"WELCOME! WELL, COME IN!" lmkluque's Profile

Welcome to my VirtualTourist.com home page,

Whether you are planning a real trip or just want a virtual tour, I have tried to include some facts along with my own impressions in a way that is helpful and hopefully interesting to you.

I have been blessed with opportunities to travel to countries that have fascinating, historical and cultural elements, foreign to me and at the same time familiar, because they are the roots that helped form my own country.

Relax, pour yourself a glass of wine or have a little meal and come see where I've been. I hope I have been helpful.

Enjoy your travels,
Linda

Piano Tuner in the Fourth Floor Flat in Paris

As a young woman my dream was to live in a country for one to three years. Long enough to learn the language and the culture.

Instead, I had children. Time and money that I could have spent on my dream were spent on schools, work and raising my two sons.

I found an interesting substitute. I became a Group Representative, in San Diego, for E.F. Foundation, a foreign exchange organization.

One of it's many programs, EF Homestay, offered students a two week to one month package, where they stayed with an American family, that I interviewed and chose, had daily classes in English and American culture, that I helped teach along with another teacher, afternoon activities, that I organized and in some cases overnight trips to L.A. or San Francisco, which I planned and accompanied the students on.

It was an eye-opening experience for me and I made many friends with Tour Leaders (accompanying the students from their own country) and the students themselves.

When I had the time and money to travel, I had friends in each country to visit. Each of my friends enriched the quality of my travels beyond anything I could write about, but here I'll try.

A simple example was the day I had to learn to say, Quatrieme etage in French, over the intercom, to let in the piano tuner while friends went out on an errand.

We laughed at my terrible accent, we laughed at my panic. We laughed again later at the quizzical look on the face of the piano tuner, when my friends returned and asked if he had trouble understanding me. These simple moments were priceless.

Flying Kites At The Marina

It has been fun reliving my travels and sharing information, impressions and photos with you. Now I'd like to offer you a glimpse of my home country. In some places I have simply been a tourist and other places I have lived and want to give as much information as I can to help your visit become the best that it can be.

One thing I love most about living in San Diego is that there are so many places for me to spend a few hours as if I were on a fantastic vacation.

Here I am in Chula Vista, California at the J Street Marina, sitting on a blanket with a nice picnic lunch, watching my oldest granddaugher flying my kite in the warm, balmy breeze of a San Diego winter's day.

Not bragging, just appreciating.

Just Follow What Is Intresting To You.

Cross-Referencing Links

Lately I've been working on the full scope of presenting San Diego City and County through links to other pages I have built that will expand the dimension of a traveler's options as well as give someone who plans to move here an idea of what to expect.

There hasn't been a method to my approach, more of a whimsical effort as the mood strikes. There are two main reasons I decided to do this. One, I am unable to do any traveling of my own just now, but still want to contribute to VT.

Two, Many people have applied to me for more information about San Diego's offerings as well as specifics about San Diego as a place to live. My idea was that with links to the other pages I've built about San Diego City neighborhoods and cities around San Diego County, anyone who wanted a bit more info could follow the path that most interested them.

Cool and Casual VT

Joining VT itself was life changing for me.

Too sick and too poor and unable to travel anymore, I found VT because I was searching to answer a question I had about Germany, I think it was Germany.

I'm not a "joiner" but there were so many things going on at VT--even in those early days of the site--that I returned daily to see what was new. It took me three months to begin building pages of my own from past travels and I really had a great time--except that it took so long to scan each of my photos.

In those days we each had a timer box showing how long we had been logged in. I stayed on longer and longer each day until I realized that I was actually "addicted" to VT. Still, it seemed that most of us were and this addiction seemed nothing to be ashamed of, except maybe to those who feared detection from their bosses at work, though not a deterrent.

Several years later I went to my first VT Meeting. I don't like group things but the organizer, Yubert, seemed so nice and encouraging as did a few other VT Members who planned to meet-up.

Determined, I left my comfort zone and went to L.A. to find out that the Real people were as nice as the Virtual people and I had a wonderful time, like being with family. Then I proudly became a VT Meeting addict too. Even organized a VT Meeting myself. Met the owner of the site and in a quiet, one-on-one discussion moment, was impressed with his dream, focus and purpose for creating VT--which had nothing to do with money but everything to do with giving people a place to share their travel experiences to help others with theirs. A full blown success it's turned out to be, I'd say.

My addiction is no longer "out of control," but I still get up every morning, fix my coffee and check VT to see what's happened over night and join everyone else when I can add something in a positive way. On VT I don't feel sick, I don't feel poor nor do I feel unable. Under the circumstances I'd say that's pretty life changing!

Thanks VT!