In the past I’ve tried to spend the holiday in a warm, balmy place where I could relax, exercise and socialize in an informal atmosphere–where dressing up meant putting a wraparound skirt over a bathing suit. I saw the precious pocket of time between Christmas and New Year’s Day as an opportunity to recharge my batteries and renew my spirit.
However, since I got divorced five years ago, I’ve been rethinking the “personal rest-cure vacation.” I realize that, even in the company of close friends, I don’t enjoy that type of trip as much as I used to. Now I want more mental stimulation, more challenging physical activity, a more exotic locale.
This year, I’m journeying to a place I have always wanted to visit: the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador. Years ago I talked with my husband and daughter about seeing firsthand the place where Charles Darwin developed his theories about evolution and natural selection, but we had neither the money nor the time to travel such a distance.
Finally, I am able to go on this adventure of a lifetime, and I’ve invited a small army to accompany me: two nephews, two nieces and two godchildren. (A mother of two of the children and another adult friend also will be part of the group.)
The 13 main Galapagos Islands (plus countless tiny islets) form an archipelago covering 3,000 square miles on the equator. Each island is home to several species of animals–the animals that so fascinated Darwin when he visited in 1835 on his historic trip aboard the Beagle.
Most of us have heard Darwin’s famous theory that species evolve as a result of natural selection and geographic isolation, but few of us have dreamed of visiting the wonderful place where he made the discoveries leading up to this revolutionary way of thinking.
All my traveling companions are extremely excited about the prospect of seeing the sites and animals that Darwin observed.
Kirk, who is 11, can’t wait to study the island’s blue-footed boobies. His 9-year-old sister, Kristina, seems most intrigued by the water iguana.
Twelve-year-old Monica would like to see sharks and sea lions, while her 8-year-old sister, Lara, is eager to swim with penguins. Sophie, 11, is packing her sketchbooks so that she can keep a pictorial diary of the discoveries she makes as we travel from island to island aboard our 50-foot catamaran.
Christopher, 14, has been reading about the finches, cormorants and other feathered creatures. He fears for the future of the islands and their peculiar inhabitants, once remote and protected but now threatened by foreign fishing interests, encroaching civilization and overexposure.
I have been studying as much as I can about the flora, fauna and geography of the Galapagos and am as curious as the others about all the wonderful and amazing things we’ll find there.
While I’m sure we will all learn a great deal about nature as we hike and snorkel and photograph the islands, I hope the children will discover something equally important: An educational trip like this can be a wonderful way to greet the new year. We’ll celebrate (in a most appropriate place) the beginning of a new year and the evolution of our very selves.
Though we’ll miss the traditional midnight celebrations, we’ll be rewarded with a chance to expand our horizons–and our minds. We’ll be getting a taste of the past and a chance to contemplate the future.
I can’t think of a better way to begin 1996.
Happy New Year!
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Martha Stewart welcomes letters. She cannot reply individually, but you may write to her in care of the Chicago Tribune, Home section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611. Or send e-mail to TribHome@aol.com.
