WHY I TRAVEL

Traveling is poetry. It is a 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 itself 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, and Mi’Kmaq [mick-mack], the First Nations People of Canada.

Growing up on the doorstep of Joshua Tree National Park, certainly influenced my style of travel. I have hiked it, camped it, and lived it since 1957, returning again and again to soak up its wild and unspoiled beauty - the highlight of which was opening its wonder to my daughter and, a generation later, my granddaughter. I was more of a BACKYARD traveler then, exploring the mysteries of the Wild West while working and raising my daughter. We found some very cool places right outside our backdoor. Untamed desert, Southern California mountains, ghost towns, mineshafts, camping, snakes, bugs, lizards, scorpions, rabbits, coyotes, Arizona highways, Colorado Rockies, rivers, canyons, seaside cabanas, beaches, national parks, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nebraska, and yes, a day or two exploring Disneyland. When my daughter joined the Coast Guard and served aboard America’s tall ship, I sailed with her to Nova Scotia - twice. But, when I landed a job in Japan, that was a turning point! The excitement of moving to an ancient culture; living, working, and traveling its archipelago and outer islands, kindled a fire for international travel that was unexpected awe-inspiring. So much so, that I did it twice, once in each century [1995-1997 & 2002-2005]! 

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. So far, Japan, Ireland, and Scotland have offered that to me. Ireland is truly in my heart. It is where my maternal roots began. 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. 

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 on a Tall Ship, scaled the face of Mt Fuji, traversed the skirts of Benbulbin in Co. Sligo, Ireland and flown Hawks at Ireland’s School of Falconry, Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo, Cong, Ireland. Note: I have stayed at Ashford Castle five times. The castle was built at the edge of a monastic site in 1228 by William de Burgo [Burgh, Burke], a direct descendant.

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 to bridge the travel dynamic with tips, tricks, and travel-isms for a smooth and memorable ‘skipabout’ wherever you may roam and how many times you prefer. Thank you for meeting me here. I wish you the very best. Now, let’s write some poetry!