I was among friends last night, remembering one.  I spent a lot of my evening chatting with a man,  (who happens to be the first boy I ever kissed, in kindergarten no less,) and his beautiful wife and her beautiful sister, as well as a number of other acquaintances from high school and grade school.  This man’s father grew up with my mother on the island that not many of us call home, at least not anymore, but the island that to all of us in many ways, is home.  We have all played on its beaches and swam in its ocean and for many of us, who never strayed much farther than a few miles from it, it remains a place to which we feel connected.

We were all together at a local bar to remember a friend who died unexpectedly last weekend.  This friend who died did live on the island and he also left it, many times, in his adventurous travels.  He shared his journeys with all of his cyber-space friends and for me, a girl who has not traveled much at all, the photos and the descriptions of his explorations were glorious.  He did not go to all-inclusive fancy resorts where workers cater to your every need…nope- he backpacked through icy mountains and hiked wildflower filled hillsides…His photo albums on his Facebook pages are titled: Morocco, Scotland, Ireland, Pompeii, Tuscany, Paris, Prague, Iceland, Switzerland…VERY different from most of the rest of us who have Facebook photo albums labeled “the zoo”  “the boardwalk” “the dance recital” or “the soccer game.”  That he took the time to share his adventuresome spirit, with those of us who have neither the means nor the guts to explore the world or spread our wings, was a gift.

I left the bar early last night, and said goodnight to the man who was the 1st boy I ever kissed, and went home to the boy who I hope is the last one I ever kiss.  On my drive I thought about how many times I go over this bridge and how seldom I’ve  been very far from it, and how it’s doubtful I ever will be very far from it…I realized that as much as I have suffered with wanderlust in my life, the fact of the matter is that if the only place I go is home, where there is love and friendship, sharing food, sharing drinks, sharing laughter…sharing a life…I’ve actually gone quite far, and perhaps that is enough…