When I was a boy, in my younger years. I was a little different you’d say, I was enclosed to the point where I wouldn't be living my full 12-year-old life. I was reserved and I would get lost all the time. I’m not speaking inquisitively about getting stranded at King Soopers trying to find my mother. I’m talking about family vacations, family friend trips, first day of school, stuff like that that made my mind just want to be back in my comfort zone. My comfort zone when I was young was my at the moment current residency, a safe haven away from the big bad world. A world that I thought was complex and enormous, that world as a kid frightened me to my roots of what I believed in. As I grew up into an older kid, this world changed in 2009 at the very start of June. That was the month my “world” changed.

For the most part during that point in my life I was, inextinguishable for the most part with friends, games, and I was just all around obnoxious with my seemingly unending pool of energy. As I stepped out of the highly filthy underground train station London is known for. I was, for the first time in my short life, depleted of all energy. Now this was not due to some random heart and or breathing problem, no it also was certainly not due to the people dashing past me a speeds that would scare teachers during passing period. This breathtaking phenomenon was seeing Big Ben shimmering in that dense foggy London morning. It was as if there was a watchful eye over all of London, I had a strange sensation of just desiring to sit down and spend a few hours admiring Big Ben, maybe do a few walks around the are with it’s keen eye on all of it’s unworthy subjects.

What amazed me was that we are modern human beings, and we are living around a historical masterpiece like it’s any lad’s dog. After being able to get mobbed by natives which I was quite fond of, I took another gander around this beautiful area. The Houses of Parliament were as firm made and telling by their architecture at that time were the sole embodiment of the people of this land. Strong and persistent, but as well as kind and courteous to it’s admirers. Walking across Westminster Bridge I was approached by a merchant of sorts, luckily for me he had snow globes which I carefully declined his free generous offer. With the river Thames underneath my drowsy feet, I turned my gaze to the left on the magnificent London Eye. As I of course was a small peasant compared to the Eye’s gigantic beauty. As we were nearing the top of this machine, getting a collage worth of photos in while the group on the other side of us was looking like they just might want to shake all the money out of a 12-year-old's pockets (Don’t assume things kids, it’s bad. Most people are good people unless you do something to them). With that we continued till the end of our days in that historical honorable city. Till it was time. Time to move on.

Walking down the streets towards Kings Cross station a thought lingered in my mind like a distant memory. Have I been here before? What was my purpose here? Quite an important question for a 12-year-old that was rudely interrupted by ½ of a trolley. Now, let's get something straight, I at first had no idea what this was, so I continued to tell the people around me I think something bad happened. One woman told me “This is what happens when you wander by yourself” (because that’s normal right?). Transition to the middle of the channel. The channel is a underwater luxury train. Seriously the back of the train has recliners and drinks to forget all your emotions! Five star and american food! Yup, Burgers to last the whole ride. You’d never believe how good that stuff is. Paris was a magical experience, with the Tour de Eiffel, people trying to pickpocket me just to get some change to survive the night. As I never really respected France’s citizens for being jerks to my family, at the end of the night it was alright. Italy was a game changer.

I found my body was less in pain (When I was young I would be in a lot of pain all the time), I was more athletic, so forth I beat my brothers on a one on one game of soccer. Along with being able to feel the air my mother’s family breathed, step of the steps as they did. I felt alive. More alive that how I was back into the states. Imagine living your whole life in a box with books to read and hear of a certain place you have learned about that spawns across centuries. Then you get out of that box to see it. Italian blood runs through me. As it does so many others, but as I figured out Italia was my home. That I took in the sights, sounds, taste, smell, feelings, people, fashion, cuisine, different culture, and so much more I encased myself in. As with a encased creature I got out and was reborn a new with a fiery passion of travel and this land my family used to live in, and no doubt some still do. I have been given new sight with this new land. This land I carry my traditions from, traditions that transcend lifetimes. I was no longer shy, no longer reserved, no longer sat still with the mysteries of this earth not known to me. I was destined to travel for my whole life for that conversion in the middle of June in the year of 2009.

Present day:
Ever since that fateful day, I have been traveling my whole life. From the heaven sent beaches of Hawaii, to seeing the sun set off the coast of Los Angeles. To wandering around Wall Street in New York, City, to falling asleep on a beach at 3am in Jacksonville, Florida. Cruise ship adventures, Sailing in the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tortola, Anegada, Cabo, Cuba, and an unbelievable amount of even more places. From that moment in Italy I don't know who I'd become but I knew I was going to travel the world and I needed to. Because travel is my life. A life without travel, is not a life worth living".
-Cameron Hogan, Owner of Thoughts of a Traveler