Introduction

Baby Jamie all bundled up at the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK 1982

Born in Juneau, Alaska, I’ve since made more than 20 cities my home. I spent my teens and 20s doing a lot of traveling – for vacation, work, and school. But my favorite reason for traveling is to experience something new and to come back a different person. I don’t make a great tourist. I want to feel what it’s like to BE in that place – the smells, the local legends, even the sadness that may be there.

I never used to be big on taking picture while traveling, especially because when I was younger I was always traveling with family or friends that were snapping plenty of photos themselves. I actually have very few photos from many of the cities I have been to before 2004. I thought at the time that I’d rather remember my travels through the lens of my own memories. But now I’m beginning to feel a sense of panic as many of my travels are becoming blurry around the edges. So, my new goals are: 1.) Write about my travels so I’ll always have the stories. 2.) Start stalking old friends for pictures of my earlier travels.

Baby lion in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, November 2009

I wanted to start this blog because I have never written about my travels in any way, not even in a personal journal or letter to a friend. I’m not old, but I have a deep sense of my memories beginning to fade and that scares me. I have traveled to learn about the world and myself, and now those experiences are slipping away from memory. How can I lose the stories that made me who I am? I want to rediscover the details of why I have become the person I am through the places I have visited, the people I have encountered, and the experiences I have had around the world.

Although he looks content, this was the worst flight of my life.

Since my son was born in 2011, I have been hesitant to travel very much. If you have never flown commercial with an energetic and curious toddler, count yourself among the lucky. (The key is to never look the other passengers directly in the eyes.) We are fast approaching the time that he will become a better traveler, and I am excited to get back out in the world and discover. I look forward to taking my son on our family adventures so he can find out who he wants to be in the context of this big world.

So, thank you for reading, and I hope that my stories may encourage you to get out there are meet some people around the world!