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Patricia Helms has seen her share of wonders— from the ancient mud and straw sections of the Great Wall of China to the engineering marvel of Hagia Sophia’s floating dome. However, she says the greatest wonder she has ever experienced isn’t the Potala Palace or Angkor Wat, it’s what happens when she steps inside a hair salon. For Patricia, the lasting souvenirs of her travels are the punk-rock hairstyle she got in Ireland, the glamorous Moroccan bouffant that made her “feel like Mrs. Astor” and the gas burner a hairdresser used to heat the curling iron for her style in Egypt.
While her traveling companions may go off in search of a local market or jewelry store, Patricia always makes sure to ask her Travel Director “will there be enough time to get my hair done?”“I like to interact with women on a personal basis,” she says. “In a hair salon, you spend an awful lot of time talking girl talk.”This frosted blond admits that a third-world hair-do may not be for everyone.“You can’t have any ego about it,” she says.
“It’s more about the experience than what you look like when it’s over. After all, hair always grows back.”While Patricia does occasionally visit the hotel salon, she prefers local shops. She says that’s “where you discover the true wonder of a place—that’s where you discover its people.”“It’s a chance for me to find out about women’s lives, as they discover something about mine,” she said.
“Women are always curious that I’m a single professional. They want to know why I’m not married, how can I own a home and if I’m alright with not having children.”Her time in the salon chair or under the dryer has shown Patricia that women around the world are just as curious about her as she is about them, and that the things they have in common are stronger than their differences.The next stop Patricia always makes is to a local grocery store. Not to sample area wines or chocolates—but to buy cat food.
“I have three cats at home, and I always make sure to bring them home a few cans from wherever I visit,” she says. “While my cats didn’t enjoy German cat food, they gobbled up the stuff from Ireland.”
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One of the things Patricia enjoys about her search for these kitty souvenirs is the opportunity it gives her to roam around foreign groceries.“I like to see what they’re selling, how many American brands they offer and whether things are fresh or packaged,” she said.
Not only does she bring home treats for her own feline family, Patricia also makes sure to carry a few bags of dry food for stray cats she encounters in her travels.“In most countries, people take care of their dogs. Dogs work for them or serve as pets,” she says. “However, cats are neglected. That’s why I always carry food in my handbag.”This unique tradition has created a stir among some local adults but has also paved the way for children to approach Patricia. “I’m known as the cat lady. Some people think I’m out of my mind,” she says. “I’ve just never lived without a cat.”
As a retired professor of textiles from the University of Rhode Island, Patricia’s travels also take her beyond the trinket shops in search of authentic décor.“I always make sure my journey includes a trip to a local paint or hardware store,” she says. “I like to see what colors are popular, what wallpapers people are using and how locals decorate their homes.
”A recent trip to Switzerland revealed a charming home painted yellow with green shutters. This happy contrast from the dark brown chalets spoke to Patricia. Upon her return, she had her own home painted the exact same color scheme.“It just popped out at me,” she said. “Now I have a little piece of Switzerland right here in
Rhode Island.”
In fact, Patricia has a little piece of every place she has ever visited in her “travel room.” From brass Buddha hand doorknobs to an antique Swiss cow bell, from a Turkish shoe to a Moroccan tagine pot, there are reminders of her travels everywhere you look.These mementos remind Patricia of her travels and of how lucky she is to have visited such places.
“It is a humbling, eye-opening, almost religious experience to touch such marvels,” she says. “How can you not be moved when you put your hand on the Great Wall of China or when the cliffs finally open up and reveal Petra for the first time? I never thought I’d see such things. I am so grateful. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”Her love for the world makes it difficult for her to name a single favorite Wonder of the World. For this world traveler, it seems wonder abounds everywhere — especially in the salon chair. |
