by Joe

Mom’s birthday would be March 18th. She would have been 95. However, she died a year ago last October ending a wonderful and beautiful life. Mom was a traveler both physically and mentally. She was a reader, of everything. I think that is why she loved to travel. She was an explorer and a searcher for knowledge. She was a prodigious reader and went to so many places in her mind as a young girl that she wanted to see them for herself. She was an only child and through her teenage years, she took several trips around the US with her mom and dad and sometimes with her aunt Doodee. She was fortunate enough to attend and graduate from the University of Wyoming. As an English major with several years of Latin, French and German she explored, lived with, and became part of many cultures through her extensive reading. She was a several books a week kind of reader up until a year before she died at age 93. She had an incredible life.

Mom was unable to travel as a young adult because she chose to raise a large family. However, after she raised 10 children, she travelled to several countries in Europe, including France, Germany, Italy and England. She visited Israel, Greece, and many places throughout the US including several trips to Hawaii and one to Alaska. Dad went along to be with Mom but he would have been perfectly satisfied to stay at home. I think that was because he had seen enough as he travelled far and often with the Army/Air Force during WWII.

Mom also travelled through others. She loved hearing about your trip and seeing your pictures. She genuinely wanted to see your trip through pictures and video. She loved to hear you tell stories of what each picture meant to you and what was going on at the time of the picture or video. She always wanted to know when you were taking a trip and seemed to get excited for you as your own expectations would grow.

As she got older she was unable to get around very easily and therefore stopped her physical travel. She didn’t like slowing down and somehow thought that she might get a chance to travel again as if some miracle was about to take place and she would be able to get around once again. She reminded me several times about her grandmother who was able to travel in her 80s on the train, by herself no less! Her husband had worked for the railroad and even after he passed away Mom told me that her grandmother had a free pass to travel on any train at anytime she chose. Lucky lady. I don’t know if that was exaggerated or not but mom kept faith through her.

All this is to say that there appears to me to be a big connection with reading and travel. Those who love to read, and read a lot, also tend to love to travel. I think that reading creates the need and desire to experience other places, other cultures and increases curiosity about other ways of living day to day. How do others manage their daily lives, what do they like to do for fun, what do they like to eat, where do they like to go on vacation, and how is this similar and different from me? I read a lot and tend to think that has definitely increased my desire and love of travel. My three daughters all are avid readers and they too have the love of travel as one can tell from their fabulous Looks and Leaps travel blog.

Mom, thanks for giving me the appreciation to read and perhaps the bug to travel. I’ve enjoyed and enjoy both very much.  And by the way, Happy Birthday.