Outside of work and a lot of those other very important personal things which have been keeping me busy, I've taken some time to think about the things in my life which I don't want to take for granted. This all comes about due to my grandmother recently passing away.
[From various visits to Germany.]
My grandmother was always and will remain always very special to me, and although her memory was fading as she grew older, the last time I spoke with her she suggested clearly that I should do whatever I could to enjoy life. One thing I'd like to focus on is how I'd love to see as much of the world as possible, and there are so many wonderful places just within reach in Europe.
[From various visits back to San Francisco.]
My grandmother saw a lot of the world when she was younger. While I was growing up, I'd visit often with her on the weekends, and she would share with me the stories from her many photo scrapbooks, which she had carefully put together over the years. She'd tell me all about where she had lived and visited, and with family spread throughout the entire United States, she traveled often to see them. Above all, my grandpa needed to travel for his occupation as well, so she and he lived and brought up their children abroad in foreign lands for a majority of the 1950s and 1960s, until finally they all settled down in California in the late 1960s. Therefore she could understood my travel bug. My need and love to live and travel abroad.
[From various visits to the Los Angeles-area.]
Of course it is not always affordable to travel about as much as I wish to, but I ought to be finding ways so that I can do it more. Even if it means hopping on a train and traveling 2-3 hours away, which I did recently to Köln [Cologne] in Germany.
[From my recent trip to Ireland.]
I wanted to share about some of those locations briefly here today in photos, as a special tribute to my grandmother. Within America, I've been to many states, but it would take me a long time to cover about them all. So far, I've yet to visit Alaska or Hawaii, and I'd love to visit more of the northeast and south, as well as into the provinces of Canada such as Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Of those states where I've been, a few of my most favorite are New York, Arizona and Louisiana.
[From a trip in 2007 to Grand Canyon West in Arizona.]
In Europe, I have also seen many airport terminals, but I can't yet count those as places where I've been. I would love soon to see so much more, to step outside of those terminals and train stations.
All photo collages in this blog entry were designed in memory of my grandmother.
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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
When the Travel Bug Bites. . .
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17 comments:
So sorry to hear about your grandma, Isabella! I'm sure you remember her with a smile on your face and a warm tingle in your heart.
You have been to some beautiful places. Especially in America. The entire west coast always looked specially appealing to me. Your photos are very nice.
Have a beautiful day!!
Sorry to hear about your lose. She gave you some very good advice though. She sounded like a wise lady.
@ Aledys Ver: Thank you very much! It took me a while to put this together, and I'm very glad I did. When I visit my family again during the holidays, I simply must sit down with those photo scrapbooks she made and find some pieces to share. I wish you also a beautiful day & thank you again :-)
@ Invader_Stu: Thank you! Very much appreciated :-)
Hallo Isabella ;-)
What a wonderful tribute to your granny ;-) The most important indeed is what you two have shared and her legacy to you ;-)
Very wised woman...we must enjoy each minute of our lives as the last one, and travel is always a great life experience...helps understand the differences among other issues...
I told you before that one day I hope to go to California and New York, so I will wait for your blog entries about it ...
For now in my blog an american flag for you that I spotted here in Almere in the last day of WK...
;-)
Warm beijinhos ;-)
Sandra
Sandra
@ Presépio no Canal: Thank you very much! I am trying today to catch up a little bit, and I know I won't be able to get to them all, but I will certainly come check out your blog now too. Again, thank you! And have a nice day :-)
I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother's passing. It sounds like she left some beautiful and wonderful memories with you, and you've given her a very fitting tribute. I'm sure she's smiling at you and reading this! ;)
Goodness---I SO want to book a trip out on the West Coast soon. LOL. I love the pictures you took when you were there, and I've been itching to visit. (Last time I went was around 2004)
Also, wonderful travel collage and pictures! I don't know how you find the time to create them, hun! ;) You should put an album together with all your pictures!
I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother! It sounds like she led a very full and rewarding life! The photo collages are beautiful. Especially, the San Diego one, but I'm just prejudiced.
Alaska is also on my list of "must see" states. I've been to Hawaii but it's not so much for me. Very expensive (thank God I had a friend who lived there) and at least I really felt isolated from the rest of the world. Although some people like that. I'm just not much of a lay on the beach and do nothing all day type of person.
Again, sorry about your grandmother!
@ Bchai: Thank you very much! I think for certain I will go thoroughly through her albums and scan some momentos on my next visit. Something I can easily take back to NL with me too, on a memory card or a memory stick :-) As for my photos, I'm still swimming in them! I have so many to edit. I doubt I'll get all of the photos taken from 2009 edited by the time 2010 is over, as a matter of fact. But it's been a lot of fun to look through them all! I hope you get to visit the west coast soon. At this time of year, I especially would like to be able to walk along the beach in Newport Beach, California. So if you do go soon, be sure to visit that beach for me :-)
Again, thanks a lot!
@ Kristin: Thank you very much! I appreciate that. I thought you'd like to see some San Diego too ;-) I love that city so much. I went a little more into detail on my Flickr page about the city [click on the San Diego photo and it will take you to the link]. I have been a few times and always enjoy it.
Once again, a big thanks!
Your Grandmother has left you a wonderful legacy and has also inspired you a great deal, I hope you have a fantastic time exploring new places.
@ Ryan: Thank you very much for your comment! I appreciate this :-)
Sorry to hear about your grandmother! Such a beautiful tribute to her and what valuable advise she has given you!
@ thamarai: Thank you! I appreciate that very much :-) I'm definitely inspired very much lately by her example & words, and I hope to share much more about it soon in travels. Also I'd love to share some of what she once shard with me, but that will have to wait until sometime later this year. Have a very nice week!
Oh, Isabella I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. What a beautiful tribute to what must have been a remarkable women. Best of luck in your travels - I can't wait to read all about them!!
@ American Cloggie: Thank you very much for your kind words! And I hope you too have a lot of fun this summer with any travels you take! Do share on your blog, as I'd love to read about your travels as well :-)
So sorry to hear of your loss. It sounds like she lived an inspiring life. My mother (and father too) inspired me to travel with their examples. I recently did a mini-interview of my mother's 1966 trip to Europe
@ Laura: Thank you very much! And I must check out your blog entry, as I plan to do something very similar to this idea about my grandma later this year. Thanks very much for your comment & have a nice weekend!
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