"WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF TRAVEL" traveldave's Profile

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"THE WORLD IS A BOOK, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY A PAGE."
(Saint Augustine)

TRAVEL BIOGRAPHY
Travel offers the best opportunity to learn about this world. Ever since I was a young boy, I read as much as I could about different cultures and countries, but I have learned more from traveling to far off places than by reading about them in books and magazines.

I got the travel bug early, when my parents took me to most of the American states. We moved around a lot, and I have lived in Connecticut, Idaho, Colorado, Vermont, California, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia. Living in these different parts of the country gave me an appreciation of the East Coast and New England, the Rocky Mountain West, Southern California, the Midwest, and Appalachia.

I first started traveling internationally when I went to Canada on family vacations and on school trips. Even in my early teens, I dreamed of traveling to foreign countries and seeing the world. I first went to Europe right after graduating from high school. I had taken four years of French, and jumped at the chance to go to France on a language/cultural program. I lived for five weeks with a French family, none of whom spoke any English. This was a great opportunity to learn more French and experience a foreign culture first hand.

I returned to Europe two years later, when I went there with my brother Jeff on a student tour. We visited 16 countries over a six-week period. At that time, East Germany, Hungary, and Yugoslavia were still under Communist control, and it was an exciting and eye-opening experience to go there during the Cold War.

During my college years I concentrated on my studies and only managed to go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with a couple of friends, and to Jamaica by myself.

After that, I got married and worked to build my career. I was earning enough money to really start traveling again. However, most of the trips I took were either package tours (which included airfare and a week's stay in a hotel) or guided tours. The package trips were not bad, since I was able to do what I wanted during the trip. On the other hand, I did not like guided tours much at all. Although I was able to visit some fascinating countries and cities, I was stuck in a group seeing sights at the group's pace.

Later, I got divorced and changed careers. Due to life's ups and downs, I was not always able to travel to the places I really wanted to see. Although I prefer to visit foreign countries, there were times when I was only able to travel to nearby cities and states. I had become guilty of ignoring places close to home, thinking there was nothing of interest to excite me. Since joining Virtual Tourist, however, I have looked at travel, especially local travel, differently. I started to visit nearby attractions to take pictures for my Virtual Tourist pages, and in doing that, it became fun and interesting to revisit many of the places I went to when I was younger. I have enjoyed periodic short road trips to see and photograph places here in the United States that I otherwise would not have had the desire to see. Now, thanks to Virtual Tourist, I can find something worthwhile wherever I go.

Recently, my situation has changed, and I am starting once again to travel to more distant and "exotic" places. This time, I am combining two of my passions: travel and birdwatching. One of the nice things about birdwatching trips is that the countries I will be visiting are a bit off the beaten path, allowing me to see some of the more remote corners of the world. Now, I am taking birdwatching trips to foreign countries every six months or so, and am trying to have at least one trip booked at all times.

My travel goal is to visit at least 100 independent countries (I am currently up to 46). Even if I do not attain that goal, what great times I will have and what wonderful things I will see! And in trying to reach my goal, I will have read more than just a page of this book that is the world.

Marrakech, Morocco

AFRICA

Countries Visited: Djibouti, Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia

Bangkok, Thailand

ASIA

Countries Visited: China, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Madrid, Spain

EUROPE

Countries Visited: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, East Germany, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City, West Germany

San Francisco, United States

NORTH AMERICA

Countries Visited: Bahamas, Canada, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, United States

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

SOUTH AMERICA

Countries Visited: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Intro Updated Sep 19, 2011
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Comments (188)

LoriPori Apr 3, 2012 at 3:53 AM Report Abuse

Hello Dave. Thought I would stop by and say "hello"! How have you been. We're still traveling and keeping busy. Lori and Hansi
daldin Jan 23, 2012 at 8:42 PM Report Abuse

how i wish u travel some part of asia
Minceta Jan 12, 2012 at 4:05 AM Report Abuse

Hello, David!

I suppose that you don't know that I have lived in colombia for aboput two years and a half and it really is a country which I carry in my heart. Nowadays one of my aunts and uncles and my two cousins live there. I will read your comments about Colombia with interest.

I also still don't have detailed plans for trips this year, but what we (my husband and me) certainly do have in mind for this year's summer holidays is a trip to Boston to visit my aunt and uncle who live there and from teher we hope to make some excursions around. Do you have a page about Boston or that part of the United States?

Best regards from a cloudy but still dry Belgrade,

Jasmina
Faiza-Ifrah Dec 18, 2011 at 3:49 PM Report Abuse

happy birthday David. i also wish you happy holidays, merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance :-)
Kuznetsov_Sergey Dec 17, 2011 at 12:30 AM Report Abuse

S dnjom rozgdenija (happy birthday) David! All the best from Moscow!
MalenaN Dec 16, 2011 at 10:52 PM Report Abuse

Hi David, and thank you for visiting my Azerbaijan page! It was absolutly an interesting place to visit. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family!
olja1234 Dec 16, 2011 at 1:39 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday, Dave! Have a special day.
Trekki Dec 16, 2011 at 8:10 AM Report Abuse

Happy birthday Dave :-)
Hosell Dec 16, 2011 at 7:32 AM Report Abuse

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!!! hope everything is alright with you and all the best from Spain!!!!!
Daja123 Dec 15, 2011 at 11:14 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday Dave... Have a wonderful day, with all good wishes for Christmas and New Year, Best regards from snowy Slovenia!