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!
