When I was 17....it was a very good year

I'm not really sure how most folks feel on the anniversary of their birth....I for one think back to years gone by....flipping through photos... recalling who I was as a person at each stage, and hopefully gaining a little wisdom along the way. I have absolutely no fear about stating my age, and have not yet begun to understand why hiding ones age is so important. We all get 1 year older every time 365 days passes us by...why the obsession with staying younger and being secretive about your age? I do however, understand and embrace the concept of staying healthy as we grow older, and agree that aging gracefully is within everyone's reach, just put forward the effort and you will reap the rewards.

That being said, today on my 51st birthday...I recall many times where travel played a part in how my life's journey would progress.

When I was 17, I had just graduated from high school and my mother and I celebrated this occasion by cruising to Nova Scotia. Although we have no photographs of this short trip, my love of cruising was born. During the next four years, I would cross the ocean 4 times, but 12 years passed before I ever boarded a ship again. At this time, I was also engaged to the boy I had fallen in love with 3 years earlier. The night of my graduation, both of our families came together for the very first time, to share a meal. Little did anyone know that less than 6 months later, we would be planning to head overseas to begin our married life together. Originally, our future included a two year engagement, with me attempting to complete a 2 year computer course at a local college. Well, we all know how that scenario very quickly changed when Roger received orders to go Germany. To heck with school (that decisions was made in a split second), we would get married and I'd go with him on his european adventure. And, that is exactly what happened.




When I was 21, Roger had just completed his tour of duty overseas and we returned stateside to live in the USA. Stacey was almost 2 and Brian would make his first appearance later that year. We did travel every few years when the children were growing up. The typical Disney trips and visits home to see family while we were stationed in various parts of the country, were pretty common for us back then. It would, however, be 25 years before we set foot on European soil again.



When I was 35, (yes I am following along with the years of Frank Sinatra's song-but the similarity ends with that distinction only), although we had a few years of cruising under our belt, we knew that college tuition payments were looming in the not too distant future. That trip would be our last cruise for almost 7 years. Our love of this mode of travel, would eventually coincide with our move to Florida, where we now enjoy cruising as often as time and $$ allow.

Find something that you both enjoy doing together during your precious vacation time, away from your everyday life. We have found happiness exploring what exists in the rest of the world. I hope everyone can appreciate the joy of travel....your next adventure is just around the corner.


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