“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” ~Marcel Proust

The first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, I was awestruck.

The first time I saw it with my sisters Crysty and Carry, I was… awestruck.

The first time I saw it with my sisters Wendy and Mary, I was… well, you get the picture!

As incredible as it is to experience an architectural wonder, a breathtakingly rugged coastline, or a man rollerblading through the streets of Midtown Manhattan with rainbow-colored rats riding on his shoulders, it is equally incredible to see those sights through the eyes of a travel partner who is experiencing them for the first time. (Yes, I know that sentence was as long as a Proustian paragraph.)

Sadly, only I had the privilege of seeing the rollerblading rat-whisperer, but I have been able to see with a new set of eyes, many mind-blowing landscapes, landmarks, and the occasional cultural oddity. Like the first time I took my niece and nephews to Rockefeller Center at Christmas time. Or last Spring when I went with my Mom and Stepdad to see the 911 Memorial. Even when I was sitting across from my nephews when they had their first heavenly slices of Grimaldi’s pizza.

I think Proust had it partly right. Speaking as one with wanderlust coursing through her veins every waking moment, I will seek out BOTH. I will continue to go back to my favorite places with new people in tow, but I will also scour travel sites and subscribe to so many travel newsletters that my email inbox looks like the spam filter gave up the ghost- always in search of my next adventure!

Until next time,

~The Gen X Traveler