Five Countries
“We travel because we need to because distance and difference are the secret tonics to creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but something in our minds has changed, and that changes everything.”
I remember my first trip overseas so clearly. I went to Thailand. My Dad worked overseas for many years in the exploration industry and at the time he was in Thailand, I was eight. It is still my best trip overseas. It was before Thailand was overrun by tourists. We had a car, my Dad drove, and we left the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and headed North. We saw where the Prince of Thailand stabled his horses. We went to a bar and listened to women who couldn't speak a word of English sing Celion Dion flawlessly. We ate the best fried rice in the world behind a service station, while chickens walked all around us, including on the table. I have no doubt were the chicken for the rice came from. I remember seeing red and green fanta for the first time and eating green mango with chili salt. I remember black sticky rice and cockroaches at the markets, I only tried one of them. It was the trip of a lifetime. It was over 20 years ago and I can still hear the sounds and breath in the smells. I may have forgotten many things in my life, and there will be much more I am yet to forget but that's not one of them.
Travel is magic. That was my first trip and not my last. Here are a few other countries I have since visited:
- England
- South Korea
- Mongolia
- USA
- Canada
This world is huge and amazing. I will never get to see it all, I don't think anyone ever really could. Since having kids I haven't traveled much, it's hard enough go to the supermarket (you know I'm right!), but I will travel again and my soul yearns for it. These are the top five places on my list, in no order (but I would never knock back any trip anywhere):
- Cambodia
- France (I'd be happy to do nothing other than eat Camembert and drink Champagne - the REAL stuff!)
- Maldives
- Mexico
- Australia - embarrassingly I've seen more of overseas than my own country
I think that travel makes you appreciate where you come from, what you have and the freedoms you are allowed. I think everyone should experience travel, there is no greater eye opener.
Until time and finances allow for me to embrace the jetsetting life I was so clearly destined for, we will explore our back yard, something we take for granted. The place in these photos are 30 minutes from our house, this was a spur of the moment outing, dinner was late and we had no bait so even though the kids fished, fish was not on the menu. This was a momentary escape from our ordinary. It is sad to admit but we have city friends that camp more than us, something that I really hope to change in 2018!
