Theodore E. Keats, MD

"I should like to go where the golden apples grow." --Robert Louis Stevenson

One of the great rewards of the academic existence is the opportunity to travel. Lectureships, visiting professorships, consultations, participation in national organizations, and meetings all afford occasions to visit new cities, states, and countries. I consider every trip an exciting adventure and an exploration of the world and its people. I love to delve into other cultures and try different languages. The quest is endless. I share the enthusiasm of Robert Louis Stevenson who said, "For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." New places are important and such visits are lifetime landmarks.

I have found that this state of mind is not universal. There are many for whom travel is an anathema to be avoided at all costs. For these people, staying at home in familiar surroundings with family, pets, garden, town, and friends represents the ultimate pleasure. There is still another group who straddle the two extremes. Basically, they do not like to travel, but will endure its unpleasantries to visit friends. These individuals are oriented to people, not places.

The difficulty in all of this is the failure to recognize these innate differences between us and to adjust our expectations accordingly, since we may encounter these differences in our family, friends, or colleagues and misinterpret their feelings about travel as personal rejection. It may require some innovative planning to reconcile these differences and still have an enjoyable trip, particularly since most of us do not enjoy solo travel, and sharing the experience is often a major reward.

As an insatiable traveler, I find it hard to decline an invitation to go anywhere, much to my wife's chagrin. I am still awaiting the call to address the Antarctic Radiologic Association.