Background
I will provide details on how I have come to this juncture in my life. I will begin with a quote from my 1992 graduation yearbook- I wrote this under “Life Ambition”:
“To see the world that I’ve only begun to read about in
History books or hear about from other people”
I would definitely say this quote accurately depicts my sentiments fifteen years later.
Several months prior to writing this quote in 1992, I applied for my first passport. The main reason was so I could go to France with my Culinary Class. The Culinary School ran a full service restaurant and with the profits made during the year the students had an opportunity to go on a two week tour of Provence, France. Unfortunately, I did not go to France in 1992, but I did make it years later.
After graduation from high school I met a girl who had just finished working in Alaska on fishing boats/and in canneries. The girl provided details of the work and the money that could potentially be made. This intrigued and excited me, for many reasons:
1) I could save money by living on a fishing boat for months w/o paying for room and board- As a result; it would enable me to save money to travel.
2) I could see Alaska for free, without paying for airfare, hotels and excursions.
3) I could meet people on the boats/and in canneries from around the world.
With those three reason’s, I packed my bags and headed to Alaska….for four years!
I did indeed see Alaska, the beautiful, long, warm summers and the very dark, short, frigid winters. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything, but let’s just say, I don’t plan on going to Alaska anytime soon. Maybe when I’m 65 and the ship I’m on is 950 feet and called Holland America!
I did eventually travel with the money I made. I first went to Mexico, for three months. I went to Mexico City, Acapulco, Oaxaca, Mazatlan, The State of Chiapas-Palenque, The Yucatán Peninsula, just to name a few. This was my very first experience in another country (other than Canada)-at the age of 20.
I remember being very fascinated and frightened all at the same time. Fascinated by the people, language, culture and food, but frightened by these very differences. I went back to Mexico again at 21 for a couple more months. I went on to visit Europe for three months when I was 23. I visited the ‘usual suspects,’ UK, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, etc. I eventually went back to Europe many more times during my twenties.
My next travel experience was where I first heard the term ‘Round The World’ travel. I decided at age twenty-four to buy a one-way ticket from Seattle to Boston and to travel from the East Coast, to the South and back to the West Coast….basically I would follow the Sun! I met fellow travelers in the hostels I stayed at during this journey. Many of them where from Europe and Australia and most of them were going ‘Round The World’. This concept of buying a ticket for a set price, traveling in one direction, hitting anywhere from three to all seven continents, for a duration of one year, intrigued me. So, at the age of twenty-four, during my travels through the US, the ‘seed’ was planted- the ‘seed’ being the idea of eventually traveling ‘Round The World’.
Which brings me to present day (11 years later), February 2008! So, let the journey begin….finally!
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