From the Editor: A Road to Cope

Photo by wmsphoto/Bigstock

We’ve got a variety of fall getaway angles for you in this issue, from near to far, for younger and older, with other people in the rainbow community or not, featuring adventure and relaxation. I have made it a goal to travel as much as I can, which has been achieved with various degrees of success on an annual basis, as opportunities, vacation time, and budget allow. I’ve got wanderlust on a regular day, but this has been a challenging year which has made me both want to hide in bed as well as throw my stuff in a sack and hop a train, dog in tow.

But, I’m not running away quite yet. I’m sure I’ll take smaller trips this fall to river towns as I usually do: Pepin for Harbor View Cafe, Stockholm for Stockholm Pie Company and A-Z Produce (aka The Pizza Farm), Stillwater for antiques and cupcakes at Mara-Mi, and Winona for the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Just as a quick little trip, I’ll even run to Wayzata to Bellecour for a piece of crepe cake (okay, two pieces, since it’s silly to make the trip without bringing any home to nosh on later), which I’m exaggerating as a “road trip” only because people in Minneapolis and St. Paul tend to make the suburbs seem light years away. Small trips keep me going as maintenance for my well-being; it just makes me happy to have destinations.

Next week, I’ll also be taking a long weekend on Minnesota’s North Shore with friends I’ve known since we were in the three- and four-year-old class in Sunday School. It’s a trip to celebrate all of us turning 40 this year. We will be driving from separate places and meeting near Tofte at our villa on Lake Superior. We’ve all been to the North Shore somewhat recently, so it’ll probably be a journey that will focus more on us reconnecting with each other and relaxing together, sharing meals, laughing, and taking strolls down Memory Lane. This trip calls for s’mores and coffees and drinks and donuts…not to mention a meal at Sydney’s in Grand Marais as well as one at New Scenic Cafe in Two Harbors. I can’t wait.

Then, in November, with a handful of friends I’ve had since college who also turned 40 this year, I will fly down to Mexico City for a long weekend, thanks to some dirt-cheap fares we found via Thrifty Traveler. Between that and sharing the cost of the Airbnb, we’re going to be able to spend most of our money eating our way around the bustling metropolitan area, and the exchange rate is definitely in our favor. We could do ourselves some damage. Apart from eating, I’ve got very few goals other than to tour Frida Kahlo’s home and take photos of as many street murals as possible, as well as enjoy the hell out of the lovely people who I’ve chosen as family.

This year, more than any other, I need to have something to look forward to…and I need to get away. Other years, my travel has been exploratory. This year, it’s more therapeutic. Just getting some road beneath me is calming. When I’m with someone else, we can chat about whatever is on our minds or silently do some sightseeing. Or, if I’m alone in my car for a day trip, I’ll listen to an audiobook or a podcast, usually about true crime, that gets me away from the relentless newsfeed online. It’s a matter of coping, which is something that is crucial in a time when current events are mercilessly triggering.

I feel more relaxed even just from writing this out. Things seem more optimistic when I’ve put plans down on paper. When distraction is an actual goal, life takes on a different flavor. A hopeful one.

I hope to see you out there in the world, however you choose to get away.

With you and with thanks,
Andy