Beyond Borders: How is a Life Shaped by Travel

In my life, I have had the beautiful opportunity to venture around the world. My first trip was aboard a military transport ship at the age of 6 months. We traveled to Asia and then on to Okinawa in a 30-day voyage. I don’t remember that one of course but have been told that my mother handed me to strangers because she was overcome with seasickness early into the voyage. Different times, and perhaps my first lesson in how interconnected people can be. While the USA is my home country, my “extraterritorial” life has included extended time in Germany (six years), El Salvador (four years), and Okinawa (3 years) along with travels through Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Japan, Greenland, Iceland, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina.

Travel does more than change the scenery. It introduces new languages, encourages curiosity, and expands your perspective and even your palate. You find the similarities between people and cultures rather than the differences. You find connections. In our family, we’ve adopted traditions from places we’ve lived: St. Nicholas Day with candy tucked into boots, and the annual Noche Buena Tamalada where friends and family gather to cook, celebrate, and exchange gifts. These traditions have enriched our lives.

Perhaps the greatest gift travel has given me is an appreciation for the depth and beauty of other cultures. It has shown me that while the U.S.A. is my home, “America” is far bigger. It is a shared hemisphere of diverse countries, histories and people

 whose stories intersect in meaningful ways.

That connection, to me, is hopeful. The more we explore, learn, and celebrate one another, the more vibrant and compassionate our world becomes. Travel reminds me that curiosity overcomes fear, shared experiences build bridges, and there is always more beauty waiting just beyond the horizon.

I can’t wait to see where the next journey leads and how it will inspire my life and my art.