I love road trips and have ever since I took my first one with my parents, sister and two brothers, all of us stuffed into a 1955 Dodge with no air conditioning. We traveled from northern California to San Antonio Texas. My father would drive from dusk to just after dawn and sleep during the day. I remember feeling responsible for staying awake to make sure he stayed awake, even though I was on 15 years old.
I was in awe of the vast open spaces of the country side. I loved the changes of the scenic ocean roads, wining mountain ranges, flat land dessert and even the endlessness of the highways. We were going to places I had never heard of before this trip and even though the car was confining, it was worth every
minute of being cramped up with the rest of the family.
I suppose that is where my thirst for adventure stemmed from originally. I’ve traveled throughout Europe, West Africa, Mexico, Canada, Belize and cruised to ten countries. I enjoy the cultural differences as much as the adventure of discovering new locations.
I am always amazed how simple people can live and be happy with their lives. Such as in Africa in the 80’s, many families lived in clay huts with two rooms. They didn’t talk about what they didn’t have. The children still played in the streets, at times using an old can to kick around rather than a ball, but it was obvious they didn’t feel deprived.
That very first trip instilled in me a curiosity of others and a longing to get to know how people live around the world.