Since my lack of funds has kept me from traveling to places that excite my interest, such as Southeast Asia, I must resort to what is called “armchair travel.” While I was growing up in Cleveland, I had this incredible desire to travel. Unfortunately, our travel destinations were Detroit, Passaic NJ, Schoenbrunn Village OH, and (once) Lake Worth FL. It was not until 1975 when I broke free and went to Yucatán to visit Maya ruins.

On Friday, I got together with several friends for lunch at a local Indonesian restaurant, Simpang Asia, in the Palms neighborhood, where I had a delicious Nasi Goreng.

Each Thursday, when I visit the Central Library downtown, I wait for the return of the Lonely Planet guide to Indonesia so that I can check it out for a few weeks. I remember reading Joseph Conrad’s Almayers Folly and The Outcast of the Islands several times.

So I find myself endlessly preparing for journeys which I may never take. But then, it makes life more interesting by adding to my store of knowledge.