Travel Bug...

My dad was born and raised in New York City. He and some of the kids in his neighborhood, joined the Navy during WWII and traveled across the Pacific Ocean a few times. He returned home, married and started a family. An amazing fact: he was aboard the battleship USS Missouri where Japan signed a surrender in 1945 that formally ended the war.

When it was time for vacation, I remember lots of road trips of a few hundred miles to upstate New York, Canada and a few trips to Miami to see relatives.

Around the time I was 6 years old, my parents decided to travel by car to California. The uncle who lived in Florida, reenlisted in the Navy as a career and traveled the world. He was stationed in California and moved his family there. They invited my parents to stay with them. The thought was a great idea to get out of New York City. Also, my dad had some Navy friends living in California, so that made the idea more attractive. Our stay was short. Less than a year later and fate had both families locating to Miami, Florida.

Most of the family travels as a kid brought us through the Southern route across America. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and a few days in Las Vegas! I think I've seen enough endless stretches of desert and mirages. The best memory was the leather fringe jacket purchased at an old west tourist attraction in Tijuana. I wore until it literally fell apart! Miami became my home. I only traveled when necessary and really not for enjoyment.

As a musician, I traveled the East coast a few times, including two tours into Canada. The money was good for a while, but things soured and I was glad to be home, started back at college and anchored myself for many years.

My brother took the Army as a career and made lots of address changes in the US and about 6 years in Germany. My parents traveled to see him at least twice and one had a stop in Italy... Rome and the Vatican. My mom was okay with travel, but it was my dad who had the travel bug!

I've been on a few cruises to the Caribbean, usually sponsored by the company I was working for and twice to Grand Bahama to manage a project assignment for hotel interiors we were contracted to do.

At least 4 trips to Ohio to see my brother... I couldn't wait to return home each time. Probably another Ohio trip is in my future this year.

Ten years ago, one trip took me half-way around the world. Door to door to a major city in South China was about 32 hours and I lost 10 pounds during that trip as I didn't consume food on the flights. Me, food and travel don't always agree. I decided to become semi-retired just as COVID hit, so my travel plans to return were dreams up in smoke.
I'm working on a few long-term projects right now and it won't be this year, but there's hope for an extended visit next year. At least 2, possibly 3 months stay to make it worth my while. My interest is meeting two grand children that I've only seen on video chat. The trip will have meaning and not to satisfy any desire to be a travel bug!



Blog #1,673 and system blog # 71,206.