When I finished my sophomore year of college in 1971 (Yeah, I’m that old) I took my first airplane ride. I flew to Indiana, but that was just the beginning of this trip. I joined a group of other college students, and we took off on an adventure around the world to support the mission work of our church. From the US we went to Egypt where we saw the pyramids. From there we spent two weeks in India and at the end visited the Taj Mahal. Taiwan was our next stop where we took an overnight train to the southern tip. Finally we arrived in Hong Kong and peered over the border at the mysterious country of China. Returning back to Oregon after circling the globe, I was never the same again.
I have found that being in other cultures is an invigorating experience. I love to learn about their customs, beliefs, and perspectives on many things. This particularly came into focus for me when I spent four years teaching in the Dominican Republic. I made a number of Dominican friends who shared their lives with me. Since then I have traveled to various countries, met some really great people, and have dreams and plans for even more travel. I want to use this blog to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and discover what our world is really like. I want to make travel seem less scary and more possible. To read more about my philosophy of travel read my blog post “Why Travel” I recently encountered this quote from Patrick Rothfuss, “Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet.” I have summed it up with my theme, “Life’s a journey. Travel often. Learn much.”
Adding photos is a part of this. I have developed an interest in photography, and am continuing to grow in my skills. Being able to document with pictures the places I have seen and experienced is a great way to share what the world has to offer. However, I have tried to move beyond just the typical travel snapshot and have worked hard at editing my photos. While I am no expert in photography, I hope my photos will add to your understanding of our world.
So the title “Battered Suitcase” refers to my past travel experiences and memories, but also speaks to the fact that I am not done. Now retired I feel my traveling days are just heating up. My need for a suitcase has never been greater.
So how is this blog different from other travel blogs you can read? First, this is not a blog by a “professional” traveler. Instead I’m just an ordinary guy who travels as much as he can. Secondly, I am not trying to make money with this blog so you won’t find ads, and I don’t get anything if you click on a link somewhere. Thirdly all the photos on my blog are mine or taken by someone I know personally. I have been surprised at how many blogs note at the bottom that the photos they used were taken from another photo site. They are basically using other people’s photos. I don’t do that. Finally, I am sharing my personal experiences, opinions, and thoughts. Maybe it will inspire you to travel more as well.
While this blog is mine, I occasionally share it with another great traveler, my daughter Andrea. She loves to travel as much as I do and is in many ways more adventurous as she is younger. She has traveled with my wife and me on a number of occasions. Other times it has been just she and I traveling while my wife was working. As a teacher she has the summers off. She has found a tour group designed for teachers and has used them for a number of adventures. Look for her series on Costa Rica and Africa. Her posts reflect her personality so be sure to read them as they come along.
Thanks for joining me as I look at the past as well as create new memories in the future. Grab your suitcase and jump onboard. It’s going to be an experience.
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Credits: The cover photo was taken by Gentil Dibalbe. The photo from Korea was taken by Dave Gertlar. Andrea Lee took the selfie with me. All other photos were taken by Silvette Lee