"Always do what you wish you could" Nathalie_B's Profile

Madrid, La Latina. May 2011

I got tired of looking at my own homepage so I decided to change it a bit. Well, maybe not a bit. There are a lot of pictures I have taken during my travels, and the original idea was putting, every day, a new picture on this page.
Now, this decision was made long before I realized that my best, student years are over and that time is something I'll never have enough.
So, good thinking Nathalie, but unfortunately impossible to keep up with.

I do update my pages as much as I can and do build new ones whenever I get a chance. When you read my tips you'll find lots of historical facts in them. This is because history of a place I visit is my number one drive to get out and explore.

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We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first
time.
Through the unknown,
remembered gate
When the last of earth left to
discover
Is that which was the beginning.

T.S. Eliot

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"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it".
John Steinbeck

It looks like my journeys are controlled by VTers. Instead of exploring something new and unexplored, in October 2006 I went back to Belgium and the Netherlands (ok, I did explore some parts of Germany too). Just because some of these VTers are not virtual friends anymore and I missed them terribly.

April 2007, another VTer "controlled" my travel decisions. I spent 7 wonderful days in Madrid and surroundings with "Urzu" and her family

October 2007, 3 weeks in Oahu weren't enough, but definitely made me want to go back..again, and again, again.
During my stay in Paradise our very own Keida84 happened to be there too and our meeting was GREAT. What are the chances? And I thought I do control my journeys.

February 2008, 4 days in Madrid were supposed to be spent on business, however only half a day was enough, the rest was spent with Urzu, of course. She even managed to torture my boss. This is what I call a REAL friend!

August 2008, 6 days in London were a revenge for my happy trip to Madrid. This time I was so busy, working, that I didn't even dare to plan any VT meetings. This was my first and only trip abroad without meeting a VTer.

September - October 2008, a long month of fun vacation was planned for Florida and Hawaii (including the Big Island), but VTers kept controlling my journeys and I found myself making a 3-day stopover in New York were I met with friends that I haven't seen since I left the Big Apple in 2003

December 2008, my first real Christmas celebrations, in Cape Coral, Florida. Totally enjoyed every minute of my stay there. My X-Mas wasn't white, but definitely the best one!

May 2009, my first VT Euromeet, in Cascais. What a great meeting it was, I don't remember when was the last time I laughed so much. And I got to meet so many wonderful people. Looks like I won't be skipping the 2010 meet in Krakow

October 2009, back to Portugal and Madrid, and I do blame another VTer for it.. my dear Urzu of course.

May 2010, did I mention I won't be skipping the Krakow EuroMeet? Well, I didn't. Besides exploring another wonderful European city I got the chance to meet my old VT friends and make new ones. Ok, I confess, I also managed to break VT member's nose :)

September 2010 - Wales & Dublin!! Yaaay, I finally made it to Dublin!! As for meeting VT members, although I was made infamous on DavidGB's homepage he was still kind enough to tour the New Forest area with me.

January 2011 - USA again, Florida again, best memories again! Managed to visit the Disney World for the first time in my life and glad that none of you was there with a camera to picture me screaming on a roller coaster :)

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~Nathalie_B's travel commandments~

Special thanks to RobDavis for the picture!

If an ass goes traveling he will not come home a horse
Thomas Fuller
1. Don’t be that ass! Respect local cultures, values, beliefs, traditions!

If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion. and avoid the people you might better stay at home.
James A. Michener
2. Be open-minded, remember that you don’t have to travel to speak your own language, eat familiar food, and meet familiar faces

People don't take trips . . . trips take people.
John Steinbeck
3. Get lost! How can you “explore” if you planned every step and marked it on your map? By wandering around you may come across the most wonderful places you’ll ever see.

A guest never forgets the host who had treated him kindly.
Homer
4. Remember to thank people you meet along the way, thank those who showed their kindness, opened they homes and hearts to you.

Every exit is an entry somewhere else.
Tom Stoppard
5. Back from a journey? Start planning a new one!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Mark Twain
6. Never stop dreaming and exploring

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176 and counting!

Some of you may have noticed that VT Meetings' travelogues that used to be here are all gone. I simply don't have the space anymore to list them all. Instead, here they are.... almost two hundred VTers, from 27 countries, I've met:

a2lopes, ACSpotter, Adej, AKJager, Alain_Smeets, Almelain, AndieS, Andyj37, AnaRenilla, AnnaWB, ania70pl, Arasnosliw, balam, balfor, B_Caro, bartw, Beach_dog, Becky1980, Belsaita, benazer, Benidormone, Bernd_L, Bigjones, bijo69, Boniunia, BradBrown (aka Balashi), Bregman, budapest8, Cachaseiro, Cadzand, Caffeine_induced78, CatNL, Carmela71, Ceswho, Chicabonita, chocolatecake, Cgj1, co48, Conny_Bazen, CrtnShdofGrn, CubsIn4, Daddygila, DanielDiNicola, DAO, davesut, DavidGB, Diamonddog, Dila, Dracko, Drolkar, Eddymario, Eden_Teuling, El_Holandes, Europebn, fairy_dust, Frankcanfly, Fen, Gili_S, GillianMcLaughlin, Gillybob, Globtrott, Goldenboy, gubbi1, Helga67, Highlander123, Hilla_m, Hotsauce28, Huntertmorgen, IceBear7, Igraine, Imaniac, Irisbe, Iver, Jacolien, Hikerpark, HORSCHECK, JAFA-Rease, jo104, Joenes, johngayton, jonathanbarker, jonkb, jorgec25, Kaspian, Keida84, Kindberg37, Kinga_Freespirit, KiNyA, Kristara, Kristina1701, Kozzmozz, Kristii, Kylian73, leics, littlesam1, LoriPori, lubama05, MacedonianUK, Mahieu, Marie-Claude, marielexoteria, Martin_NL, Martin_S., Master_D, matcrazy0, matcrazy1, MATIM, mickybleck, Mique, MollyMoo0oo0, Myriam_c, NewYorkPrincess, Newyorkerman, Nighthawk, nomad7890, Norali, NYTim, OH_DK, Oma14, Orke, Paris92, Patje, Pavlik_NL, Penpoison, Pete_NL, Peter_P, PhillyJohn, Pieter_Jan_V, pollon, poons, Ptitetoile, RaHeNi, Razmataac, RCBAPB, Redang, RhineRoll, RhondaRuth, Rmbtac, Roadquill, Roam, Royslaven, sabsi, sachara, Salsa_Girl, Sharon, shyama, Scedric2306, sdcbrsfr, Sinjoor, Skye820, Stephanie, Stevieboy, Suet, Suri, suvanki, Syllou, TazMocha, tere1, TheView, Thorgal67, Tijs, Tompt, toonsarah, tpbalazs, TravelingSpirit, Trillian2005, Tripack, Virtualpatrick, VZ-Pam, Urzu, Waaleviener, Wenasje, Worldtrekker, yumyum, zOmerzOn

Who's next?

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Important Message to all "Millionaires"

All the overthrown royalty members that offer millions of dollars, please don't. American Dollar is weak, Euro is even weaker, British Pound isn't worth much either, and my bank only excepts Israeli Shekels, anyway. The exchange rate is high and bank commissions are even higher. So, unless you'd like to transfer 10,000,000 miles to my American Airlines membership account go pester somebody else!

Intro Updated Sep 25, 2011
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Comments (359)

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LadyRVG Jan 25, 2013 at 7:50 AM

OMG! Just received your Christmas Card in the mail... It definitely took a wrong turn...
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Waalewiener Dec 28, 2012 at 6:35 AM

Thank you from Hansje as well Schatje for Christmas card
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LoriPori Dec 28, 2012 at 3:03 AM

Received your lovely Christmas card yesterday. thanks for being so thoughtful schotje. xxx Loritje
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LoriPori Dec 24, 2012 at 3:40 AM

Here's wishing you my dear Nathalie schotje a very "Merry Christmas" and all the best in the new year. xxx Loritje
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toonsarah Dec 24, 2012 at 2:22 AM

Season's greetings from London, and all the very best for 2013!
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Redang Dec 19, 2012 at 10:18 PM

Merry Christmas and happy 2013!
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Mique Dec 13, 2012 at 8:21 AM

A very belated birthday wish. But I'll have a beer in your honour later ;-)
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nighthawk Dec 9, 2012 at 2:48 PM

hope you had a happy flappy birthday!!
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Tripack Dec 9, 2012 at 9:26 AM

Bon anniversaire Nathalie! Greetings from the snowy Swiss Alps ;-) Patrick
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Parisforless Dec 9, 2012 at 7:04 AM

Happy birthday Nathalie! Wishing you many great places to visit and great memories to collect along the way.
Svetlana Bellon