By Donna Sachet–
Writing a regularly published column is no easy feat, as we are sure the majority of esteemed columnists of this paper will tell you; but the San Francisco Bay Times has consistently been so supportive of our presence in this paper and of our many endeavors in the community, that writing “Donna’s Chronicles”has been an absolute pleasure. We respect their deadlines, just as they respect our many obligations. We write an ostensibly social column, but Betty Sullivan & Jennifer Viegas, Co-Publishers of the Bay Times, have been very flexible, allowing us great liberty to cover political topics, newsworthy events, and especially personal stories that resonate in our community. For that and for all the powerful moral support they have given us over the years, we are extremely grateful.
This column’s deadline looms around the horizon as we enjoy an unusual two-week vacation with friends in Croatia. CoCo Butter, a name familiar to many in our community, planned to celebrate his upcoming birthday in this storied land and invited a small group of good friends to join him. The formal name for such an event is evidently “destination birthday party.” Whatever the nomenclature, we saw this as an opportunity to spend time with good friends in an exotic locale, perfectly timed to coincide with the successful conclusion of four weeks of Sunday’s a Drag at Club Fugazi, so successful, in fact, that we are now in conversation about a Spring 2024 renewal.
Western Europe has always been a favorite destination of ours, since we have long admired and studied that part of the world. But Eastern Europe is something of a mystery and Croatia combines those two distinct cultures. Nestled along the Dalmatian Coast, Croatia boasts seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has recently been included in many lists of must-see locations. What better time to expend our horizons and embrace the Croatian culture?
Along for the journey would be several people close to CoCo, but relatively unfamiliar to us, including Lori Bivens Ramirez, Michell Egan, Brian Gipson & Shigeo Nakatani, and Billy Vanderland & Niko Preovolos, but others with whom we have forged a meaningful relationship, including Kevin Lisle & Dustin Lee, Khmera Rouge, and Evan Wright & John Hershey. As the successful run at Club Fugazi ended, we quickly packed our bags for a European adventure!
Flying with Lufthansa Airlines for the very first time, we flew from San Francisco to Frankfurt and on to Split, Croatia. We have never been one to travel to or within a country without doing due diligence, familiarizing ourselves with the culture, history, and geography, and sometimes the language involved. Please note, we did not learn a new language in a few months, as did Cabinet Member Pete Buttigieg, but we merely memorized a few key phrases to ingratiate ourselves with the locals. This remains, nevertheless, a social column, so we will not bore our readers with copious details of our trip. Included were sojourns to the Island of Hvar, the city of Dubrovnik, and a quick stop in Paris, France. More importantly, we want our readers to reflect on the value of travel in general.
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page,” said Saint Augustine, an unlikely source for a quote for this column, but a snippet of wisdom, nevertheless. Travel opens our eyes to the rich diversity of the world around us, the fact that even the most mundane activities may be done differently in different cultures. Indeed, not everyone pays for transactions in dollars, not every driver drives on the right side of the street, and not every individual actively participates in the government of their nation. And even if travel is limited to the United States, one will witness a broad spectrum of regional differences, presenting valid alternatives to the way we do the most basic things. We often reflect on how much the world would benefit from sharing ideas and exposing everyone to the world around them, introducing new ideas, questioning old concepts, and presenting behaviors and traditions, both unfamiliar and intriguing.
The more one travels, the more one recognizes the commonalities of the human race, the many things we all share in common, thus opening up doors to joint efforts for a common cause. It is so easy to get bogged down in the negative news of every day, but travel puts things into a new perspective. Families want to protect their members from injustice, friends want to spend more time with each other, and there is a basic goodness in humanity that produces sometimes surprising acts of incredible kindness and resounding compassion.
A side benefit of travel with friends is the deepening of friendships. This trip was no exception. Sharing stories over regional cuisine, opening up in new ways to enrich relationships, and discovering new things about ourselves are all common occurrences during travel, away from day-to-day concerns and daily challenges. We encourage you to take every opportunity to travel and to join others on this adventure. If not now, when?
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
Donna’s Chronicles
Published on September 7, 2023
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