Voyageuse30's VirtualTourist Home Page

After spending nearly a year in Ohioan wedded bliss, my husband and I decided to move permanently to France. We got there in October 2006.

Things didn't work out as well as I would have hoped. My husband and I are still together, don't worry. :) But we have decided that we need to be in the U.S., so we moved back in the summer of 2008.

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Was only traveling in my mind at this point...

THE DREAMER.

Once upon a time there was a little girl, about 10 years old, who loved to lay down on the grass in her backyard on nice sunny days and watch the airplanes fly way overhead. She always wondered, who's on those airplanes and where are they going? She was jealous. She always said to herself, I want to go, too! She also loved to sit quietly in her room and read books about people and places far away.

That little girl was me, and still is. I always want to go somewhere. My mind and my soul are never content to just be in one place for very long. Ever since my first taste of England in 1993, I haven't been able to sit still.

I've only been to 7 countries so far. That's not nearly as exhaustive as my list of must-sees, so I'm working on it. But I must say that the places I have seen, I've experienced pretty extensively. I've spent considerable time in the UK (England/Scotland/Wales), Germany, and France in particular. I can tell someone great detail about those and they each have very special memories. I've spent less amounts of time in the Czech Republic, Austria, Crete, and Luxembourg, but enjoyed them very much just the same.

Seeing selected parts of all countries in Europe is my ultimate goal. It just has so many fascinating aspects to it. I'd like to see every continent, but Europe is where it's at for me. Since I'll be living there again soon, I'll have more opportunities to explore it even further. I can't wait!!

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Where can I go next??

FOREVER CHANGED.

I truly believe that travel makes a person more open minded and sympathetic to others. I have noticed this in myself and now I can't imagine having any other outlook on life.

I have been fortunate enough to meet people from so many different backgrounds. We are all so different but we all have basically the same inner core with the same needs and wants. No one of us is any better than the other, no smarter or better off. We are all just different.

Travelling has given me this insight and many more. I'll go into some more philosophies elsewhere. Until then, please have a look around at some places I have been and I highly recommend that if you haven't yet ventured out beyond your hometown, please, GO!!! You'll be forever changed.

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"Exit" in German

MY TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS.

These are places I consider the best of those that I've been to, due to particularly happy memories that occured there:

FRANCE:
-Rouen - where my husband used to live. Many happy memories walking hand-in-hand with him through the streets. Hitting the pubs, shopping, meeting friends for coffee or a drink.
-Gaillefontaine - visiting his parents in this tiny village. Many great meals and relaxing visits to their lovely home.

ENGLAND:
-I spent almost 5 years here, and my good memories are almost too numerous to share.

SCOTLAND:
-Edinburgh - Realizing the competitive spirit between the English and the Scottish at a pub on Rose Street. Learning the history of the rivalry between the two and more history by a few guys who bought us all beer and treated us like old friends.

GERMANY:
-Lauterbach - A friend and I passed through this small place on the way to Triberg and the Black Forest. Everyone was dressed up and drinking in the town square for something called Fasching (which we knew nothing about at the time), so we were curious and stopped to see what was going on. I don't think many Americans or foreigners have been here, so we were a bit of a novelty there and once we attempted to talk to some of them in our halted German, were treated like special guests and friends. We had such a good time with them that we ended up coming back to Lauterbach after our trip to Triberg and the Black Forest, where the guys in the local band showed us how this tiny city (village?) celebrated Fasching and life in general. Thank you to Frank and a guy everyone called Bobo for giving us such a fun fantastic view into German life. My short time spent in Lauterbach was one of the best times I've ever had travelling.

AUSTRIA:
-Innsbruck - Buying a hat in a small hat shop somewhere in the city. The man working there finally giving me a huge smile and a thumbs-up when I had chosen the 'right' hat, after I had tried on almost every one in the store! He spoke no English, I spoke no German, but he made my day, and I was much warmer on that cold day thanks to that hat.

LUXEMBOURG:
-Luxembourg City - Bless that cab driver's heart, I forgot my limits with alcohol and drank way too much, and was trying out my rusty French, made more horrible by all the lagers, on this poor guy, who was only to happy to engage me in conversation and even politely correct my grammar!