Travel is My Love Language

I know I was born to travel, but I didn't always realize it.

I come from humble beginnings. My parents divorced when I was 3, and I was a part of two households. Travel wasn't a priority, and it couldn't be. But, I'm thankful for the travel moments we DID have together.

My mom and stepdad took us on the longest car rides. We'd stack up in the back of the big-bodied Chevy Caprise and ride from Wentzville, MO through the country parts of St. Charles County, MO. Sometimes we'd ride to St. Louis (across the Missouri River) to get Chinamen (what Black St. Louisians call Chinese Food) or drive to see the Arch and Riverfront. For about five summers, we'd take the longest ride to Texas to stay with my grandparents for the summer. Twelve hours in the car one way...with the big kids sitting in the actual seats and the little kids sitting on the big kids' laps (3 on bottom, three on top)...THEE LONGEST RIDES EVER! My favorite place we'd ride to was the McDonalds in Kingdom City, MO. It was about 1 hour away, and the thrill was the NURSE SHARK TANK! We'd go there, get a meal, and look at the sharks. Always fun and exciting!

Here's a picture of my siblings and me about to pile up in the car to go somewhere. Judging by how we were dressed, we were probably going to church.

(Left to Right) Mike, Nicole, Me, Jarvis (I'm holding him), Sharon, and Natasha

My dad worked a lot, so making time for vacation couldn't be the priority. Since we lived in my grandmother's house, people would always come to her house from afar, so we didn't have to travel very far. And if we had to travel anywhere, it was always by car. The most extensive travel we did together was when my dad drove my sis Nicole and me to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1996. This was at a time when you could cross the border with a birth certificate, so getting across the border was pretty easy. I read the maps in the back seat, and my dad and sis were in the front. It took us two 12-hour driving days to get there. We stayed in a Montreal hotel one night; then, my dad drove us back. Along the way, we saw beautiful sites out the window, but Dad didn't plan any formal activities for us to do. I remember seeing Niagara Falls (so beautiful), the majestic elk along the highway, and the bluest water while crossing a Canadian bridge. The water, trees, and sky were so vibrant that they looked like Source had colored them with crayons. I want to visit there again (only when it's warm).

I was heavily involved in marching band and show choir in high school. With those two groups, I traveled to places I'd never been to with my family! With band AND choir, we drove by bus to Chicago. The trips were well-planned, and we always got to do amazing things on our trips. We were all over the Midwest with the show choir, and my senior year, we went to Orlando for a show choir competition. So much fun! Branson was a cool trip too. I'd been to Branson, but I didn't get to do the things I did on my school trip.

My first plane ride was when I was 21. I was a college student wanting to attend the ACDA Conference in Miami, Florida, with my friends, and although I was hanging out with my choir friends, it was my first solo trip. My mom and stepdad gave me the money to buy my ticket, and I scraped the money together to purchase the hotel and pay the conference fees. I remember being terrified of the plane....so much that I asked the lady next to me if I could HOLD HER HAND on takeoff. She let me and was most kind to tell me everything that was happening (sounds, procedures, signs) while we ascended and descended. She traveled for business, so she was on planes every day. That flight was nothing to her and everything to me. Nonetheless, I'm still grateful to her and subconsciously remember her instructions when I'm on the plane.

My first time at the beach since I was a little girl. I couldn't contain my excitement! (2007)

I fell in love with South Beach; from then on, I knew I NEEDED to travel. It was almost like I couldn't de-stress without travel, and it literally nourishes my soul. I love seeing new things, but in my humble opinion, it's not an actual vacation to me unless the beach is involved. The ocean feeds my mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical self, so traveling to a beach is a must every year.

My travel resume (Places I've laid my head or intentionally traveled to):

Domestic:

Wells, TX

Lufkin, TX

Houston, TX

Galveston Beach, TX

Dallas, TX

Wichita, KS

Hays, KS

Local points in KS (it's close to KC)

Branson, MO

St. Louis, MO (I still explore the city!)

Kansas City, MO (I stayed. LOL)

Many other points in MO (does that count since I'm from MO?)

Oklahoma City, OK

Little Rock, AR

Lincoln, NE

Des Moines, IA

Erie, PA

South Beach, Miami, FL

Miami, FL

New York, NY

Providence, RI

Newport, RI

Boston, MA

Norfolk, VA

Williamsburg, VA

Virginia Beach, VA

Chicago, IL

Minneapolis, MN

Orlando, FL

Naples, FL

Ft. Myers, FL

Tampa, FL

Indian Springs, FL

Clearwater Beach, FL

Ormond Beach, FL

Daytona Beach, FL

Memphis, TN

Atlanta, GA

Macon, GA

Myrtle Beach, SC

Denver, CO

Colorado Springs, CO

Las Vegas, NV

Los Angeles, CA

Long Beach, CA

Venice Beach /Santa Monica Beach, CA

Manhattan Beach, CA

Point Dume Beach, CA

International:

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Nassau, Bahamas

Cozumel, Mexico

Cancun, Mexico

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico

I'm excited to use my passport again. The last time I used it was to return from Mexico before the borders closed down for the Quarantine. We returned home Thursday, and the borders closed that following Saturday. My passport expired during the Pandemic, and I just renewed it at the beginning of this year. My son has his, and my partner is replacing his lost one next week!

I can't wait to share my future travels with you!

Alexa, play "Glamorous" by Fergie.

*Flying first class one day soon!