Traveling Poem by Randy McClave

Whenever I leave for vacation
I do not head to the beaches for recreation,
And when I go to the destination I never do drive
Traffic jams and long hours behind the wheel I could not survive.
I do not vacation to where everyone else goes
Where everyone takes the same pics with the very same pose,
And they dine at the same restaurants as they do from home
So, why do they ever roam.
I love vacationing in New Orleans of course
I love their food and their history in every source,
Bourbon street, French quarters and their graveyards I love to explore
Their is history and wonder behind every door.
I also love vacationing in Scotland
The very ancestry of our country's culture and my clan,
As I walk the highlands where I and my soul belong
I enjoy their heritage and nature in both books and song.
In a few weeks I am heading back to Japan
Not arriving there by bus or car or seeking a tan,
I'm heading there for the food the culture and their history
I enjoy the people, their dress and the mystery.
I am not looking to lie and tan on a beach
As I go to where another culture and cuisine I can reach
And when I fly over the pond
I don't look for a Target, Walmart or Bed Bath & beyond.
When I arrive at my destination
I then become part of that culture of that nation,
So, I do not dine on pizza, hamburgers, steak and whatever is common
I instead will be dining on sushi, tempura, yakitori and ramen.

Randy L. McClave