My Grandma was a traveler. She had a desire in her heart to see the world. She began her travels with her cousins. As you’ve heard she went on many travels with Robin and her cousins. These trips were just the beginning. Whenever an opportunity for an adventure arose she jumped at the chance. She’s been to New York several times and she thought she needed one more trip to say she saw it all. She thought Christmas in New York was a special way to kick of the Christmas season. After seeing Europe with Robin the spark was lit for more travels. When she found out that her niece Lisa and her family were staying in Japan for 5 months so she flew to visit them. Her cousin Eric was working in Hong Kong so she connected with some local Hemet travelers and headed to China. There were many trips with her friend Kay including their trip to Disney World. She loved to travel around America with my Grandpa in their motorhome. She never turned down an opportunity to travel or to experience an adventure.
Every time my Grandma came home from a trip she had the most interesting stories to tell, along with a bag of treasures for us all. We have wooden shoes, outfits and pottery from Holland, Dolls from Germany and long with children books. From China we have a sword, more dolls, necklaces, hair ribbons and pearls. From Japan there’s bracelets made of Jade, baby dolls, jewellery, and even a bag of chips. These items are amazing to me. The places my Grandma has been were only places I’ve read about in books until she told us her stories. I loved her stories. She had a way of making the world come alive.
Her greatest traveling feet was getting all her grandkids to Washington DC, Monticello and to meet their Maryland cousins. Cody and I were the first to go in 2003 followed by MacKenzie and Parker, then I got to go again with Emily, (you see my Grandma had a rule that sibling weren’t allowed to go together). Then McKaylee, Madison and Claire went next followed by Morgan and McKaylee who went just this last spring. It took her 9 years but she felt a great sense of accomplishment when all 9 of us had made the trip.
My Grandma has left a legacy of travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to have already begun my international travels. I’ve been to Italy, France, the French Rivera, London, Brussels and Amsterdam. My Grandma cheered me on the whole way even sharing her suitcase, backpack and “vacation bucks” with me. I doubt my parents would have sent me across the globe if my Grandma hadn’t paved the way.
Our travels will continue… My cousin Cody plans to go to Germany this summer and I’m headed to Spain in the fall. So Grandma…. I plan to take your red and grey backpack all over this world spending “vacation bucks” as I go! Thank you for sharing your love of traveling with all of us.