Growing up in the small fishing village of Chateaubelair, St.Vincent, I often saw planes fly overhead. Since then, it had always been a huge dream of mine to move to the United States, which I believed was in the skies because of where I saw the planes flying, hehe. It was very intriguing that I had to take a plane to get to the U.S, after all, I am a plane enthusiast and I take this part of traveling very seriously.
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| Black Sand Beach, Chateaubelair St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
I enjoy the experience of traveling from the moment the thought of a trip is conceived, to the moment my feet touches the pavement of my final destination. It’s all an adrenaline rush; better than what you get from riding a rollercoaster. The surge of emotions I experience when I think of going to Thailand or South Africa per se is unexplainable, and I think that this is the start to having a great experience and the true heart of a traveler.
Furthermore, being able to experience new and different aircrafts is part of the experience as well. I am sure you will agree that this is one of the things people ignore about their trips. Most get in the plane and may not even notice if it’s a new 787, 747 or an a380, but plane lovers soak up every feature of the aircraft. From how it’s retrofitted to how the bathroom may have mood lights and touch sensors, to the entertainment system and the service of the flight crew. Before I book a trip I actually research the kind of plane the carrier uses for the route that I am taking, which is the determinant to whether I would book with a particular airline or not. However, I still keep in consideration the deals available at certain times. I remember using this tactic particularly for my trip to Argentina and London. Furthermore, the fact that I live in New York and usually depart out of JFK makes experiencing various planes a luxury, based on the destination I may be traveling to.
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| British Airways 747-400, at T5 Heathrow |
I cannot forget the conversations I’ve had while traveling to various countries. I try to make it a habit of engaging in conversations with different individuals when I go to a new place. This way I get an authentic point of view, which adds to my intellectual growth. Through these conversations, I learn about culture, politics, and the real life nitty gritty. I get to understand our differences and also our similarities. I get to understand that even though we live in different countries we are all humans and deserve respect and love. I also get the opportunity to debunk myths that they may have about people from the U.S or even myths I may have about them as well. Having conversations while traveling is the best way understand people and their culture, and makes the experience so much more fulfilling.
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| Show in Cancun Mexico |
However, the bottom line is that I love traveling because it wasn’t always possible for me to do so. So now I feel like a bird let out of my cage, ready to take in all that I have missed for the past 20 years of my life. I am living out most of my dreams, living in the USA and traveling. Getting to where I am today took many years of simply being restricted because I was an undocumented immigrant. But now that I am here, I am living every moment the best way that I know how, and I AM LOVING IT.
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| Tango Dancer, BA Argentina |
