“On the road again, goin’ places that I’ve never been, seein’ things that I may never see again, and I can’t wait to get on the road again” -Willie Nelson, “On the Road Again”
I blame Willie Nelson for it, my wanderlust that is. It was the summer of 1980, I was 10 years old, and my aunt Jayne took me to the Malco Theater in Tupelo to see “Honeysuckle Rose.” I heard Willie’s classic song, “On the Road Again,” for the first time that night, and it sparked a fire within me to travel that has never waned.
It also kicked off my musical career, which consisted of performing said song for my adoring fans (nothing beats a captive audience) in Mrs. Bobbye Rorie’s fifth-grade classroom at East Union Attendance Center. Sadly, my rise to stardom as the next great country crooner was short-lived; however, my desire to see and experience new places still remains.
Wanderlust is defined as a “strong longing for or impulse toward wandering.” I believe it also to be a genetic trait that is capable of being passed along from generation to generation, as I see it in both my daughter and my son. In fact, I encouraged the characteristic in both of them and view it as one of my successes as a father.
During her undergraduate years at the University of Alabama, Tate took full advantage of a study abroad scholarship by spending a summer studying at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. While there, she also made trips to London, Bath, Dover, Bristol and Canterbury, as well as Paris, France.
The COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately kept Dan from being able to take advantage of his study abroad scholarship; however, he is making up for that this spring with a trip to British Columbia as well as a monthlong perambulation as a pilgrim along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Having just finished his undergraduate studies in December, he will start vet school at Mississippi State this summer. I can only imagine that the four years of study to obtain his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine will be intense. Consequently, I can think of no better escape prior to that than a sojourn in Spain walking along the 500 miles of the Camino in the footsteps of St. James the Apostle.
Sandwiched in between those trips, Dan and I will be chasing Osceola wild turkeys in the swamps of South Florida in early March, followed by a five-day section hike with friends along the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.
We also have plans, after his return from Spain, for a fly fishing trip in Idaho with my brother-in-law, Michael Van Veckhoven, and nephew Billy Van Veckhoven. I’ve always dreamed of catching a trout with the Grand Tetons as the backdrop, and Lord willing, that dream will become a reality this May.
My wife, Gena, shares a love for travel as well, and we recently sat down and spent an evening making a “bucket list” of the places we want to go and the things we want to do together. I’ve done an awful lot of soul-searching recently about this subject, and as much as Willie gets the credit for my wanderlust early in life, I would have to attribute my inspiration of late to a friend I knew far too briefly.
When G and I began looking for a new church after moving to the farm, we settled on the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville. From the beginning, it just felt like home to us, and a huge reason for that was Mrs. Ellen Newsom.
Mrs. Ellen welcomed us with open arms, and from day one made us feel a part of the ECR family. She had a servant’s heart, a gracious spirit and an energy that was both contagious and inspiring. It was clear that she was a pillar in the life of both the church and the community.
Sadly, Mrs. Ellen died on Jan. 18 following a short battle with mesothelioma. We were crushed. We had looked forward to worshipping and serving alongside her. In our short time knowing her, we had both been inspired, and upon reading her obituary, that inspiration was taken to an even higher level.
Until that point, I knew she was a nurse. I had no idea that she was also a pilot and an adventurer par excellence, however. For instance, her honeymoon with her husband of 57 years, Walter “Walt” Newsom, consisted of a “two-month, 11,000-mile tent camping trip in a VW Beetle visiting 18 western states and 20 national parks.”
Among the other highlights were adventures in “all 50 states, 101 countries and all seven continents,” expeditions which included paragliding, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking and, among the many others, floating “for 19 days in the Grand Canyon in a wooden dory.”
Her life was, like her spirit, inspiring, and reading about her amazing explorations served as the impetus for my “bucket list” conversation with G.
I hope that you find the inspiration this week to create your own “Ellen Newsom” list and make your wanderlust dreams a reality. Until next time, I look forward to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.
Email outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.
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