We glean from studying the travel journals a man who sloughed off his national and cultural trappings with aplomb. He was open minded and interested, willing to go out of his way, sometimes to the dismay of others in his party, to investigate something that struck him as interesting. His ancient hero, Socrates, considered himself a citizen of the world, not just a citizen of Athens. My sense in reading the travel journals is of Montaigne, assuming a Socratic attitude to travel: remaining open, without judgement or prejudice; to pay attention and to ask questions; and most of all to be a good citizen of the world.
Last year while visiting an island in Greece I struck up a conversation with a taxi driver. He ended up taking me up into the mountains to show me his village. It was a pleasant afternoon and remains a highlight of the trip. Many of my travels have been punctuated with such spontaneously prompted events. These little surprises and pleasantries bring color and spice to the traveler’s experience. But they require a certain degree of trust and courage. Going off the beaten path and doing an end- run on an agenda can be unsettling. Once, several years ago, while traveling solo in Bangkok a driver pulled over and told me to get into his car. He was nicely dressed and his car was a current Mercedes Benz. I bent into his passenger window, “You should not be in this part of town,” he said. “Let me take you someplace else.” I trusted him and got into his automobile. We had a nice chat and he took good care of me. Obviously, things might have gone in a different direction. Like the Greek taxi driver, this little event holds strong in my memory as an example of the type of travel I like to practice. Now, after reading the travel journals of Montaigne, I better understand the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler. Montaigne was a traveler of the highest order. I have on occasion, broken out of the pack and moved as a traveler. The underscoring lesson here for me is that life requires of us the traveler’s attitude; the tourist of life, which unarguably is the easier route, presents the least interesting horizon. You can bet that the next time I land someplace new I will be thinking of my French friend and asking myself, what would Montaigne do now?
Friends, It’s been half a year since I started this little project. My deep dive into Montaigne has, and continues to reward me deeply. He is a thinker I can relate to. Indeed, he has endured because he is so very relatable. But I need a breather. Other projects are demanding my attention. So I am setting this project aside for the time being. My hope is that next summer, like last summer, when I am tucked up in the woods with little distraction, to pick up where I’m leaving off.
Until then, stay safe, be kind, and do good work. Thank you for reading.
...the house I live in... 
I welcome your comments. Thanks for reading.