2. Senses: a practice
What do the sounds, smells, textures, tastes and sights remind me of? What is the weight and temperature? What is the movement or song that begs to be noticed? Even silence is a sense that begs to be ‘felt’. Patterns or chaos? What is the familiar as a way to describe the unfamiliar? If I can see the people, and animals … and describe them, it provides evidence of a sense of place. To ‘drift’ is a description of place, at least, if not always temporarily. 
 Fill the pages with authentic overheard “shoplifted” dialogue – their story is now my story. What is the wisdom, insight, humour? What matters to them, now matters to me – the author of their story told through my senses. It matters not if the stories are the same, or truthful, only that I witnessed and share the story as it comes to my life. 🙂
I hear a distant neee nar neee nar of an emergency vehicle off to his next call, unsure of what is in store for him or her. 
The bell indicating the Captain or cruise director is speaking to all guests – muffled and can only be heard in the hallways and common areas of the ship – our staterooms are sacred and private. Announcing, no doubt, that all passengers are on board and we are preparing to set sail as scheduled. Well done!
I can hear work men outside my balcony, down several flights to the ground. They are working hard and removing the barriers, metal guidelines and temporary walls constructed earlier today for our ship passengers to walk to the pier and back again to the ship. I hear the large metal pieces rubbing together. I can hear orders being called one to the other as the men work together as a team to release the huge rope tethers that keep us tight up to the pier.  
I can isolate the distant rumble of vehicle tires on the streets. I can hear the sail boat and larger yacht motors used for maneuvering the crafts through the marina waters. Large trucks, the cabs for semi trucks, shifting gears. Some birds squawking to be heard above the other non-natural sounds. Our ship has started to move now … the vibration of our engine rising above some others. Not too far away the back up warning, beep beep beep, of a large vehicle announcing its intentions to be driving with limited visibility.
I can now feel the rumble – my stateroom located at the aft of the ship, on the port side today – I look out and see the sun sparkling off vehicle glass and mirrors giving a glow of sunset approaching in a very few hours.
** try writing as if witnessed by any object, other than me. I scribe.
“BEAUTIFUL! Wish you were here” … write as if sharing what I experience with someone not present with me.
How about a drawing? illustration? rubbing of an object? quick map? coin or shell ….
“What do these people talk about? What do they think about? Where are they going? What’s their average day? What do they pray for? What do they dream about? What are they afraid of? What’s important to them? Are they happy? What do they know that I don’t?” Excerpt from book, Writing Away, by Lavinia Spaulding
Train self to notice details. One way is to select one subject that arises from the travel experience and then make a list, or delve into a story including the concept. For example, Palma de Majorca, PEARLS!
-my curiosity about ‘person made’ science that creates art

-large Majorca pearls more affordable than same size natural pearls

-I love the shapes of pearls and subtle colour shades

-Pearls are classy accessories, glamorous, uncomplicated

-pearls are warm to the skin when worn around the neck or wrist

-Majorca is famous for creating this magic process for creating pearls

-I search for objects specific to a sense of place, pearls from Majorca