All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware
Martin Buber
Setting out on a journey you may think you know where you are going and therefore what to expect. But there are always surprises in even the most well-prepared trip, and it is often the surprises that prove the most memorable experiences. Looking back at journeys taken many years ago I find that I remember those small surprises as much as I do the big iconic sights. It’s a healthy reminder to leave room for serendipity in any travel plan.
A very large proportion of my posts relate to travel, and by extension to journeys. So at first I was at a lost as to which journey to share for Ann-Christine’s Lens Artists challenge this week. I considered posting a selection of highlights from my most recent trip, to Sri Lanka, but I did that already in my February Changing Seasons post. And other journeys have been extensively covered here. So I decided to take some liberties with the theme and share several journeys, the ones that most shaped my love of travel.
In addition to this Word Press blog I use Travellerspoint to document my travels. That site allows me to map every trip and from that extrapolates some stats. Although I’ve only used it since 2017, I took the time to go back and add every trip I’ve ever taken abroad to the map, which you can see as my featured image. And the stats are interesting! They tell me that over the course of my life:
- I’ve travelled 1,154,319 kilometres / 717,294 miles
- I’ve made 149 trips to 85 countries
- I’ve spent 1,280 days travelling, which equates to 4.98% of my life (my ambition is to get that up to 5%!)
- The total distance travelled is roughly equivalent to 3.2 trips to the moon
Nine journeys
Ann-Christine asks us to limit our post to five to ten images, and that’s one ‘rule’ I will obey! So here are nine journeys that shaped my life and love of travel in some way.
Note: many of the older shots here are scanned from 35mm slides that have deteriorated somewhat over the years. I’ve put in some work to tidy them up, with sometimes limited success!
Germany RAF Brüggen
1966 (I think)
My first ever trip abroad, when we went to stay with my great uncle (serving in the RAF) and great aunt. There must be photos in an old album somewhere but my sister has those, so instead I’m sharing Fritz. My mother bought him, and named him, as a souvenir, and when she died I gave him a new home with us.
Monneville, France
1971
My first trip without my family, staying in a small village near Beauvais as part of the school French exchange programme. I posted about this trip in more detail last year: A moment in time.
Camping in Canada
1973
Another school trip, camping near Montreal for one week and near Niagara Falls for two. My first time outside Europe and my first (and only!) camping trip. This I think was when I fell in love with travelling, and also where I bonded with two classmates who have remained my friends ever since. Again, I have a fuller post about this trip: My first taste of adventure.
Prague
1980
My first trip abroad with Chris, visiting Aachen (briefly), Prague and Oberpullendorf in Austria where he had spent a year teaching and had several friends. It was also my first time behind the Iron Curtain and therefore quite a culture shock. Prague wasn’t the popular destination it is today although it was of course beautiful.
Paris honeymoon
1981
We spent most of our honeymoon in Paris and I fell in love with the city. It’s the place I’ve visited most often and I still make new discoveries there.
New York City
1982
Rather than instal central heating in our newly purchased flat, which might have been thought the sensible thing to do, we splurged on a three week trip to New York, a city that fascinated both of us. And it didn’t disappoint, and like Paris remains a favourite city for both of us. Meanwhile we continue to prioritise travel over home improvements, although we do now have central heating!
Tunisia
1986
Our first trip to Africa and to a Muslim country. Although staying in a seaside resort hotel we made sure we got out and about, taking trips to Tunis, Carthage, El Djem (pictured) and the Sahara.
California
1991
Our first US road trip but not our last, as we both fell for this way of exploring the US. We loved the scenery, the culture and the sense of being on one giant movie set! This is another early trip that I’ve documented in this blog: California dreaming.
Karlsruhe, Germany
2008
I’ll finish with this, my first experience of the annual Virtual Tourist Euromeets, where I made lots of friends from around the world who shared my love of travel. These meetings continue to be a highlight of my travel year, although this year I’m not travelling very far as the meeting will be in Liverpool!
11 Comments
EgÃdio
Sarah, how impressive to see these photos and the trips you’ve taken! It’s wonderful to follow your posts and visit these places with you.
Hammad Rais
Those stats dropped my jaw on the floor. Wow!
norasphotos4u
Wonderful collection of travels and memories!!
the eternal traveller
There must be lots of wonderful memories attached to that travel map.
Susanne Swanson
Wow! You may be the most traveling person, I’ve ever known, even if only virtually! 🙂
Vicki
Amazing stats. You are so lucky to have experienced so many cultures and countries. I did that in my twenties, but not now.
I’ll bet that the most interesting and articulate people I’ve ever met in my life have been travellers. Peope who are willing to go the extra mile so to speak…….and be able to afford it of course. We all make choices in life and it’s often those choices to travel that expend the mind, open ones eyes (at how other cultures live) and create a life well lived and a mind full of loving kindness and willingness to share in peace (instead of anger and prejudice).
Loved your images and stories since I’ve been following your blog (as well as the other travel blogs I follow).
Life is like a book. Most people have only read the index. But you have read every chapter.
Rose
This was wonderful to read Sarah! I love your Travellerspoint map, you’ve had so many amazing adventures! I smiled reading that instead of central heating you splurged on a trip to New York. I like your (and your husband’s) priorities. And your Paris posts always capture my heart.
photobyjohnbo
Sarah, your travel stats are amazing. It’s clear you carry a true love of wanderlust wherever you go. Such a wonderful collection of memories from around the world!
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
What a great travel story to tell! I think we might have discussed this before, but we also married in 1981 and went to Amsterdam which became ‘our’ place in a similar way.
Heyjude
Some school you attended that did trips to Canada!
ThingsHelenLoves
A wonderful set of pictures and memories.