When I was growing up, I remember all of the wonderful stories my grandpa would tell me about traveling the world. He took most of these trips alone, a few with my grandma and sometimes my mom tagged along. He worked for the military his entire professional career and had the opportunity to travel the world. The majority of his travels started later in life and he spent several years in retirement traveling abroad.
Throughout my life, I heard stories from my grandpa about his adventures. He cruised the world three times with my grandma and one of these trips involved champagne for everyone onboard when my oldest cousin was born. I just imagined champagne going spraying everyone on that ship. He told me about trips to Asia, Central America and South America and loved the different cultures that he experienced.
By the time I was born, he was fluent in several languages and taught English as a second language to non-English speakers. He told me that he learned by not being a tourist but immersing himself into the culture. He made lifetime friends that he considered his extended family.
My grandpa’s adventures enthralled me. I could not wait to hear his stories and see what he brought me upon his return. It was better than the stories that I read as a child. My grandpa was an amazing person, but one of his best qualities was his ability to tell stories, make friends from every part of the world and really try to understand different cultures without passing judgment. He will always be one of my heroes.
There were a few questions I never had the chance to ask him about his travels. 1. Was he scared the first time he went to a new place? 2. How did he decide what countries he wanted to go back to? 3. How did he become part of the culture? 4. What advice would he have for me? If I am being honest, I did not think of these questions at the time. I was too busy imagining all of the fun he had on his adventures.
I imagine he would have answered my questions with great enthusiasm and colorful stories. . He would have encouraged me to explore the world, not wait until later in life (if the opportunity presents itself), learn new languages, explore new cultures and make new friends.
This brings me to my own travels. In March, I will be traveling to Costa Rica with my family. This is the first time that I am truly going out of the country (not sure that my Canada and Mexico day trips count from several decades ago). I feel a combination of excitement and trepidation.
When my first-time adventure begins in a few weeks, I will keep my grandpa’s stories close and my heart/mind open to what will no longer be “The Great Unknown”.