Although I’ve spoken of my travel beginnings in my brief travel history (and here), I often get asked “well, when did you start to travel?”
(Which is not a huge surprise because my little corner of the Internet is not necessarily something I broadcast to every person I meet).
So, let’s start from the beginning.
Technically, I have been traveling since I was in utero. My parents were living abroad in CANADA (gasp!) at the time of my, er, production.
This is starting to get gross. Let’s move on quickly.
They moved back to the States, to Colorado, several months before I was born. I lived there a measly few weeks before moving to Oregon, and then Montana several years after that.
^^this is the only throwback picture I have. You’re welcome. Oh and that’s my adorable brother. Also, yes, I did look startled for the first five years of my life.
For much of my life after that, I lived in good old Bozeman.
We traveled often throughout my childhood, primarily to national parks and to visit our scattered family, but most of my traveling was done through books.
I was often described as a “sensitive” (read: crybaby) child and a “shy” one, and often I was plagued by anxiety. This was often debilitating (and still can be), so I lived my life through books, and reading, and the soaking up of other stories and lives.
I still strongly believe in the power of books to help you live more than one life, and I traveled many places as a child without having to go anywhere.
I visited jolly old England to see Emma’s failed attempts at matchmaking (Jane Austen), I went all over the world planting lupine seeds with Miss Rumphius (Barbara Cooney), I followed Pip on his adventures in London (Charles Dickens). I slept on a wooden raft with Huck Finn (Mark Twain), I went all over the West with Laura and her Pa (Laura Ingalls Wilder), I walked across Africa with Paul Theroux (Paul Theroux).
(My literary nerd just spewed out there. Sorry…but not sorry).
I loved these stories and these travels across time and places, but they opened up inside of me a desire to see more than my little corner of the world.
So, I scrimped and saved and sold burritos in a booth at a local arts festival for six years, and finally, me and five other girls (and two moms) traveled to Switzerland the summer I was fifteen.
^^yep, I’m the one miles behind the rest.
Switzerland, with its stunningly high peaks, alpine meadows, cow bells and cleanliness blew me away. I couldn’t believe how many languages everyone spoke (fun fact: Switzerland has four official languages), I couldn’t believe that they rode mopeds to work even in ties or skirts, or that people commuted on cute little trams and lived right next door to churches that were older than the United States.
^^Old, grainy photos from Switzerland. It was over a decade ago! Although, they kind of look Instagrammy, am I right?
The anxiety I so often felt at the world around me disappeared in Switzerland, and I was hooked. I continued to read, more and more about all the corners of the world, and plotted all the places I would see.
I’m forever thankful for those books, and that first trip to the lovely little Switzerland, for opening this whole travel thing for me.
Tell me…
when did you start traveling?
Welcome to Travel Tuesday, hosted by Bonnie, Jessi, Camila and yours truly!
Each week we choose a favorite post from last week’s link-up to highlight. Make sure to check out the other hosts’ blogs to see who they chose this week!
This week, I am spotlighting Bailley from Lew Party of Two and her post about Florence. Although there are many places in Italy I want to visit, I usually fixate on Rome and the coast, not Tuscany. But, seeing her incredible photos of Florence–those sunset pictures are unreal!–have cemented this as a must-see destination in my mind.
THEMED TRAVEL TUESDAY PROMPT
Next week it is time for this month’s travel-themed prompt! The prompt for this month is for you to share an unexpected destination with us. Where have you been that you didn’t expect to be amazing, but ended up being a highlight destination? Can’t wait to hear what you all come ups with!
Ready to link up?
1. SHARE a post about travel! From road trips to trips abroad and from past travels to dream vacations. You can write about travel tips and tricks, favorite places to stay, or anything in between! Just make it about traveling somewhere!
2. GRAB the lovely button above. If you run into trouble, just make sure to mention Bonnie, Amy, Jessi and Camila in a link! 3. LINK-UP goes live every Tuesday at 0800 GMT. Make sure to comment here, on the co-hosts blogs, and visit around!
TIPS:
1. Please only one linked up post per blogger. Save other posts for future link-ups!
2. The last Tuesday of every month will be a themed prompt if you want to join in!
3. HOP around and meet new travel loving bloggers! Check back to visit some of the newer travel posts!
Wow Switzerland as your first destination is awesome! I haven’t been but I definitely want to go!
Yes I loved it! I can’t imagine anyone not getting the travel bug after visiting that country 🙂
I love this post! I always enjoy learning about someone’s travel bug story. And I do think those photos look super cool vintage. Funny that now we use a filter to get that affect!
Haha I know! I was thinking they looked terrible and my boyfriend said they just looked like Instagram so I felt better lol 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it! I love hearing stories like this too which is why I shared mine. Thanks for reading! xo
Love hearing about your beginnings of travel! I can totally relat, as books were my go-to “escape” as a child (and still are!) and the titles you reference are personal favorites.
The photo of Switzerland made me thing of another favorite childhood novel, Heidi…was that inspiration for your trip?
I’m glad you know some of the titles! I love that reading still inspires both of us to keep traveling, and introduces us to new places 🙂 I went to Switzerland on a Girl Scout trip, and they have a Girl Scout chalet there, so that’s why we went there…but I definitely made sure to read Heidi before and wished I could have her life for awhile when I saw that beautiful country 🙂
Travelling has definitely made me less anxious and more adventurous and spontaneous and flexible…..things I haven’t been before! 😉
Travelling is great for that 🙂 I still struggle with anxiety and flexibility but adventure all the way now!! I’m just working on letting those adventures be LESS planned 😉
Aw I love to hear this background story! I started travelling when I was very very young, but books really helped me through it! I feel the exact same way about living different lives through books – your whole speech was very Rory Gilmore ish! I love it 🙂 And how amazing that you went to Switzerland with some friends and finally got to explore! The first trip is always so special!
Haha I’m so glad you pointed that out! Right after I wrote it I realized I was probably channeling Rory Gilmore a little 😉 although mine has fewer prestigious novels and just books that I love than her speech I think lol. The first trip is so special–even though you started traveling so young, do you remember yours? I would love to hear 🙂 xo
No memories at all haha I was only 1 on my first international trip! But I’m so thankful to my parents for taking loads of pictures and allowing me to relive those moments in a certain way 🙂
Aww that’s so nice that they took you so long! I would love to do that too if I ever have kids. And it’s good they documented it so you can remember ;). I went on my first international trip technically (to Canada) when I was less than one year old, and it used to drive me crazy when my parents would say “you have been out of the country, you just don’t remember it!” they also did not document well haha. I’m glad yours did!!! 🙂
That’s so awesome how you saved money as a kid just to travel to Switzerland. I admire how much passion you had for traveling. I daydreamed about traveling abroad as a kid but never did until after college when I travelled for work (I guess I don’t consider Taiwan as traveling since that’s my hometown although it’s very different from growing up in Atlanta). But now I have the traveling bug ^_^ There’s too many places I want to visit!
The traveling bug is one that sticks for life, I think 🙂 I’m not sure I would have saved the money if not for my Girl Scout troop haha–we were all saving together! But I’m so glad I did and was able to go because it really did change my life 🙂 xo
Girl Scouts are awesome!
Love love loved this post! I took my first big trip (outside of camping across Midwest America) with my school’s Spanish Club at age 15, after selling pies and baked potatoes at football games. Oh, and I adore Bozeman 🙂
Oh most people on this blog have not heard of Bozeman! Isn’t it a great town? I really miss it even though I’m not sure I will ever permanently move back there 🙂 that’s so cool you went with Spanish Club–where did you go? I went with my Girl Scout troop haha–those clubs are a great way to travel 🙂
To Spain! Two years of fundraising, and that trip changed my life 🙂
Awesome!!! Those early travels are what get us into it 🙂
Ha ha! Me too Amy – I was conceived in America! Apparently in a car park according to my sister, but I think she was making that bit up!
Haha that’s so funny 🙂 Maybe your sister was just being a typical older sister 😉
That’s fun to think about… I don’t really know that I’ve ever thought about when I started traveling before because lots of us were just taken wherever by our parents 🙂 Although my first trip outside of U.S. or Canada was at age 9, I don’t think I developed that need for travel until after a Japanese student exchange at age 13… sure makes you curious about the rest of the world when you visit somewhere so different so young.
I love your Swiss photos by the way… even if they are older looking, they’ve captured Switzerland so wonderfully.
Wow, you went to Japan at age 13?? That would certainly spark your interest for travel I would think! My parents took me places (mostly in the US too) and while I always enjoyed those trips, I don’t think I really loved traveling until I went on my own (and overseas!). You’re right that starting young keeps you curious 🙂
And thank you! Not bad for my old camera and the first time I was ever taking pictures haha 😉 xo
I loved reading your story! Being a book worm as a kid definitely contributed to my wanderlust as well. (And it still does!)
I agree! It definitely still does! I just finished a book set in Ireland and, even though I’ve been there once, I’m dying to go back now 🙂
Nice to hear what got you started traveling and sounds like it started with books! I read so much when I was younger and my first trip was at age 16 to France and Switzerland and I was hooked as well:)
You started about the same time as me! Those are great countries to visit right off the bat 🙂 I’m so glad I went during my teenage years and got hooked on travel…a good thing to get hooked on, I think 🙂
My first experience with travel outside the U.S. was to Puerto Rico when I was 14 and it was such a different world for me! As a kid we traveled north to Alaska for holidays, but I had never been somewhere tropical!
I’ve never been to Puerto Rico but I’ve heard that it’s a great place to visit! Kind of a forgotten gem or something 🙂 Alaska is probably a different world too but I can just imagine how in awe you must have been at 14 🙂 thanks for sharing! and reading!! xo
I love your love for travel and your love for books! Im a total literary nerd so can totally relate! Love this post 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to have a fellow literary nerd around here 🙂 XOXO
100% agree with you on the books. I grew up reading as a kid and I think it really expanded my mind and made me so curious as a person!
Yes I think all those educators are right to push reading on kids haha–it really does open up your mind!