Deep in my genes...

Someone asked me recently if I ever got sick of traveling…   No seriously they did!  How do you respond to that?   I mean really…it’s me they’re talking to.  Traveling is my lifeblood; it’s the thing, other than Zach and Sami that gets me up in the morning.  It’s in my genes…deep!

I’m not sure if I have a favorite part of traveling, I’m just as excited at the prospect of planning a new adventure as much as I am of embarking on it.  

I’ve always had a very fertile imagination, which was developed at an early age and quickly refined into an art form.  I guess in actuality it was a form of escapism for me, as often I’d sit as a child wishing I were always somewhere else rather than where I was at that moment.  That imagination was formed in the crucible of poverty and alcohol abuse that surrounded me as a child growing up.  I would often retreat into my imagination whenever I felt like I needed to be somewhere else, which to be honest was quite often.  I just wanted to shut out the sounds of constant arguing which was the day-to-day soundtrack of my life.  My escape was often finding solace in the images of far away and exotic lands.  A place where I could be in control of the story line…

Here is the National Geographic
magazine from my childhood
January 1962

I still remember reading a discarded National Geographic magazine from January 1962 sometime in the mid to late 1960’s, which had a photo expose of Hong Kong in it.  I was completely taken with the vibrant colors teasing my senses and its photos firing my imagination and I suddenly longed to be in Hong Kong, strangely I can still see the deep colors in my minds eye…even today.  

And so began my thirst for images and stories which would transport me from the “here and now” to another place in my head, a place that had no conflict or anger, where alcohol wasn’t served, you weren’t surrounded in the blue haze of second hand cigarette smoke and your parents didn’t argue or yell at one another.  Clearly I was dreaming, but I’m pretty sure it all started there.

There were times when I contemplated running away from home…sure, like most kids who go through this phase the reality of actually leaving is such a tall order that I found myself frozen and unable to do much beyond dreaming about it, I felt completely powerless and frustrated by my inability to act.  I suppose even in those days I was the eternal pragmatist  – How will I survive by myself?  Where would I stay?  How would I get money to live?  
When you evaluate the situation on those terms the reality of your situation strikes home, and you're stuck for the time being.  Leaving home was hard enough when I got accepted into University at 17, but if nothing more it was an opportunity to fulfill that dream albeit a few years late.

My thirst for travel and adventure came hand in hand with my need to get to where I was going; I always seemed to be in a hurry.  To this day I’m still not a big fan of dawdling, and its only in recent years that have I actually been able to slow down sufficiently to “smell the roses” or observe with unhurried curiosity the snow capped peaks or the wood smoke slowing spiralling upwards from a campsite and take it in my stride to appreciate it's true beauty. Sometimes I still catch myself rushing to the next adventure without really fully taking in what’s right before me.  I guess I’m a work in progress on that front... ☺

That familiar feeling of excitement courses through my veins even when I’m planning a trip, and by the time I’m about to embark on it I will have thought of little else for the days leading up to the trip.  By the time I’m actually at the airport its pure excitement mixed with nervous energy that propels me forward towards the waiting plane and destination beyond, smiling inwardly to myself - another escape!

Sami has her heart set on living it up on our
Los Angeles Canadian Thanksgiving adventure
next month

In fact this week I planned a trip with Zach and Sami to Los Angeles for Canadian Thanksgiving.  This trip is at the behest of Sami who wants to go see the Hollywood sign, walk along Hollywood Boulevard and hang out with the movie stars on Rodeo Drive and Malibu…   I booked us into a hotel quite close to Venice beach which will be an eye opening experience for them both, on my previous trips to Venice its been quite the “slice of life”, with all sorts of sights and people watching to be had. ☺  I’m already excited to go but its still three weeks away, but that time will fly by.

After that, our next big trip will be to decide where to go in December, as you recall for those following along at home last year we had a road trip to Florida, which was awesome!  This year we have a couple of places in the running: both of them want to go to Europe – Sami to Paris (to shop), Zach to Munich (to watch his beloved Bayern Munich play soccer), and my choice would be to go ski out west.   As you can see I have a fair bit of resistance ahead of me on this one…we’ll have to wait and see!

So many places to go, so many places to see… ☺   

I want it all, is that too much to ask?