Part of the reason I am passionate about food has to do with connections. Actually, I’d say it’s the main reason. One of my favorite things is to meet people and learn about their passions and what makes them tick. And one of my favorite ways to do this is through travel.
Travel was something I dreamed about as a child. My family did not venture out of our town too often; mainly we drove from Delaware to New Hampshire once a year to visit family. Other than that we really did not go anywhere. I’m sure this is why traveling seemed so exotic to me growing up.
Back then I did the majority of my ‘traveling’ through books. Since we could not afford to go places in person, I was able to visit the wonders of the world through the visions presented by my favorite authors. I’m sure this is also a huge reason I love writing.
My husband did travel growing up. His family often camped and one year did a 6 week journey across the United States (4 kids + 2 parents in a station wagon…yikes!!). When we married we knew we wanted our kids to see more than just their everyday surroundings. In the summer of 2002 we did our own three week drive across the country, stopping at various national parks between Texas and Washington state. We stayed in hotels rather than camping; however, two young boys made it quite the adventure! I remember at one point looking for wild animals became ‘boring’[to them]. So much so that when we finally made it to Seattle we enjoyed a bit of city time to counter all of the parks and hiking and wildlife.
Outside of the US we have ventured to many places in Europe. London is my favorite city in the world, and I try to get back there whenever I can. Italy is my favorite country. There is a bit of a bias here since my husband has family there. We try to go at least once a year, and have been learning to speak Italian for several years. I’d say we are the equivalent of a 5 year old Italian by now…at least in terms of language…
When traveling, I love to experience the food and culture and sights. Meeting locals and seeing a slice of their lives is so much more appealing to me than visiting popular tourist attractions. I love to chat with people about their customs, their religions, their views on life. Traveling is how I expand my world. It broadens my mind. I’m a firm believer that when we spend time seeing how others live, how they eat, how they survive, that this is how we find our way to peace and understanding.
I still have a bucket filled with places I plan to visit, some in other countries, others right here in the United States. Each time I go somewhere new I am encouraged that people are at heart good; they mean well. And each time I encounter new [to me] cuisines, I am inspired to keep cooking, to try new things.
When ypu mentioned about your hubby camping as a child, it brought back memories. My mom and dad were big on camping amd had a station wagon with 3 kids! Italy ia my favote also. Hubby has rots there and we visited in 2005 and would love to go back.