A personal legend realized: My travel origin story
“Do you come from a traveling family?”
Not. at. all.
My dad won’t fly more than 2.5 hours. My mom’s first time out of North America was at age 67..
So, how did I become the traveler in my family despite having no travel role models?
It Started With an Atlas…
My mom got it for me at age 7. I don’t remember the reason why.. likely because kids should probably learn things.. I’m sure she had no intention of creating the monster I would very quickly become (and still am)!
I think most kids will skim through the pages of an atlas, find a few cool flags and cool country names.. then move onto the next thing.
Not me.
Within the first few months of having the atlas, I memorized every American & European capital. I was telling my mom all the countries in Africa & the South Pacific that I just HAVE TO visit. It wasn’t something I fully understood… but I just knew I HAD to travel the whole world. It was an assignment given to me. Therefore, I felt a sense of urgency about it. Unfortunately, I was 8 and could not book flights. Also, I didn’t have a passport. That’s another issue.
I had (well.. have) quite the imagination. I would visualize a life where I’m from a family of world travelers. We travel out of the country every single weekend (adult me is exhausted just typing that out)… we’ve been to every country on earth (back then, I didn’t understand the concept of entry requirements & safety, obviously)… I lived out all my travel dreams in my head. Unfortunately, anytime I’d voice my travel dreams out loud, I was usually shot down:
“travel is too expensive”
“travel isn’t realistic”
“you don’t have an endless supply of money”
All these limited beliefs placed upon me definitely got to me… “maybe travel isn’t so possible after all”…
I figured I would need to grow up and get rich or find opportunities to travel. “one day”, I told myself.
Fortunately, “one day” would come much sooner than I thought possible…
My Very First International Travel Experience
It was late 2007… I was in 8th grade choir class and my choir teacher tells us that she’s hosting a European tour for students: 2 weeks traveling through Paris, Barcelona, the French Riviera, Pisa, Florence & Rome. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.. the opportunity to pursue my travel dreams even earlier than I ever thought possible???? Well… if I am able to successfully beg my parents into it.
I am very grateful that my parents were willing to finance this trip. It truly would not have been possible without them and I will always be thankful. My mom knew how much it meant to me. In July 2008, it was time to embark on the journey of a lifetime….
My Travel Reality Check.
When we landed in Paris, I was SHOCKED that I didn’t immediately see the Eiffel Tower. “What kind of scam was this? I thought we were going to THEEE PARIS!?!?! All I see is a highway and an Ikea!!”
In hindsight, I’m happy I learned early on that travel expectations don’t always match reality, and that these dreamy destinations are… real places where real people live. Paris is not, in fact, inside of a snow globe. Truly a shocking concept for a teenager who’s been romanticizing travel for the past 7 years….
After a quick hotel check in & a metro ride later… I saw Notre Dame…
“ok… THIS is what I had in mind”.
While Paris was not exactly what I was expecting, I grew to love it. The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, a river seine cruise, a day trip to Versailles, walking the Champs-Elysées.. It was all a dream come true.
Getting Lost in Paris
Oh, but I did lose my tour group! Keep in mind, this was back in 2008. I didn’t have a cellphone… I didn’t have a phone number for my teacher or the other tour guide. Surprisingly, I did vaguely remember the name of the hotel, but I could have been wrong. Being lost was terrifying. I was right outside the Lafayette mall. My group was in a hurry & it was crowded… so… I lost them. I ran inside the mall & asked if anyone spoke English. Fortunately, a British sales associate was very kind & swore that she would not give up until I found my group OR a way back to my hotel.
I was able to call my mom. “hey, don’t freak out but.. I’m lost”.
My mom freaked out. OBVIOUSLY.
She did manage to find my hotel information, so the sales associate was going to call me a taxi. Miraculously, while she was beginning to make the arrangements, I heard a familiar voice. It was my choir teacher. I screamed her name & she gave me the most relieved hug. “I’m so happy you stayed put”, she said. I was reunited with the rest of my group & all was well… but wow… that was a scary way to spend my first time abroad. That would never happen now thanks to technology. But as I re-tell this story, I am shocked that a contact number or SOME sort of plan wasn’t put in place for if a student got lost. We were children…in a foreign country… that would’ve been pretty helpful.
The Trip Must Go On
Despite the hiccup in Paris, I was really enjoying myself! After Paris, we were off to Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, & Provence. Not only was I spending time in beautiful places & learning so much about the history, I was also learning a lot about myself. I was a very sheltered & shy child. Traveling abroad gave me some confidence & also showed me that things I was terrified of aren’t so scary after all. My travel group was also traveling with a group of seniors from Ohio. They got their hands on alcohol & at first I totally freaked out, but then I told myself, “who cares. Let them do what they want.”
Wrapping Up the First Trip Abroad
The last stop was Italy. At this point, I was a little tired, but finished the trip strong. I remember just loving Rome. I wish I still had more of my pictures. Yet another downside of traveling before the rise of cell phones & social media.
By the end of the two weeks, I was ready to go home. That was less to do with Europe & more to do with not wanting to be around the same 13 people anymore (I was a teenager… I had very little patience).
What That Trip Means to Me Now
My favorite book is called “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. It’s about a boy named Santiago who goes off on a journey to live his personal legend (his was travel as well). A personal legend is one’s destiny, their purpose in life… I knew early on that travel was my personal legend.
“And when you want something, all of the universe conspires in helping you achieve it”
Easily one of the most powerful & popular quotes from “The Alchemist”. Believing that you are fully supported in living your dreams makes life a lot more encouraging! Anytime I feel doubtful or negative, I remind myself of this quote and how true it’s been for me since the moment I first received that atlas.
I knew that I was meant to travel. While I was constantly shut down when expressing that dream, I never lost hope. I thought maybe I would have to wait until adulthood to travel, but I knew it would happen one day.
It happened even sooner than I could have ever imagined, and in hindsight, everything was beautifully set up for my dream to come true: I just happened to enjoy singing, so of course I’d take choir. My choir teacher just happened to have spent much of her life in France and just happened to be coordinating a European tour while I was a student. My family just happened to be supportive in making it happen.
This very first trip abroad is my proof that if you truly want something… if you truly believe it is yours, you will receive it. Not always in the way you expect… not always in the timeline you hope for… still, it will come. The universe has 3 answers to everything: “yes”, “not yet”, or “something even better”. Any of those answers are ok with me 🙂
So When Would I Travel Again?
To this day, I am my happiest and most hopeful when I am pursuing my personal legend. In other words, when I’m traveling.
My first time out of my country expended my worldview, showed me that dreams can be reality, and gave me my first 5 countries: France, Spain, Italy, The Vatican, & Monaco.
I wish I could say that I would end up traveling again soon after my first trip abroad. I would end up taking a couple domestics trips here and there, but I wouldn’t leave the country again for quite some time.. That’s ok, though. Everything worked out exactly as it should. My 2nd time out of the country happened at a time where I needed traveling more than ever.
The 2nd trip is what REALLY changed everything.
