Saturday, June 4, 2011

When did the travel bug bite?

Sandy's Story:  I can't tell you exactly when it happened but I do know this - the bug bit, and it bit hard.  As a child growing up we traveled some but I always heard my parents talk of the travels they would take upon retirement - those trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean, etc.  Retirement never came for my mother, she passed away at the young age of 44, having never realized her dream of that Hawaiian vacation.  Life is short and there are no guarantees, I learned this from my mother.  And it is in her memory and as a tribute to her, that I travel today.  I travel to expand who I am and to experience as much of God's creation as possible.  And I think of my mother on each adventure - dedicating my travels to her memory.  Fortunately, my husband is just as much of a travel hound as I am and we have friends and family that we often travel with.  We seek fun and different adventures as we plan each itinerary and every trip is different from the last.  And my husband is an excellent photographer, capturing our experiences in fun pictures perfect for reminiscing later.  I've learned alot along the way and I'll share my knowledge with you in travel tips and ideas.  Before long, you'll have been bitten by the travel bug and you, too, will be experiencing extraordinary travels!

Tom's Take:  Other then occasional trips to Illinois to visit relatives, my family didn't travel much when I was a child.  My first experience with travel was at the end of my college years, when I was recruited and flown to San Jose, CA for job interviews.  This was my first plane ride and Santa Cruz was my first experience with the ocean.  I was so excited to see the Pacific and I made a mad dash for the waves, planning to body surf my way back to the beautiful beach.  I ended up being tossed around like a rag doll and thrown onto the beach - no graceful movements here! As I lay on the beach breathless, a typical "beach dude" approached me with a grin.  Looking down at my sand filled face he chuckled and said "This is your first time at the ocean, isn't it?"  I had to laugh.  But there was no doubt that I was bitten that day and the bug bit hard.

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