Jase1177's VirtualTourist Home Page

I grew up in a family that was not worldly nor traveled much. My mother has never flown & my father hasn't flown in my lifetime. Although I was always fascinated and drawn to new & foreign people, places, & things, I didn't really start to travel until I was in college. My first trip out of the country was in 1998 to Montreal. My first time flying was not until January 2000. Since then I have flown at least a hundred times and take every opportunity to travel.

My first time off the continent was in 2002 when I went to Poland while in graduate school. Since that trip, I have had the travel drug pumping through me. I have only been to a few places out of the US but have made it a priority of mine to visit the places I have studied and dreamt about. I plan to take at least one big foreign trip each year (money and US vacation leave are hindrances to doing more).

One of my favorite activities is watching travel shows, especially "Globetrekker" on PBS in the States. Also, I love travel narratives and welcome suggestions.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime. ~Mark Twain

"Little by little, one travels far." J. R. R. Tolkien
Thanks to the quote on jamiesno's homepage on VT.

I recently rediscovered one of my favorite childhood movies, "The Chipmunk Adventure". This movie is about Alvin & the Chipmunks race around the world. I can remember as a child being fascinated by the different places the went (in animation), and now look back to realize that I had the travel instinct back then. The main song from movie evokes the thrill of travel. Although some lyrics are specific to what is happening in the movie, I like the chorus and what it means. Plus I just feel like a kid again!.

Off to See the World by Alvin & the Chipmunks
Flying through the airways
Making the right stops
Through a storybook of places
Making all our drops

See the cliffs of Dover
And over to the right
Are the snowy white-capped Alps
Majestic, standing bright

Chorus
Hey don't you know that we're off to see the world
We're off to find our dreams
Why are our hearts beating so fast
Why is there suddenly a brand new hope inside of us that will surely last
Hey don't you know that we're off to see the world
We're off to find things new
So we will follow every clue
Just thing there suddenly
A chance to find it in all we dreamed in dreams come true

Just flew over Switzerland
Destination set
Heading out for Africa
A place we won't forget
Faced a threat in Rio
We could be in for more
And now we are desending
I can see the pearly shore

Repeat Chorus

I recently saw this photo in a taxi in Mexico. I giggled and realized that I in fact have longings. My longings are mainly focused on travel. I can only hope that I can make my longings into reality. What are your longings?