WHY I TRAVEL

Traveling is poetry. It is rhythm and rhyme and makes a thousand words explode in my head. I have my grandmother to thank for that. Every summer, beginning when I was 12, she and I would hop a Greyhound and travel from Los Angeles to Chadron, Nebraska to visit my Dad. Our bus rides were epic. Bus stop food, people-watching, winding roads, small towns, ranches, horses, cattle, wildlife, creeks and rivers; and laughing so much our sides ached. And every so often she would say, “Jot that down.” What I learned about myself during those bus trips is, that I love history. All of it. The people, the places, the customs, the culture, the eras of hardship and plenty, and the grit and glamor of life as it threads through impossible dreams from generation to generation. And in my pursuit I have discovered that I am a genetic melting pot of mixed peoples and culture. In a nutshell: French, English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, & Mi’ Kmaq (mick-mack) [First Nations People - Canada].

I am definitely not a ‘one and done’ type of traveler. I like the ‘return’ investment of exploring the history and culture of the ancients. And right now that is the land of my maternal roots - Ireland. For such a tiny little island, it packs a wallop. The sites, sounds, smells, and culture, in my view, are impossible to reconclile in a single trip. You can travel North to South in eight hours, but why would you want to do that? Every time I go, I see something new, meet new and wonderful people, and tap a Guinness in some quaint new pub. 

Growing up on the doorstep of one of the most sought after destinations on the planet - Joshua Tree National Park, has definitely influenced my style of travel. I hiked it, camped it, and lived it for over a decade, returning again and again to soak up its wild and unbroken beauty. This carried through when I landed a job in Japan. Living and working in this ancient and historical culture brought the fire back for international travel after almost twenty years as a BACKYARD traveler while working and raising a daughter. I have to say, I found some very cool places outside my back door.

Besides the wonders of America, I have explored the enchantments of Mexico (my first foreign country), Africa, Asia, the British Territories, and Europe. I have sailed the Atlantic in a Tall Ship, scaled the face of Mt Fuji in Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan, traversed the skirts of Benbulbin in Co. Sligo, Ireland and flown Hawks at Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo, Cong, Ireland. 

So, now that you know what kind of traveler I am, what about you? It is my hope this site inspires you and helps you bridge the travel dynamic with tips, tricks, and travel-isms for a smooth and memorable ‘skipabout’ wherever you are going and whichever type of travel you prefer. Thank you for meeting me here. I wish you the very best. Now, let’s write some poetry!