Globetrotting

For those of you who know me at all, you know that I L-O-V-E to travel, particularly international travel. There is just something about foreign places, exotic accents, different cultures, and getting away from the "norm" that I have come to know as America, that draws me to board a plane for a long haul over the water.

I haven't always been this way. Prior to the start of my international rotation to Australia back in mid-2003, I had not really traveled internationally. For a Texan, Mexico doesn't count; I don't care what you say, it doesn't. It's connected. Canada doesn't count either. Sorry to disappoint you folks. Once I got to Australia, I discovered that the Aussies travel all over the world. They have to though, as there is really nothing else close by. I quickly developed a fierce passion for traveling and haven't really been able to stop yet. But that's ok, because I don't want to.

I often ask myself why I'm like this. Why, after all those years of being happily domestic, did I all of a sudden have this passion to travel? Here's what it boils down to:

• the thrill: there is an almost tangible thrill that I experience planning for a big trip. It's something about knowing that I'm going to be doing something different and out of the ordinary. I love packing, I love shopping for travel necessities, I love booking things online, and I love getting the passport ready for its next stamp. I get away from my normal life. And although I'm ok traveling alone, it's an even bigger thrill when I know that I've got some of my fav people going with me. And I also love hopping on a big plane and settling in for movies, dinner, and the whole experience!


• the culture: I know this will sound very cliche, but I love learning about different cultures. When I travel, I like to limit my trips to a couple of destinations so that I have time to truly experience the culture of where I am and almost feel like a local by the time I leave. I'll admit, it's quite daunting for me to arrive in a new country and have to get through the first meal without complete embarrassment. It's not really embarrassment, but each country has it's own quirks and rhythms, and until I know what those are, I feel a bit silly. But as long as I remain an open-minded smiling lady, I usually don't have too many problems!


• the example: Ok, I'll admit this too. Part of the reason that I love to travel internationally is because a lot of Americans don't. The travel bug is slowly making it's way to the west, but in general, Americans are quite country-centric and tend to feel that they don't need to see the rest of the world. Why would we? We have everything that we need here. But people....there is an entire great big ole world out there that is just begging to be discovered!! I travel because I hope that it will inspire other people to travel.


• accomplishment: I'm not kidding when I say this: when I can make it from one side of London to the other, making three tube switches, riding a bus, AND get to my destination on time and without a hitch, I feel like I can conquer the world! That's just one example, but the bottom line is, being half-way across the world and being able to accomplish what you've set out to accomplish is a very rewarding feeling! Especially for an independent and "in control" girl like me :-)


• adventure: some trips are more adventurous than others, but they all provide me with the opportunity to step outside of the "bounds" of my life. There are so many sacred places in this world, so many historical sites, that I just can't pass up the opportunity to go see them. I crave adventure! For this accountant, the prospect of my next trip keeps me going in my everyday life.

Maybe as I get older I'll be interested in other aspects of travel. Perhaps I'll want to go on a mission trip at some point. And I'm sure that once I settle down and have a family of my own, domestic travel will have a lot more appeal. That's part of the thrill of it all! And just for the record, it's very difficult for me to return to a place that I've already been. I feel like I'm wasting time. Like I'm playing favorites and not giving the rest of the world a chance to share itself with me. But, I find myself doing this on occasion, and I'm ok with that.

Here is a summary of some of my favorite places that I've traveled and why I loved them so much:

Thailand: the genuineness of the people, the cheap & amazing food, the raw beauty, the diverse landscape, and, I won't lie, the amazing Thai massages that were like $10 for an hour. I wish I could've brought one of those ladies home with me for good.

Egypt: the history, the innocence of some children and the awe that others were so conniving, being exposed to a completely different yet bold culture and religion, waking up in my sleeping bag under the stars in the Western Desert and being in awe of the vastness of it, traveling down the Nile in a sailboat and for the first and only time in my life, being completely serene and at peace with myself.

Peru: the delicious food, the variety of terrain, the challenge that the Inca Trail and high altitudes brought me, the welcoming nature of the people.

Greece: absolute stunning beauty, those famous 2 Euro gyros that us girls ate all day long, cheap & delicious wine, sunsets, the adorable Greek shop owners who kept thinking I was Greek because I could sort of carry on a conversation with them in Greek, spending quality time with the girls.

London: hands down one of my favorite places in the world. Such rich art & culture, fresh fish & chips, the tube, the Queen (I love the concept of royalty), the history, the accents, the sometime hideous fashion that they wear so confidently, the Indian food, etc etc etc. Yay for London!

I've only included a few tidbits of my travels above. And I've left out any thoughts or memories of Oz since to me that was life for almost three years. I'm very fortunate to have people across the world whom I can go visit and stay with, which makes traveling even better! I have been to six continents so far, and at this point, I don't really have the desire to hit up Antarctica. Who knows though, maybe that will change some day. Here is the current short list of my next desired destinations:

• India


• Tanzania (to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro)


• Spain


• Scandinavia (I really want to stay at an ice hotel in Sweden!)

So if anyone is up for the challenge, let's go!

I often wonder if by traveling I'm getting away from my life. Is there a reason that I like to leave my world and travel half way across the rest of it? Am I trying to avoid reality? Do I have these unknown issues in my life that I'm trying to run away from? I don't think so. I think I just really love it. And why shouldn't we all do the things that we truly love? Why shouldn't we all step outside the bounds of our lives every now and then and experience something new and different? I guarantee that if you step outside the bounds of your life, it will change you forever.