Adventure Awaits for Every Age
I believe that my love for travel was kindled with our first family vacation back in my teens, a memory that never fails to bring a chuckle. My father packed us all in—mother, four brothers, and me—into the trusty Volvo wagon. Off we went into the United States, chasing the off-the-beaten-path attractions that my father had meticulously highlighted in his trusty, tattered guidebook. Only on a family road trip could you sandwich the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon between the world’s largest ball of cigarette tin foil and a wildly unconvincing, 'definitely-not-real' meteorite crater. Looking back, our trip was basically a low-budget, real-life version of National Lampoon's Vacation; it was a trip defined by chaos—surviving a Recluse spider bite, saving my brother from a striking cottonmouth, and grunting behind our loyal Volvo as it threatened to die on a steep incline. And yet…
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Twenty years later, I stood as a high school teacher in the B.C. interior, guiding thirty students out of their small-town bubble and toward the awe-inspiring art and architecture of the wider world. One successful trip led to another, resulting in six curated excursions across the US and Canada—a whirlwind tour of galleries, studios, and beloved landmarks. After years of displaying the wonders of Europe to my students through a screen, I finally longed to step into those textbook scenes and see the art with my own eyes.
Approaching seventy, I’m held together by an ankle brace and a high-tech knee brace, the latter a souvenir from a failed second surgery. Despite the metal and plastic, I still plan my walking trips. There is nothing better than touring Europe by train, lingering in cities to explore their rich history and art, then my wife and I toasting the evening with local 'Old World' wine and traditional cuisine. As we celebrate our 47th anniversary, we’re heading to Southern Italy this June—follow our adventure on my blog throughout May!