When I was born, I lived one street across from my dad's parents. You could literally hop a fence and be over at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. So, right from the beginning, I wasn't exactly sprouting wings.
When I was 2, my family made an "Oregon Trail" type of journey. (You only get this reference if you used computer in the 80s and frankly I feel sorry if anyone missed out on this game. Danny has yellow fever?! Again?! Up, Danny died now. Crap.)
This trek of epic proportions still kept us in the same town I was born in, but this time we were one suburb over. No one got yellow fever. Because, basically, it's less than a ten minute drive. It was arduous. And this time, instead of being 1 street away from grandparents, we were 6 streets over from my other set of grandparents.
In my 2 short years on Earth, the lesson I learned was: you can run, but you can't hide.
And that was true until I was 13. My Dad saved and saved and squirreled money and even robbed a bank (he didn't rob a bank), all so we could have the trip of a lifetime. We took a cruise to the Bahamas and then went to Disney World. It was amazing.
Who knew ocean water could be clear? We were from Massachusetts. The only ocean I had ever seen was at Cape Cod. And that stuff was cold and dark and I truly think seaweed monsters live in the tide and will eat you if given the chance. Seriously, so much seaweed. This water I could see my feet in. Let's swim forever!
The food! I can have HOW MUCH ice cream?
Above anything, I just remember feeling far away. We wrote postcards and really felt out of the country. At least I did. We were told about Bahamian culture and took a tour of the island and learned something. It just felt like my motley family and I were explorers. It was invigorating.
Later, when we did go to Disney, I was floored by Epcot. I understand to the non-American that the idea of Epcot with its bastardized versions of countries could seem trite. I challenge you on this, though. Where else can you get exposure for the first time to countries as diverse as Morocco when you are 13 and living in Springfield, Massachusetts. This was 1992, folks. This guy hadn't even tried sushi yet! That wouldn't come until the year 2000. Y2K indeed!
Where I grew up is perfectly lovely, but I wouldn't say it's the epicenter of culture and world wide diversity. It's not a London, a New York, or another major city where so many walks of life cross. It just isn't. And to be honest - there are only a handful of places in the world where you can get that true exposure to vast diversity. So, Springfield was no Epcot.
I treasured for years and years my silk fan with my name written in Chinese - from Epcot China. Though, I do remember being kinda tired by the time we got to China. It was literally around the world at Epcot - quite possibly the last country or second to last we saw that day. My feet and lack of passport was tired, but it sparked something within me. I knew right then and there that I would grow up and travel.
I kept a journal when I was in high school. (What's a journal you ask? Well, it's like an iPad, but you use a pen and paper and there's no internet yet. What's a pen you ask? Sigh.)
In my journal, I wrote a wish list for things I wanted to do when I grew up. I'm not yet grown up, so I still have time, but astonishingly - I did some of the things on that list. Of the list of 16 things, only one was travel related - but it was number one on the list.
"Go on a gondola in Italy."
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| Does this gondola make my butt look too big? |
And it was awesome.
I think we could buy a bottle of wine and drink it on the gondola. The gondoliers supplied the plastic cups. In this picture, it looks like I am double fisting. I am not. I am holding the cup so my friend Erin could take a picture of me. I did imbibe pretty nicely that last day in Venice, though.
It was magical, but in a sense, it was just so-so. I had blown it up in my head that riding a gondola would be this "Oregon Trail" style journey, but like all things, it was just something to do.
The earth did not stop. Mine did for a moment, but then it started spinning right back up again. Like all things do.
So, it only emboldened me to see more. Do more. And I have.
A year later, I visited Vancouver and Whistler, right after the Winter Olympics. And took a train down to Seattle because why not? When will I ever go to Seattle and I'm close by, right?
I started seeing more of our beautiful country after Seattle because we should see the 50 states we live in - even the ones that don't vote for gay rights. (Though, not to single anyone out here, but I'm not too fond of you, Arkansas.)
I explored Las Vegas, and the Hoover Dam. I'm a nerd. I like educational things - even on my vapid vacations. Pool time, drinks, and a museum? Check, check, check.
I went to Miami and drove - by myself - to Key West. Beautiful. Again - did 2 museums in Key West alone. Hello, President Truman and Mister Hemingway!
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| Glamour shot on the California coast line, near Malibu. Maybe. |
I took a Thelma and Louise style road trip with my good friend, Stephanie (the talent behind the amazing web site: http://stupideasypaleo.com/). She bravely drove us up and down Southern California: San Diego, Palm Springs, Temecula, Santa Barbara (we call her "St. Babs) and then Los Angeles.
And I saw the tar pits! (yes, you read that right. Not one star - but lots of tar for this guy in L.A.)
Back to being international, I've been to Bermuda this year. Since I've already seen the Bahamas, I'm probably just one more island away from my Beach Boys Island Club Membership.
It comes with a tee shirt!
(No, it doesn't.)
I have seen Seoul and Hong Kong twice this year for work. And while you're working away, you can still get a sense of the people and the culture, and it's really breathtaking in its own way. Just going to Asia, though, you feel like it isn't much different from home. Most cities just aren't. They still have subways. They have taxis. They have all the chain retail shops you know or have heard of. Restaurants are all basically the same.
So, it's with this hindsight of traveling, that I can say this: when you go to all these places and see what is exciting and different, it is also just so normal, too. The things you see are just there. They happen. Landmarks like the Space Needle or the Hollywood Walk of Fame are fantastic to see and experience, but then it becomes your past and it's a memory just like all your other memories. To travel is just as special as someone's amazing birthday party. In your heart, it's really no different.
It is also true you become a more enlightened person when you travel, but I am still that boy with a journal. I still have a list of things to do. It never goes away just because you saw this place or that.
Having said all that, I have an upcoming trip - a 12 day journey. This one really is like an Oregon Trail. Stephanie and I will be doing another Thelma and Louise style road trip, though, we will narrowly avoid any cliffs or canyons (I hope). I am making a one day stop over in Amsterdam (due to a long layover) and will enjoy a canal cruise and the Van Gogh Museum and lots of coffee - but probably from a Starbucks and not from any of the famous coffee shops.
From Amsterdam, I will fly and meet Stephanie in Glasglow, Scotland. After that, it is just days filled with seeing Scotland, London, Paris, and Versailles. I will have done 4 countries in 12 days. It blows my mind when I think of the scope of all I will see and too. I am beyond excited.
I have joy because I have come a long way since that baby across the street from Grandpa. I have seen literally the world in a sense, but yet, only a small part of it.
I encourage you to travel, even if it's just to a part of your state you've never seen. Or maybe even just Epcot. Who knows what it might spark?
Great blog Keep updating I’ll visit soon…
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