Welcome to the quest…
Our story begins. I did not start life as a traveler. In fact, today I live only 125 miles or about 200 kilometers from my birthplace. By some standards, I’m still in the backyard. My wife was the traveler in the family. She often traveled for work. She got to go to interesting places, Washington D.C., Naples Italy, Spain, Djibouti Africa. And me, if I had to travel for work went to Sacramento, California, actually more than once! Whoohoo!
Over the years I had been to a few places, mostly Mexico, our neighbor to the south, and to Japan once, which was great, but I liked being home. It’s familiar, it’s got my stuff. Besides, I’m not the most relaxed flyer and getting to interesting places usually requires flying. Despite being a reluctant traveler, my wife decided I needed to take a trip to Italy. Her plan went something like this… She had a coworker working/living in Naples, that would serve as a home base. I essentially sat back and let her plan the trip. I did some research, but not a lot. That was 2016, and shall be known as the First Quest to Europe. We visited Naples, Rome, Venice, and Florence. The historic sights, fresh food, wine, water fountains, train stations, let’s just say I was hooked, didn’t want to come home, and couldn’t wait to go back. Others have had similar experiences. For example Manavi Siddhanti shares her reluctant travel experience here How Travelling Changed Me (And Can Change You): The Journey Of A Reluctant Traveller.
Once back home and adjusted to the local time zone, I began poking around the for, of all things, travel!. What did I find? A whole world of travelers and adventure seekers circling the globe on just about every budget imaginable. A community of people much like myself who discovered ancient lands and distant places and partook in local food, beverages and generally immersed themselves in the culture. A culture that slows down the pace, eats late into the evening, enjoys walks along the boulevard. So different, yet we are essentially the same, living the human experience.
I’m here to encourage you, possibly a fellow reluctant traveler, to plan and go see a different part of the world. A world that requires a passport, a world with a different language, different customs, different history, and experience the places built not hundreds of years, but a couple thousand of years ago. I’m guessing that you too will find the adventure intoxicating and addictive. You too will return from your first “passport required” adventure and soon thereafter begin planning the next.
What’s next?
This project is all about providing the reluctant traveler with tools and encouragement to leave the comfort of your couch and venture into the unknown. With a bit of planning, you too can Go, Do, and See. It sounds a bit simplistic at this point, that’s because, as you will find out, it is… you just have to take things step by step. The next step is the first step and that’s all about the airplane ticket. Yes, the first step is clearing your calendar and purchasing an airline ticket.
