When I got home from work, I hurried to be ready for the big date. It was when I eagerly jumped out of the shower, toweled off and began dressing that Joanna explained to me that she had a headache, her stomach was upset, and that all around she was basically falling apart.  Images of a rag doll tearing at the seams came to mind. After some intensive prodding on my part, it was clear that she wasn’t going to be willed anywhere that night and she really did not feel good. This was both understandable and excusable, as she is pregnant with our second child, a baby girl.

We decided to instead put our son to bed early and use our Netflix instant queue to stay in and watch a movie. We selected Seven Years In Tibet, starring Brad Pitt as Heinrich Harrer. Heinrich is an Austrian Alpinist who ventures to Northern British-occupied India to climb the Himalayas. He is a national hero, an Olympian and a loner forced to work cooperatively with other “lesser” alpinists on his Nazi German team. Along the way he befriends, of all people, the Dalai Lama, and this relationship holds special meaning for both throughout their lives. It’s a story about nationalism, war, friendship and purpose. But as I viewed the film, I noticed that it was also a tale of travel and true discovery. Heinrich essentially abandoned his nation, his friends and family because of his love for the mountains, solitude and exploration of the Himalayas. The story is based in truth and the cinematography is breathtaking. It is truly a tale that as its focal point depicts a man who holds travel and the thrill of adventuring at his core and puts these elements above other important human elements in his life.

As I mentioned before, my wife is pregnant with our second child and I currently do not have the opportunity to travel and come and go as I please. Through the experience of fatherhood, I have learned to turn to film and to books to fulfill my need to keep moving. It is through film and technology that over the next few years I intend to satisfy my urge to Jaunt.