Letter from Publisher

Some of my best, most precious and lasting memories are of travel and the journeys. Through careful year-round budgeting, saving and planning, my family took annual driving trips to explore the backroads, small towns, big cities, unique attractions and open areas of much of the U.S. and Canada, guided mostly by an eventual destination, paper maps that I was in charge of reading and a big road atlas.

A rented mini motor home (and later, a vintage ‘51 Olds my dad still has) often covered the miles, and evenings were typically spent at state/national parks, “mom and pop” campgrounds and later, small-town motels found in the paper-based AAA Travel Guide as we drove along. As an adult, my travel has typically been in similar style (sans motorhome, but with a sense of adventure), often heading for the forests and mountains, an inland lake or the ocean, and the occasional historical attraction.

This month in Natural Awakenings Chicago, we explore travel that helps transform our lives. We’ve filled this issue with options for adventure, plus wisdom and inspiration to lift your spirits and broaden your horizons. In our feature article, “Traveling with Purpose, Nine Destinations for Spiritual Enlightenment,” we travel from peaceful Sedona to breathtaking landscapes in Japan, discovering some of the world’s hidden locations that will leave you feeling centered and refreshed. If you’re considering a journey abroad for medical treatments, “Medical Tourism: Navigating the Risks and Rewards” sheds light on this growing trend. In either case, you’ll likely want to refresh during and after the journey, and we review some simple ways of “Yoga on Vacation: Simple Poses and Tips for Travelers.” And, we celebrate the quest of the unexpected as we, “Embrace the Winding Road.”

As fall approaches in the Midwest, writer Sheryl DeVore explores some of the fascinating September-blooming flowers of our native prairies, while horticulturist Melinda Myers reviews a few flowering plant choices for our gardens. Of course, ‘tis the season for apples and squash, and we have some tasty recipes from Tiffany Hinton and Veronica Hinke to try with fresh, local and organic produce from your journey to a nearby farmers market, CSA, co-op, farmstand or grocery store.

As we travel through these inspiring articles, please keep in mind that your knowledge is powerful, and curiosity at any age fuels your passion—when shared with others, it can inspire them, as well. I remain beyond grateful to my parents for the experiences and knowledge that long road trips and short Sunday outings exposed me to, and their own interest and commitment to exploring the back roads and open spaces, both nearby and a winding road trip away.

As always, I ask you to please try to live your journey daily by stepping outside and experiencing the closing days of summer as the autumn equinox approaches. Enjoy lingering, warm evenings while watching the Harvest Moon, catch the changing light on a lake or river, observe the migration patterns of our summer bird visitors as they pass overhead to their winter homes and savor the season in your own way.

 

Here’s to your September journey!