A Travel Meme!

Jas at Through the Lenses tagged me in her post, Five Reasons Why I Travel. Here are my top five:

1. Family.

Although I was born in Los Angeles and have lived here for most of my 50 (soon to be 51) years, my mom and dad and sister all moved out of the area nearly 20 years ago. I did not feel so alone once I met my husband, but the fact that his family resides in the UK only compounds our isolation. And once our daughter was born, we wanted to be sure she felt connected to everyone else, on both sides of the family. So over the last 11 years, we've made trips to Sacramento (my side) and Wales (his side) as often as our budget will allow.

2. Because It's There.

And as long as we have to drive to Northern California or fly to the United Kingdom, we may as well take in some sights along the way (or not too far out of the way). So a Sacramento sojourn expands to include the Napa Valley, or San Francisco, or the gold rush towns of the Sierra Nevada... and a visit to Wales inevitably includes London, countless old castles, small villages like Abergavenny... and even Paris (OK. That one WAS out of the way -- but not in relative terms!)

3. The "Miss America" Reason - To Foster World Peace.

Travel expands you. I firmly believe that the citizens of this country would be less willing to go to war if more of us experienced the world -- and made friends -- outside our borders. The United States is so vast -- it is hard for some of us to believe that our ways are not the only way. I am proud of the fact that our daughter has an awareness of the world outside our little neck of California.

4. Teaching Moments.

OK, that last one was a bit of a stretch. Getting back down to the practical -- It's a kick for me to see places that figure in the history books I read in school, like the California Missions -- or the Tower of London. And having seen these places first hand, I believe my daughter will pay more attention to them when they pop up in her history books. We do make it a point during our travels to visit museums, landmarks and other points of interest.

5. There's Nothing Better than a Four-Star Hotel.

Except for a Five-Star hotel. I love checking into my favorite hotel in London, where the desk clerks greet me like an old friend (yeah, I know, all they do is pull up my record on the computer, but it's still a lovely gesture). I love the big, comfy king beds with the outrageous linen thread count and the granite in the bathrooms -- none of which I have to clean. I love sampling the restaurants, walking around the city, visiting the parks, and window shopping (because after paying for the hotel, I've got nothing left!)

For that matter, I am perfectly happy in lesser establishments, too (as long as they are clean). It's just fun to get outside and explore and see new things and meet new people.

And then I love coming home, where I tell myself I'm going to stay for a long long time.

Until the following month, when I start looking at travel brochures again.

Comments

[TravelingMom]

Hello Socal,

What a great posting, and an even better website! I've been longing to get in touch with other Moms that like to travel. Now I'll just have to keep tabs on your many adventures!

My husband's family also resides in Europe (Germany, to be exact), and mine is in Florida - so I completely understand!
Cheers,
Liz K (AKA "TravelingMom")

[Shawn]

You might find this weird but I'd love to try out every accommodation there is in every place I've been through. The latest is actually the barcelona accomodations. There's culture, elegance, and affordable price combined.