“I traveled the world and the seven seas… everybody is looking for something.”
Traveling is a passion of mine. I love exploring the world and experiencing new cultures, new places, new people, and new sights, and new sounds. Some of my most wonderful and cherished memories have been created through traveling. The trips I have shared with some of my closest friends and family are ones we still speak of together today. Just last night, I sat at dinner and reminisced with one of my best friends about a trip we took to Europe. We were laughing until we cried.
I can honestly say that traveling has changed me for the better. It has opened my horizons and allowed me to appreciate culture and change. Not only has it taught me to appreciate other individuals’ cultures, it has allowed me to step back and realize just how wonderful my life here in America is. The only downfall of life back in the states is the pasta is certainly not as wonderful here as it is in Italy, but I guess Olive Garden will have to do until I can make my way back to Italia.
I remember my first long flight over the ocean! I was younger than my parents wanted when I first flew overseas to meet my mother in Amsterdam. After constant begging, Mom and Dad agreed to finally allow me to go with her on one of her trips abroad with her students. I was already signed up for a leadership camp at NC State (HOBY!!) the day her group flew out of Raleigh, so it was decided I would take a flight the next day from Raleigh and meet up with Mom’s school group in Amsterdam. Now many things could have gone wrong, but nothing did and I saw Mom’s smiling face and the South Lenoir International bus in front of Anne Frank’s hiding place in Amsterdam right on schedule. Mom and Dad had explained early on that Mom’s (not so much true for Dad) traveling standards were low at times and if I wanted to go with her, I would need to adapt. She was right, I did have to adapt, but I never complained! I walked the miles and miles and miles (I mean literally miles) each day and enjoyed every minute! My Fit Bit had never been happier! I ate whatever food was placed in front of me with gusto! Of course my family has never met a food group we didn’t like. When it came time to sleep most stays were not five star hotels, not even a Motel 6…not even close. Yet, each place we came to Mom and I were like, “This is great!” We would arrive at the hotels very late and exhausted. I would grab my luggage and walk in a stupor to the room. I would proceed to jump in the shower immediately and hop in the bed just too tired to even inspect the sheets, carpet, or showers! (What would Daddy think of that?!) Well, one night Mom and I were roommates. We came to that particular hotel late, exhausted, and drained completely. We went to our room so happy to see the bed and collapsed immediately on it. Then, there was a knock on the door. One of mom’s senior students appears and says, “Mrs. Saint-Amand my room is awful and gross! Can I stay with ya’ll?” Five minutes after Emily is settled in with us, another knock on the door. Two chaperones stand there and say that they don’t want to bother us, but their room is awful! I must admit upon closer inspection this hotel was a bit frightening and just plain gross, but once again I did not complain. My mom said she had low standards when traveling and she meant it!!
The last trip I took to Europe was with my mother, my sister, Malone, and my unborn sister Maddox. (Mom was six months pregnant, so technically Maddox traveled with us.) As I said, you are never too old or too young to love a trip! Well, Malone and I were placed in a train car for an overnight ride from point A to point B. I think our fellow roommates were truly shocked and perhaps a bit frightened when what started as a squabble, turned into a physical fight with the pinching, biting, and scratching. Yes, we were 17 and 15. Yes, we didn’t care. You know how crazy your sister can make you! Malone and I were so angry that we didn’t even feel any humiliation when we had to walk, the walk of shame, to Mom’s room of adult chaperones for a first aid kit! Though, we walked the walk of shame going back to our room after “Mother Smeggs” had quite a discussion with us.
Even though traveling with your best friends or family is awesome, there is no better way to grow close to a group of strangers than a long trip together. I have met some amazing and unique personalities and characters on my trips. These strangers, who became like family for a while, shared their lives and love with me for a short time. I have thrown up on buses, almost missed metros, lost my luggage, missed flights, slept in airports and probably worse, but nothing has made me want to stop my trips. It is in my blood I guess and the awesome moments, sites, and people far outweigh any negatives I have experienced. The books I have read and the movies I have watched would all become so real to me as I viewed the settings and events in person. It is true that you need to be flexible when you travel and trade in some of your elaborate routines for the simplest of ones, but let me tell you it is so worth it!! Never turn down the opportunity to experience the whole world when you have a chance. Now traveling can be expensive, but I can save my pennies for years and I don’t have to travel first class, and I can eat anything, so I feel the experience far out weighed any monetary value (as the Mastercard commercial states, ”Priceless!”)
Traveling, I believe, is a necessity for everyone. It takes individuals out of their comfort zones and allows them to see the beauty of the world. I am forever grateful for the trips I have taken through the years. In many ways, I feel these trips have been a key factor in molding me into who I am today. It is exciting, not scary. Embrace the culture and by embracing it, you will grow. Try the food; food is never bad (trust me). Delve into the history, go to museums, visit old churches and buildings, take pictures, and immerse yourself in your journey. So right now stop what you are doing, buy a plane ticket or fill your tank with gas (well, may have to wait in line a little while right now to pump that gas, but soon) and just drive somewhere off the grid. Find the beauty of this world, find the “something” that you are looking for and relish in the freedom and peace you feel when you travel and visit someplace new.
