It all started with a photograph

I actually think my love of travel began with this photograph.  The man on the camel on the left is my Dad, who joined the Army Air Force (when it was still part of the US Army) before 1940.  After the war my brothers and I heard his stories about people and places all over the world.  

While my father never spoke of war, he told us incredible stories about Hindu dress in India, eating habits of Bedouin in North Africa, words of greeting from Tagalog speakers in the Philippines, how to say "more pasta, please" in Italian and on and on.  We have no idea what he did during the war...it's still classified...but we learned to love the people he met

and the places he visited.

Adding to the mix of my love of travel, were the years we spent in Japan.  Again, it was my father's job in the military that sent us there.  But it was his encouragement to explore that biased us in favor of foreign adventure of the everyday life in another country.  

Another tourist in Beijing at the Summer Palace

Bungle Bungle

 Granted, exploring the Kimberly's Bungle Bungle ranges in Western Australia in a little helicopter is not everyday, by any stretch of the imagination....our love of travel has always been a fascination with place and people....and whilst visiting there last year we met a charming young man who will be coming to visit us this next month.  Boy, it just doesn't get better than that.  We will get to show him our territory.  Full circle.

Oh, the memories.  Over the years, whenever an opportunity was available for travel, I jumped for my toothbrush.  This challenge posed by Sue will be very interesting...remembering past travels is the best.  The dilemma may be where to alight.  Which place?  Which story?  What people?  Just makes me smile thinking about it.  Perhaps the real problem will be for me to stop with the reminiscing and get to work.