When I was a young girl, our family holidays centered around either a camping trip or a visit with relatives. Even though we always had wonderful adventures, I couldn’t wait to grow up and discover the world outside of west Texas.
I’ve always been a traveller at heart, and in those early years most of my ideas were influenced by books. It started with my flipping through the encyclopedia, pausing at images of Mount Rainier or people happily floating on the Great Salt Lake. Eventually, I devoured everything from Hemingway to M. K Fisher.
It wasn’t just the dream of travel, it was how I imagined myself in those exotic places. When you grow up in a small Texas town, you look around and have a pretty good idea how your life is going to unfold. I longed to be a painter in Paris, dance as a ballerina in Russia, become a resistance fighter in Spain or a rock star in London. I wanted to work alongside Jane Goodall in Tanzania. Most of all, no matter how much I loved my family and friends, I just wanted to be somewhere else.
I consider myself lucky as I’ve been able to travel to many of the places I used to only dream about. The world hasn’t disappointed me and many of the countries I’ve been to have exceeded my expectations.
The difference is now I live in a place where I know I belong. I love everything about Vancouver, the funky neighborhoods, the incredible natural beauty, the way the fresh air smells when you step out of the airport - and yes – I even love the rain.
It wasn’t just the dream of travel, it was how I imagined myself in those exotic places. When you grow up in a small Texas town, you look around and have a pretty good idea how your life is going to unfold. I longed to be a painter in Paris, dance as a ballerina in Russia, become a resistance fighter in Spain or a rock star in London. I wanted to work alongside Jane Goodall in Tanzania. Most of all, no matter how much I loved my family and friends, I just wanted to be somewhere else.
I consider myself lucky as I’ve been able to travel to many of the places I used to only dream about. The world hasn’t disappointed me and many of the countries I’ve been to have exceeded my expectations.
The difference is now I live in a place where I know I belong. I love everything about Vancouver, the funky neighborhoods, the incredible natural beauty, the way the fresh air smells when you step out of the airport - and yes – I even love the rain.
1 comment:
Hmm... I just wanted to be a flight attendant.
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