It was November 1999 and I was 21 when I left the country for the first time. Living in Grand Rapids, Michigan I had been working for a direct sales company for a few months. It was time for their annual conference. The destination was Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas. Not a bad place to celebrate your 21st birthday.
The following spring, they ran an annual sales contest and I won a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. At that time, I was more fulfilled by the accomplishment of winning the contest than visiting Mexico. That would come to change.
At the time, I was laser-focused on professional achievement and financial success.
Lucky for me, that professional drive would initiate all the travel in my life for the next 18 years. Whether it was another sales contest won, a corporate meeting in an "exotic" location, or flying all over the US and Canada as a consultant, travel was always attached to responsibility. The location was just a new place to do the same thing—work.
I tried to make the most of it. On a trip out West, I arrived a few days early to Seattle and visited the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the original Starbucks.
One November, my mom flew out to San Fransisco to join me after a conference. We spent my birthday and Thanksgiving riding the cable car, walking the Golden Gate Bridge, and touring Alcatraz.
We still tell the story of our cab driver rear-ending another car on our way to the bridge. The police showed up and drove us to Ghirardelli Square, where we recovered from our trauma with a hot fudge sundae. But not before the cab driver asked us to pay the fare. Uh....no.
In Fall 2018, for my 40th birthday, I booked a trip to Costa Rica. This was the first time I traveled purely out of my sense of wonder and curiosity. It was an adventure that was all my own. No conference to attend. No corporate meeting to host. No troubled franchise to fix. A whole week to fill with whatever I wanted to do. Full disclosure, I traveled with my at-the-time significant other so there were some activities that were more his interest.
For example, while zip-lining through the rainforest was fun once, that probably won't be in a future itinerary.
I loved the culture and beauty of Costa Rica. I couldn't wait to experience more. And so began my journey to explore the world.
I would visit Iceland in December of 2019. And like everyone else around the globe, I spent 2020 stopped in my tracks because of a little thing called COVID-19. As soon as the world opened up again, I was off.
In 2021 I visited Ecuador, New York City, Green Bay. Wisconsin, Egypt, and Montreal. In 2022, I added Washington DC, Tanzania, Turkey, a Caribbean Cruise, and Christmas in Vienna.
2023 started with Mexico City, then New Orleans, Orlando, Alaska, Poland, Nashville, Venice, and Las Vegas.
2024 will add several more countries to my growing list and future travel plans are shaping up to be epic! After each new journey, I am left with more wonder and never-ceasing curiosity.
Now, when I leave behind the familiarities of home, I am exhilarated by the discovery of the unknown and unexpected. I travel not simply to marvel at a landmark or create "likeable" content for social media. I travel to learn about a human experience different from my own. With every encounter, I am forever changed. Travel illuminates the past, deepens my appreciation for the present, and gives me hope for the future. It compels me to contemplate the responsibility that comes with a life so full of privilege. I discover new and deeply rooted gratitude.
My hope for this site is to share with each other new ideas and ways of life different from our own. Those discovered through the incredible journey of travel.
I hope you’ll join me for Take Off and Landing as we wander and wonder through life's ups and downs together.
-Melinda
