There is much to think about when you travel. I’m headed to Boston in the next couple of weeks, and I’ve thought a lot about my itinerary. I’m one of those people who plan, organize, and then plan again. It becomes a balancing act when trying to measure which things to do or places to see to constitute which weighs the most. I’ve thought about going to Concord while I’m there and daydreaming about my childhood obsession with “Little Women.” I’ve thought about knocking on Paul Revere’s door to see who answers and even contemplated buying a studio there to put a desk next to a window facing the Back Bay area.

Boston is surely a place where I can picture myself writing, but truthfully, what I’ve really thought about for this trip is, well,….the food and how I plan to eat three meals and three snacks a day. Asparagus frittata, fresh baked eclairs, lattes in Cambridge, hearty chowder, and lobsters rolls. It’s true, I thought about the food way before I thought about the writing I could do in Boston.

I’ve made restaurant lists, closely examined online menus and read Trip Advisor reviews. I’ve even “walked” the streets in front of restaurants to try and get a feel of what its atmosphere will be like. I admit my favorite perk of traveling is trying new food, wine, and speciality brews. I realize, though, this doesn’t mean that eating (well, maybe not during a delectable meal) doesn’t stir up some writing in me.

I’ve found some of my best ideas for new poems come from taste and smell and how they correlate to my memory. Find time in your own writing time to jot down some of your own childhood or favorite travel memories of food and see where it takes you next. (Warning: It could just make you want to bake a batch of cookies..)

Two good reads I recommend: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle and The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher