, Sullivan Island, Charleston as Mary Alice Monroe teaches me about the Loggerhead turtles and the Bottlenose Dolphins! DELIGHTFUL fiction (PG-21). Fourth: Ann with an e, the videos were an escape for my Hannah and I every summer since 2003 - we missed our marathon AofGG this summer due to summer college classes. Fifth: How about the Chronicles? Are you a CS Lewis fan? You must read them IN ORDER, if you haven't. I was happy to see a new blogpost from you today - I always come over and look! xo

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    1. Hi Susan,
      Thank you so much for appreciating my words here -- it means so much more than I can say! And I love it that you'd rather travel in books too! I didn't think I cared about traveling overseas either . . . until I went to Paris and saw the Eiffel Tower and saw what I was missing! :) I haven't seen the Ann with an e series although I heard they're excellent and yes, I've read CS Lewis' chronicles (in order) and they are nothing short of amazing, aren't they? Loved hearing from you! xoxo Off to check out Mary Alice Monroe since those areas of SC are some of my favorites . . . .

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  3. I love that you are reading through the Bible, Valerie! As I keep reading all these stories in the Bible again and again, I am always amazed at how much there is for me to learn in them and how relatable the characters are. There is so much to learn, and my heart is willing to take in only so much at a time...

    I have an iPad that I use for reading e-books but honestly, I will always prefer the real ones. There is just something more satisfying about being able to flip through the pages and seeing how far you have read, and how much more there is still to be read.

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    1. Ronja,
      Yes! I like to see my progress in pages read vs. pages yet to go -- I knew we were true kindreds! :) You are so right about rereading stories in the Bible -- it seems there's always something I haven't noticed even though I might have read it a hundred times before. I think that's what so amazing about the Bible and life in its words! xoxo

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  4. There's so much I love about this post, Valerie! I remember being disappointed as a child at being told I wasn't allowed to read books while walking along the street! While there is something special about a physical book I do love my e-reader for travelling. It makes things so much easier! I'm glad you're enjoying reading through the Bible too. I did a chronological plan a while ago and it helps so much to understand how it all fits together as one story.

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    1. Hi Lesley,
      Oh I love that -- you can't read and walk! I think all of us who love reading, concoct unusual ways to continue the story while we go about our daily routines! It's amazing how when you read the Bible chronologically it is a much more seamless story -- I'm loving it! xoxo

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  5. Hi friend! Oh how I loved reading as a child too! We would go to the library every summer and I remember taking home stacks of books- reading in the car, going around the grocery store with my mom and at the table during dinner (though probably not the best manners...!) When I was a teen I remember reading almost a whole book out loud to my mom while she drove us to NC to visit family. ♥ Though I haven't read much lately except this book "Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd", by Alan Bradley-- it held my attention with it's preteen heroine and her travels in the English countryside! But I would agree the best trip of all certainly has been walking through the Bible as I attempt to re-read it each year :) Here's to wherever our literal or figurative travels take us! xoxo

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    1. Hi Heather!
      I love it that you read during dinner -- the privileges of an only child! :) What a fascinating title for the book you're reading about a cat -- that is a tongue-twister and sounds so intriguing! Sometimes I just want to reread some the books I read growing up to see if I feel the same about them, but I'm afraid I might lose the original magic. What a great way for you to entertain everyone in the car by reading out loud and perfecting your elocution skills! Love that! xoxo

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  6. I love to read when I travel - I try to pick out a few books for my kindle (also not a fan, but I am happy to not worry about running out of reading material) that take place in the country or area I am visiting. I almost always get sidetracked by the book I pick out that has nothing to do with location and is only downloaded in case I finish all of my location-based choices! I probably have at least one book from each location that I have visited that I haven't even opened!

    When I was little, I remember hiding in a cabin we were visiting so that I could finish my book. My dad wanted me to experience Yellowstone, and I wanted to experience Watership Down!

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    1. I love it that you had a moment with Nick at Yellowstone like I had with Bobbie in DC! :) I am really going to get an e-reader so of course I'll be asking for your expert techie opinion. That is what I worry about -- running out of reading material! xoxo

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  7. Oh, how I loved reading about your reading!! LOL! I, too, loved books, as a child, and I still do! I am old-fashioned to the core, and I still love cracking open a real book and holding it in my hands, and, to be honest, I haven't given in to the e-reader craze, either. I don't think I probably ever will. I think you should write a book of your own. Your writing skills just draw me right in...that is a gift, my friend. :) I am praying for you and looking forward to hearing about what God does in your life next!!!!!!

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    1. Hi Cheryl,
      Thank you for your always-so-encouraging words! I think you're right -- books with real paper pages are ingrained in us and even if/when I do buy an e-reader for traveling, I think my heart will always be partial to the book I can hold in my hands and crinkle the pages! Thank you for your prayers! xoxo

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  8. Yep. Too many books on a trip sounds vaguely familiar. ;) I had read through the Bible years ago once, and then did it again last year. So now I am on my third time, reading a different translation each time. I pick up new things often!

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    1. Sarah,
      I am so impressed that you're reading the Bible through for the third time -- how great is that! Which translation is your favorite? xo

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    2. My favorite is probably NIV still, since that is what I grew up with. Last year was NASB and this year Holman. There really is something new to me in each, so I think it is the fact of looking more than the translation that is important. :)

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  9. Hello Valerie! It has been a while since I left a comment. : ) I wish I was a better reader like you. What is your secret? I do love the thought of seeing and reading about the people in the Bible as travelers. It is so true! I hope your summer has been good and that you are doing well

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    1. I think my secret is that reading takes me places I might never have the courage to go so I'm eager to experience it though the characters who come alive on the pages! :) I started to notice how many people in the Bible were travelers and it was more than I thought. So many times God called them from the familiar to a place that was frightening and hard so they could rely on him and see him in a new way -- and I love that!

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    2. Oh wow I didn't realize that I sign in under this name. This is Kristina by the way. Hoping this wasn't too confusing.

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  10. Valerie, As usual, I loved your photos! Like you, I have traveled far and near in books! And my Kindle is wonderful - I can have a library full of books, and still room for more! But I love the thought of traveling through God's Word, and reading His story. Meandering, if you will, through the pages and soaking in all the wisdom, poetry and yes, even the laws and numbers!! Beautiful post, friend!

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    1. Oh Ellen -- I am so glad to see you here - -I've missed you, my friend! Like you, I've found beauty in the names and numbers in the Bible and I'm surprised that I'm reading every one - -I don't want to miss one and gloss over them so quickly. I'm taking notes that you're voting for the Kindle (that would be a good choice for me) and I ALWAYS have room on my shelves for one more book! :) xoxo

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  11. Dear Valerie,
    Your words and your photos are always a "breath of fresh air" for me. Now that my days have become much slower and with most of my time spent at home, you know that I eagerly soak up all of your adventures here from my "armchair traveler" place. What a fun way to travel through memories by revisiting the times when you first found adventure in books as a child! Some of my favorite summer memories are of visiting the book mobile that stopped at the corner of my street every week when I was young. But the first travel book that touched my heart was when I read about the Swiss Alps through the eyes of "Heidi." Isn't God so good to plant within each of us a love for story--especially when the best story of all is HIS? Love & Hugs to you friend! xoxo

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    1. Hi Bettie,
      The book mobile! I remember them and never got to go in one but I always thought it was such a fun idea! Heidi was certainly one plucky little heroine, wasn't she? Somehow the books we read when we are young stay with us as treasured memories, don't you think? Thinking of you and praying that you experience a renewal and fresh strength! xoxo

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  12. I have always been a fan of Anne too! And look forward to traveling to PEI, which is quite a long flight so lots of reading time. The photos are beautiful as well as the words you share. I tried getting through Leviticus a few summers back, but didn't finish that travel trip. But yes, I love how you say His word is the perfect travel trip as it is to the the heart of God. I understand the heaviness of traveling books! I recently bought myself an Eagle Creek back pack that also has a removable frame for wheeling to carry my books, magazines and camera through those airports.

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    1. Hi Lynn,
      Oh I can't wait to hear about your travels to the land of Anne in PEI! And what a great idea to wheel your books in a pack around the airport instead of carrying them -- brilliant! xo

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  13. Lovely post and pics! I'm with you: I love reading about travel and other places possibly more than travel itself. Although I'm always ready to go somewhere . . . with my books of course. When my mom and I traveled to Ireland years ago, we filled our suitcase with books and shipped them home, making room for souvenirs! There's something extra relaxing about reading when you're away, without a care or bedtime. Hope you are well!

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    1. Hi Dianne,
      So glad to see you here! I'm laughing that you're always ready to go somewhere - -with your books, since I wouldn't dream of going anywhere without a book! I love it that you had to ship your books home from Ireland! My mother and I sacrificed our books flying back from Milan when our suitcases were too full of Italian purses! :) xo

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  14. Hi Valerie - This post made me happy remembering reading books when I was little. It sounds so nice to get lost in a book and an adventure like that! I have to admit though I have tried, I have never been able to get through the whole Bible.:( :( I am not sure what happens to me but I always get derailed and skip to the books I love. Maybe I will try again in the coming year. I maybe need a good plan, idk or maybe some incentive and a good routine about it. It is amazing to think that we are part of His story too, and that he counts our lives as precious- It would be interesting to read our own lives as a book! :) I think it could give better perspective on my mundane! This will be something to look forward to in heaven with Jesus. He can explain it all and we will finally 'get it’ what all those heartaches and days that felt plain were about! I hope your summer has been beautiful and restful. I can’t believe it is almost over! Sending hugs xoxo

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    1. Hi Susie,
      I'm with you -- I've never gotten through the whole Bible before :) so let's so if I do now! I can't believe the summer is over either, but I do hope that means that you'll be coming off your summer sabbatical and rejoin the blogging world again! I've missed you! xoxo

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  15. Such gorgeous photographs!!! I loved seeing memories of your trip to Rome!!!

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    1. So nice to see you here, Elizabeth! Thank YOU for making my trip to Rome so memorable (and for writing the book too!)!! xo

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  16. I love this post Valerie. When I was a girl I had a hard time learning to read until my mom's teacher friend brought over some flash cards to help me learn to read phonetically. This opened up a whole new world to me and I can still remember sitting in our den and reading through an entire Dr. Seuss book on my own. On my first trip to our library I brought home as many books as I could carry (we had to walk there as my mother didn't drive) and I think I read them all on the first day. I begged to go back and trade them in for more.
    All that to say that reading has always been a big part of my life. I too, love the chance to read during the times of waiting while traveling. I DO have a Kindle and I love it. Except for those books where underlining and turning down of pages is a must.
    GOOD for you reading through the entire Bible. It will be such a blessing to you I'm sure.
    Thanks girlfriend,
    Patti

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