I have been traveling around the world from a very young age, and for that I will forever be grateful to my parents (Bob and Stacey) who opened this door for me to find my passion in life. I remember going to Cancun, Mexico when I was around ten years old and swimming with dolphins. It was not a 'crazy' or 'big' trip, but that's where it all started for me.
Then, two or three years later, my parents planned the trip of a lifetime. Just thinking about it now, I wish I was more mature and appreciated it even more than I did. Mainly because I never took any pictures. (I'll have to see if I can borrow some from them!)
I remember flying overnight (a flight that I could not even sleep on, due to a lady behind me constantly pushing on my chair) to Portugal. Then, we boarded a small and ragged looking jet (of which I surprisingly passed out on, due to exhaustion) and landed in Barcelona, Spain a mere two hours later. This was to be our destination for the next three days, before we were to hop on a cruise ship to explore the Mediterranean Sea.
I remember flopping onto the bed in my little sister (Maddie) and I's hotel room once we arrived. (My parents were in the room next door.) This was the first time we've ever really experienced jet lag, and that went for all four of us, so we all passed out pretty quickly for several hours. This short stop was mainly meant for us to rest up before boarding the ship, so we were in no rush at all.
The following day we hopped on one of those double decker tour buses to tour around the city. (I now recommend looking up landmarks at your destinations and exploring them yourself - that way you can take your time and possibly find some hidden gems!) It went well, but it wasn't until we were passing a nude beach on the way back that my mother's heart sank. She was initially relieved that neither I nor my sister seemed to notice that said beach was any different than ones in America. That is, until my sister asks: "Mom, what's that sticking out over there?" Mom's eyes widened, scared for what Maddie was referring to since she's only about 10 years old at this point. Luckily, after several minutes of trying to figure it out, Maddie was asking about the jetties on the ends of the beach. It wasn't until many years later that we learned about my mom's side of the story from that day.
After three days in Barcelona, we boarded the cruise ship. I had never been on a cruise ship at the age of 12, so I was not entirely sure what to expect. We went through the boarding process and finally got to our tiny room with one bed and one sofa bed that we would all live in for the next week. We explored the boat, seeing the restaurants/clubs/pools that we would get to enjoy during our vacation. However, it wasn't until nighttime that I found one of the most surreal and inspiring moments that began to light a fire within my heart in which would then ignite my passion for travel (as corny as that sounds).
I walked out on the balcony that night, after we had set sail, and just stared off into the distance. Maybe it was the calmness and quietness of being alone, or the wind blowing through my hair with the chill coming off of the water. I would have to say, though, that it was the beautiful starry night sky shining bright as I stared off into the endless distance of the ocean in every direction I looked. It made me feel like my life could be full of endless possibilities and adventure, and I knew I had to continue to seek that feeling.
To this day, I continue to seek that feeling of passion. The feeling that makes me feel truly alive. There are a few times where it feels the strongest, and it has always been while I was traveling. When I get to that point within these blogs, I will point it out each time! I hope by sharing these stories I can inspire you to seek out your passion in life, and perhaps you can also help me further my own dreams as well.
The story doesn't end here! There is a LOT that occurred on this European adventure, and I am just getting started! Stay tuned for Part 2!
"It is a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don't want to be most of us."
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