Life is short. Take the trip.
Say ‘yes’ to opportunities for traveling and adventures—go, do, see, share
Happy Monday, dear readers!
Since I’m preparing to embark on a work trip next week, I wanted to talk with you a bit about traveling to new places and having unique adventures.
The older I get, the more I embrace my adopted motto: Life is short. Take the trip. See the show. As you read more of my writing, that will become quite obvious.
At a charity function last year, my husband, Rodney, and I were seated at an eight-person table, talking about the Bahamian cruise we were embarking on later that week. Our friends and acquaintances offered advice to ease my fears of seasickness, and my husband said, “Well, you didn’t get sick on the airboat in the Everglades.”
While I am fortunate and grateful to have many adventure-yielding opportunities cross my path, I sometimes forget my “travel privilege.” On that night, though, I heard Rodney’s words and worried the others would think he was being braggadocios instead of relaying an observation. Just hearing the words made me realize even more just how lucky I am.
Born on a military base in Southern California in 1968, my parents and I traveled cross country to my mom’s hometown in Indiana when I was less than a year old. They marveled at how well I traveled, sleeping until entering a city, watching lights glowing and flashing past the windows, and then slipping back to sleep once the lights disappeared.
My family didn’t travel during my childhood unless we were hitting the road to visit our large extended family—from Kentucky to Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and beyond. But wanderlust and adventure tingled and surged within me. I wanted to see different places and have new experiences. I considered grandiose and dangerous careers that would propel me across the globe and back.
But the summer before my last year of college, I met the love of my life, and career plans changed; however, plans to travel didn’t since his wanderlust matched mine.
Now in our middle years, we do travel more than the average couple. Our motivation always leans toward exploring new states or countries and filling our lives with the thrill of adventure.
Last year alone, Rodney and I were in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Oregon, Washington, Florida, and Wisconsin.
We saw the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Multnomah Falls outside Portland, the Space Needle in Seattle, and Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood.
I flew on a wild day-long trip to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, that not only included a touchdown in Alabama, but Miami and Philadelphia, too. The flight from Indianapolis to Philadelphia was the most frightening I’ve ever taken, leading me to believe I was about to meet my creator.
Big fans of TV’s Twin Peaks, Rodney and I had “damn fine cups of coffee” and pieces of cherry pie at the real RR Diner (Twede’s Cafe), after visiting the Great Northern Hotel (Salish Lodge & Spa) and waterfall (Snoqualmie Falls).
We took our first cruise—to the Bahamas—with our next one scheduled for the Mediterranean in September 2023.
And that’s just last year.
In total, we’ve visited all but 18 states with plans to reduce that by at least eight (New England states) sometime in the next couple of years. I’ve traveled outside the country five times, Canada, Mexico (twice), England, and the Bahamas. This year’s cruise will add Italy, Spain, and France.
I’ve seen Niagara Falls, been to New York City countless times, and sat in the audience of Broadway shows. I’ve watched the Greatest Spectacle in Racing—the Indianapolis 500–many times. I’ve attended more concerts and stage performances than I could begin to count—hundreds or maybe even thousands.
Life is too short to make excuses if traveling and exploring is what you truly want to do.
While being parents of adult children means we have less obstacles, we made sacrifices to give our children those experiences when they were growing up and even now as adults with annual family vacations. When they were small, the big trips only happened every few years, but we still tried to sneak in less-fancy vacations on the off years.
When we’re sitting with friends being quizzed about recent trips, I am overwhelmed with the privilege of having so many amazing experiences. When friends tell me about their adventures, I’m filled with joy and happiness that they are embracing life and taking the trips. I plan to share stories and photos of my adventures in future newsletters, and I hope you’ll share your journeys with me. Let’s become a community of travelers, sharing our stories about how we are making the most of our time on this planet.
Life is short. Take the trip.
