For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated with the idea of going and seeing. Driving, riding, walking, exploring... and experiencing the world from a previously unknown perspective. Putting myself in uncomfortable situations, being out of my element, meeting new, different people and being surprised and enlightened by what I didn't know. There's something hopeful and perfectly exhilarating about it.
My parents started it. Oddly enough, today they are slightly mystified by my insatiable travel bug, yet as a kid, my mother said to me over and over again, "You can do anything if you put your heart in it. If you work hard and believe in yourself, you can go anywhere - you can see and do anything." I don't think she realized how intently I was listening - how definitively I counted on executing her plan.
My first true taste of travel was at the age of 13, when my parents had finally gained financial ground and has some spare money for a family vacation. Having a deep interest in the Civil War and history, my Dad convinced us all that Gettysburg, Pennsylvania would be a worthy, affordable trip. I was so ecstatic to be leaving... to be crossing a state line and venturing onto unseen soils that I didn't care where we went. Gettysburg became a yearly retreat for our family, and while I grew bored with visiting the same monuments and eating at the same restaurants each year, the pure excitement of leaving home never lost its thrill.
I daydreamed and pined for the day that I would get to leave the country. My dreams came true in more ways than one when I met and fell in love with John, now my husband. John's mom, Noreen Yost, is not only the most wonderful mother-in-law a girl could possibly ask for, but she's also a part-time travel agent.
It started in 2002. After a year together, my Christmas gift from Johnny was an airline ticket to Amsterdam, Holland. Yes, my first trip to a foreign country was to one of the most eye-opening, mind-bending cities in the world. Let's just say 'culture shock' doesn't quite do justice to my first glimpse of Europe. We were traveling with John's friend, Ben, who was the epitome of a pothead. I was a good girl with a romanticized idea of European travel, stuck in the Red Light District at one of the seediest hostels in town. It was one of the most invigorating experiences of my life, and I remember every detail with photographic clarity. The week challenged and strengthened our relationship, and did the same to my soul. We stayed in hostels, bought meals at the grocery and farmer's markets, saw the Van Gogh and History museums, visited the Anne Frank house, the zoo, and the botanical gardens, took a train to an unknown town and saw cheese and chocolate factories, and experienced first-hand the drug culture and it's affect on the citizens and tourists. I left Amsterdam with a mounting craving ...
Ben, John and Me. Near the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (March 2002)My next opportunity abroad came the following year. We splurged with our credit cards (which we're still paying) and purchased a one-week trip to Ireland. It was a deal we couldn't refuse: $600 per person bought round-trip airfare, a rental car with unlimited miles, breakfast each day, Bed & Breakfast vouchers for four nights, and two nights in a castle! I found Ireland a beautiful and enchanting country, from the gorgeous landscapes to its open, kind-hearted citizens. We felt at home there, driving from Dublin south to Cork, visiting abandoned castles and pubs along the way. We followed the Ring of Kerry, staying at a B&B on Valencia Island where the locals did Irish dancing in the pub at dusk. We drove through Limerick, through Galway to the Cliffs of Moher, then finished our stay at the castle in the center of the green countryside.
Killarney, Ireland (February, 2003)After that trip, I'd made up my mind. I would do anything to continue traveling.
The following November we decided to explore our own neck of the woods. We packed up my Geo Prizm and spent nine days cross-country, visiting the Rockies, Arches and Zion in Utah, the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest in Arizona, and White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico.
And three months later, I moved to London, England for four months, which is a whole story in and of itself. Before flying home, I blew every pound I'd earned on a two week bus tour of Europe, visiting Paris, Nice and Cannes, Monaco, Florence, Rome, Venice, Western Austria, Munich, and once again, Amsterdam.
London broke me, financially. I was never able to truly afford my trips, and after living abroad, my school loans finally kicked in and traveling seemed outrageous.
But if something is a priority, it's never impossible. Opportunities to continue traveling have continued to find me, one way or another. John's parents sent us to Greece for our honeymoon. And thanks to Noreen, we've been able to work as tour escorts on two trips to Italy - one at a Tuscan Villa, the other near Naples and the Almalfi Coast.
Our Honeymoon in Greece: The Parthenon in Athens, October 2005.This year, we spent any spare penny we had on a two-week cross country trip to California and the North West. I didn't expect to go abroad again for awhile, with money tight and airfare prices skyrocketing. But low and behold, we are fortunate to venture out again... this time, to Iceland!
As an early Christmas gift, John's parents have bought us a three day package to Reykjavik for Thanksgiving! We are beyond psyched, and incredibly grateful to have such generous parents in our lives. I'll be sure to write all about it when we come back... another moment of exploration and growth.
As far as I'm concerned, there is no better expenditure than a vacation. We may have hand-me-down, mismatched furniture, minimal belongings, and used cars, but we have memories and experiences that will last forever.
