We have been very fortunate to have had opportunities to travel, domestically and internationally, which has allowed us to learn about other peoples and cultures. More than anything, we have seen that people are the same everywhere: they work hard to support their families, they are respectful of people who treat them honestly, they love to eat and to play, and they enjoy telling stories for those who enjoy listening.
While traveling, we tried to compose journals but were not as conscientious as we would have liked. We took photos often, but had a major malfunction at the end of our first stay in Brasil, and the camera was never properly repaired. Still, we rely on these photos, amateurish as they are, to help us remember our experiences and the places we have been. Since retirement is a long way off--we have already spent a good portion of the illusive nest egg--the overseas trips occur only sporadically, but we do manage to meander frequently in our beloved Pacific Northwest.
Our major destination for travel outside of the US has been to Brasil, where we lived more than 5 years, in several stages. Our introductions to Brasil was in the Peace Corps, in the early 70s. We returned in the early 80s to live in the Amazon--no, not really a jungle experience, as Manaus, at the time, was a thriving metropolis of 850,000. Several visits since then have not dampened our enthusiasm for this wonderful place, and we return whenever possible.
During and after our Peace Corps years, we were able to take some time off and got to know a little of the remainder of the continent. Although the countries outside of Brasil and the Guianas share a common language--Español--the cultures and peoples are quite varied.
Although both of us have made solitary business trips to the UK, our first vacation to Europe was to Portugal to celebrate our 30th anniversary. After several days in Lisbon, we rented a car and traveled through the countryside, visiting large and small towns. For such a small country, we have only scratched the surface and look forward to another opportunity.
Another chance to visit Iberia came immediately after the ill-fated US attack on Iraq, when we spent 3 weeks in Spain. Contrary to some commentary, we had absolutely no problems with the Spaniards, in fact, they felt sorry for us and were very sympathetic with the US people. Our primary objective was for Scott to participate in a fogies futbol tournament and we spent a week in Barcelona, an amazing city in so many ways. Once again, we decide to rent a car for the flexibility it gave us to visit the hinterland. Most of our stays were in B&Bs which turned out to be the right choice in almost every case. In the short time we had, our travels took us only from the NE to the Atlantic coast and back to Madrid, with forays to Salamanca and Toledo.
Recently, we have taken some special trips, with friends and family, to Alaska, on the ferry, and to the Grand Canyon. Some pictures from these trips are included here.