Traveling Solo

  Nobody travels alone in this world.  Although there are times when we may pack a single bag, get on an airplane by ourselves and not know another soul when we arrive at our destination, we have not traveled alone.  Dinner may be at a table for one, only one room key may be required at our accommodations, and admission to an intriguing attraction may be a single, yet we are still not alone in our experiences.

   While traveling and writing about travel have become much of my life, for all of us, traveling is a poetic and befitting metaphor for life.  And just like the journey through life that is influenced so greatly by our families, our teachers, our friends and co-workers, my writing and my travels are also enriched by others.

    Today, my thoughts are of Shifra Stein, a friend and pioneer in travel journalism,

Shifra Stein (1940-2008)

whose journey in this world ended on Thursday, May 29.  Shifra was an entrepreneur, a creative spirit whose mind never rested, and an inquisitive soul who found intrigue and entertainment in any number of options the world presented to her.

    You can’t have lived in Kansas City for very long without having known the name Shifra Stein.  She was the Queen of Day Trips and an artist of many mediums.  So when I was seeking advice and sponsorship for membership in the Midwest Travel Writers Association, and later in the Society of American Travel Writers, I called and introduced myself.

   From that first lunch we had at the River Market Brewing Company more than ten years ago, Shifra and I became friends, business associates, and travel partners.  Two of the books that now carry my byline and generate income for the Meyer household were first written by Shifra Stein. Many of my goals and dreams have been brought into focus through conversations with her and the roads she traveled in this life.

   Now Shifra is traveling on a different plane, but I don’t believe she is traveling alone.  A good part of those who knew and loved her is tucked away in her carry-on and in her checked luggage.  And the road left for us to travel without her is undeniably more bland, void of the scenic overlooks and roadside attractions that was Shifra’s presence in our lives.

   Her journey in this world has altered my journey, and even though there may not be as much laughter along the way now that she is gone, each time I pack a bag, board a plane or place my fingers on a keyboard, Shifra Stein will continue to be here, sharing the journey with me.

    God rest her soul.