As a travel writer, I’ve probably said or used the word “trip” more often than most. Sure, I travel quite a bit, but also as an absolute klutz, I’ve experienced and talked about more trips than most.
It’s a good word with multiple uses, this word “trip”:
- to catch one’s foot on something and stumble or fall:
- an act of going to a place and returning; a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure:
As per me, above. But there’s also:
- experience hallucinations induced by taking a psychedelic drug, especially LSD: I haven’t taken LSD, but I imagine the humiliations which would be induced as a result of the hallucinations would be quite a trip.
- walk, run, or dance with quick light steps: “The grace of an elephant” is how my mother once described my gait. The only quick light steps I take are those ones which follow a smaller trip or stumble, as I attempt to stay upright while at the same time shooting a death glance at the imaginary ground abnormality behind me.
- activate (a mechanism), especially by contact with a switch, catch, or other electrical device: Please don’t allow me to be responsible for any electrical devices beyond my phone from which I can call for help.
- a flock or group of goats, sheep, or other animals: I truly wish it had been a trip of sheep that led to an unfortunate incident I had with an e-bike on the tranquil trails of Northern Ireland, when I tripped the front brake instead of the rear one. Apologies to my press trip colleagues for forever hearing that crunch as I completed an impressive over the handlebars somersault landing on my back. This reinforces my fear of being responsible for #5.
Besides tripping the bike (fantastic) in April, which left me with a slightly bent baby finger, there was the sotol distillery ”incident” in Chihuahua, Mexico. As I walked past the stills, towards a window for a perfect photo, I tripped and landed in a ditch. For enquiring minds, yes this was indeed pre-tasting. I have a scar on my left leg from that one. My press trip P.R. representative was impressed by the pre-packed bandages I pulled from my knapsack. Not my first (trip to the ) rodeo.
(Note: Please bear in mind these are just trips from 2024 I’m referencing; my total broken bones and injuries are more of a novella than an article. Falling off a wedge heel and breaking a foot, and breaking my arm in my own van door come immediately to mind.)
It’s December. The last month of the year. No trips planned, I thought, quite naively. None in the sense of getting on an airplane, but yes, dear reader, I should have known. I flew out of a “Holiday Red” pedicure in Oakville, misjudged the landing, and on my way down to the cement sidewalk, caught a glimpse of the yellow and black safety tape on the slight curb, which told me to “watch your step”. I did not.
As I type this one handed, due to a brace covered fractured wrist, with my walking boot fractured foot (in two places!)raised, I have the time to reflect on the fun sort of trips that I did do this year. I’d type out all the details and highlights, but as the Aleve wanes and the braces start to itch, I’ll leave you with the list and the links to “read all about it”.
Off to revise my Trip Schedule to more of a Sip Schedule.
Happy holidays.
My 2024 intentional trips were as follows, with the exception of the last one.
January: Club Med Cancun
March: Bahamas
April: Northern Ireland
May: London/Queen Anne
June: Rome/Queen Victoria
August: Saint Vincent & The Grenadines/Barbados
September: Chihuahua
October: Jamaica
October: Virginia
November: Punta Cana
December: Credit Valley Hospital
