Caches of memories

Rick Steves’ March ’09 column was on journaling.

When my husband retired from his work in geology and we moved from Angola back to the USA, I continued to travel to foreign countries once or twice a year for more than 25 years. On every trip I took, I kept a journal plus photos, books, travel guides and everything that had to do with that particular trip.

Each trip went into a shoe box and onto one of the shelves in my art studio, located in a heated garage space. I knew the day would come when, as I got older, I would want to experience that trip again.

I can lift down one of those shoe boxes, and as I start to go through it I am back there in that place. I can smell it, taste it and be there again.

Now it is my husband whom I can’t go off and leave easily as I once did, which is frustrating, as I am well able to continue traveling and have places I would like to visit, but there you are!

FLEUR HAMPTON

Estes Park, CO