He’s a sneaky one, this little travel bug. Hiding in plain sight, waiting to attack.
A long time ago, in the year 2000…
Tired of studying for final exams, I decided to book my proverbial post-graduation trip to Europe.
In reality, I had no idea where ‘Europe’ was, nor what countries comprised it.
ME to the TRAVEL LADY: I want to go to ‘Europe’.
TRAVEL LADY: Sure, where in Europe would you like to go?
ME: <Empty stare>
TRAVEL LADY: <Feeling sorry for my stupidity> Most people fly into Amsterdam.
ME: Great! I’ll fly into there… What’s the farthest country from there?
TRAVEL LADY: Greece
ME: Perfect. I’ll fly out of there.
The very definition of preparation
A week later, after my final exams, I spent a day ‘travel shopping’. A knapsack, arguably the ugliest travel gear created and some plane snacks. I boarded the plane the next day with nothing but a plane ticket, a Euro rail pass, and a Lonely Planet guidebook.
My intent, was to read the book on the plane and make a plan for my 5.5 weeks abroad.
What actually happened, was that I fell asleep, exhausted from all the last-minute packing, and awoke on an entirely new continent with no plan.
I didn’t even know what a hostel was.
Can you tell this was my first solo trip abroad?
And so set the stage for the rest of my adventurous life.
The Travel Bug had bit me, and I had no interest in finding a cure.
Since then I’ve sold my soul to corporate, left the rat race to lead tours in Central America, fallen in and chased love to other countries, fell out of love, came back to the real world, and fell in love again, with lots of little adventures in between.
To prove to my friends I wasn’t dead or missing, I started this blog to share my adventures. There have been some close calls, to say the least.
I hope my stories inspire you to embark on your own adventures and make you laugh a few times along the way.
Please join me as I share my escapades that started in Central American in 2007.