"Living the Dream......" cjg1's Profile

I'm Loving My New Life..................

On Friday November 13, 2009 Liz and I were married in a very intimate ceremony. A good friend and fellow Vter(Newyorkerman) was minister. A week later we had another wedding in Turks & Caicos on the beach during sunset. We honeymooned for two weeks in a beautiful island paradise. It was the most wonderful experience being together and enjoying our new life together in such a heavenly setting.

Getting married to Liz was the happiest moment in my life. I can't believe that it is all real and that she is my wife.I can't wait to see what wonderful adventures life has to offer us.......

Check out our wonderful Honeymoon Memories:
Turks & Caicos

I've Been Busy...........

Enjoying Hawaii (Feb 2013)

2012 was a busy year that ended sadly with the passing of my father in law Bob but 2013 rang in a new year of travel. We began the year with several road trips to some of our favorite places. In February, I turned the Big 4-0! My wife and I celebrated Hawaiian style with a fifteen night cruise to Hawaii, which was incredible. We have many other trips planned this year and can't wait for some more adventure!

Playing Catch Up

Enjoying a Nice Meal in Provo

I've been pretty busy the past four years and am just starting to catch up on my pages....it might take me a year or so. So pardon the many pages that are currently under construction or being built. We've had fun travelling and making some great memories and new friends along the way.

As always its been a real pleasure to meet so many wonderful VTers along the way.

The Birthday Tales & Family Travel

Enjoying Mahe for my Birthday (Feb 2011)

Over the years I have been fortunate to spend my Birthday in some incredible places: Edinburgh, San Fransico, surrounded by Moscow & Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Singapore, Budapest, Sydney for 2010 and a wonderful birthday in Mahe for 2011.
Sydney, Perth and Hong Kong for 2012; which was a blast. In 2013, I turned the Big 4-0 in Hawaii, which was a wonderful and memorable trip.

As the years pass I have realized that travel is a gift and it should be shared. I have been lucky to have travelled with my wife, my brother in law Rob, my Mom and her fiancee, Liz's parents, Mikey, Chris, Karen, Lydia, Antoinette and Rich. Sharing a travel adventure together was a great experience especially if you can open up a person to a new place and culture. I am lucky to have a great travel partner in Liz. We enjoy travelling together and every destination is more new adventures and memories.

Evolution

Austrian Alps. August 13, 2006

Its truly amazing how life changes along the way. Just like VT itself has changed along the way.

I first starting going to www.virtualtourist.com back when it was just a graphical interface of lists of servers with web content. Give or take, 1994/1995. This drifted off however as time went by and search engines were developed and improved.

Then in early 1999 I was working from home during the day and decided I was in a rut of sorts with the websites I would frequent. So I went back to find new content to read and decided to find something local. Back to www.virtualtourist.com. Well, it was no longer what I wanted. But I looked around, made an ID and basically forgot about it for a week.

That is when I returned on March 21 of 1999. And couldn’t for the life of me remember my log on information. So I created another ID, my current cjg1, and started paying more attention to it. Building minimal and quite honestly, horrible content. Reading forums. Etc for the next five months or so.

Then it was another break in the action for me as I had moved, a new job, and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. Which is funny because 8+ years later I have only some of those questions answered.

And finally after that break of about a year when I found myself working in Karlsruhe Germany I really got involved with VT. Content, Forums, etc. I however did not know at the time I was basically walking right past where the VT offices had been each day on my way to and from work.

And I’ve never looked back.

Some words about VTers and Meetings

Having fun in Turks and Caicos (May 2011)

I have had the honor to meet many people here on VT. Along the way I would assume the number is more than 300 of you. I never thought to keep a list back then. And now when I see lists on other's pages I wonder if it would even be possible to create. But it really wouldn’t. People here come and go and memories sadly do the same. I would never want to leave someone off.

My most recent VT meeting was much more than a VT meeting. It was like having our own private tour guide. Thank you so much for all the time you gave us that day in Budapest. I am sure I'd not have seen or done half as much if you had given me a week there on my own.

Travel Styles

Me and my blonde with Pieter Jan. October 23, 06.

Over the years my travel style has included mileage runs, long weekend trips and tons of air time. I don't know if it's maturing or a change in priorities but my travel style has changed.

For the first time I spent two weeks in one place during our honeymoon in Turks & Caicos. I was surprised at how much I loved being in one place for such a long period of time and how much I loved being lazy on the beach. I also developed a fondness for taking cruises....it's a nice way to get a sample of a variety of places. I also spent three weeks this past year in Australia which was an incredible time for both myself and my wife.

Disney World was a place I never had a desire to see until I met my wife. Since she is a Disney fanatic I agree to go. Since then we have returned several times and I actually enjoy being there despite the masses of children. I recently took our first Disney Cruise in July 2012; and despite not being a Disney fanatic as my wife is...I had an incredible time.

Our road trips have been great ways to spend weekends and explore some favorite areas as well as new ones.

Our air time has primarily been to see family with the occasional pleasure trip. Having so many new relatives that live in great places makes it easy to agree to a family visit.

My Favorite Travel Books.

Our Great Ocean Road Adventure (November 2012)

How I Worked My Way Around the World by Harry Steele Morrison. 1903 - Rereading this one now.
A Walk Across France by Miles Morland

Intro Updated May 15, 2013
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Comments (250)

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floyd111 Apr 1, 2013 at 12:34 AM

I am so..y Ma ed
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penpoison Feb 25, 2013 at 4:33 AM

happy belated birthday, hope it was a good one.
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  cjg1 Mar 4, 2013 at 4:28 PM
  
  Thanks, it was. Just waiting for a flight home from our Hawaii trip.
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MM212 Feb 24, 2013 at 10:05 PM

Chris - Happy Birthday from Los Angeles!
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:09 AM
  
  Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!
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Herkbert Feb 24, 2013 at 3:52 PM

Hey Chris.. Happy birthday!
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:09 AM
  
  Thanks Tom!
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Jerelis Feb 24, 2013 at 9:47 AM

Happy happy birthday. Have a great day!
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:09 AM
  
  Thanks!
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Zajem Feb 24, 2013 at 6:11 AM

Happy Birthday to you from the Czech Republic.
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:09 AM
  
  Thanks for the Birthday Greetings!
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garridogal Feb 24, 2013 at 5:48 AM

Hope you're enjoying your birthday. Hey, you're in Hawaii; of course you are!
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  garridogal Mar 6, 2013 at 3:45 AM
  
  Lucky Liz!
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  cjg1 Mar 6, 2013 at 4:46 AM
  
  she deserves it...I couldn't ask for a better wife.
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roamer61 Feb 24, 2013 at 5:45 AM

Hey Chris. Happy Bday!
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:09 AM
  
  Thanks man!
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Donna_in_India Feb 24, 2013 at 4:54 AM

Hi Chris - wishing you a very happy birthday!
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:10 AM
  
  Thanks Donna!
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pieter_jan_v Feb 24, 2013 at 1:24 AM

Chris, Very happy Birthday! PJ
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  cjg1 Mar 5, 2013 at 11:10 AM
  
  Thanks PJ!
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  pieter_jan_v Mar 5, 2013 at 11:23 AM
  
  That was a long party, haha.