About bizquik
My mom started all this. I was not even three years old and she was already taking me to Poland. There was some innate urge to explore the world. For my 8th grade graduation present, I told her I wanted to go back to Poland. She had no clue where it came from. That really opened up a new world and saved me from losing my first language.
Being around the right people, or maybe just having the right friends, I was asked to explore Europe after college graduation before it became trendy, so again my parents supported it. The real kicker came in 1999. I had my first "real" job and it was so *important* that I did not leave the country. In fact, I went to Miami for Labor Day weekend and that was it.
In 2000, I went to Spain in March and within a day I just could not get over why I did not go anywhere the previous year and I swore until the day I die that I would go to at least one country each year. In June that year, I went back to Europe to visit my brother who had an internship in Germany. In some ways, it was the trip that made up for 1999.
Over the past 12 years, I have conquered 6 continents, 32 countries, and countless memories. My goal is also to make it to all 50 states although Palin is really leaving a bad taste in my mouth so it might be 49. I have 7 more to visit, including Alaska! :)
I was in Thailand in 2004. It was last minute. I spent several months living in Mexico, moved to California while my brother happened to be embarking on a 3 week trip to Thailand with some friends. I decided to hop onboard into what turned out to be one of many unforgettable destinations I have been to. There was something left undone because it did not feel right to leave.
It was such a sad and empty feeling to leave. I left feeling like there was just so much more to explore. If it weren't for a friend visiting me for Thanksgiving, I might have extended it to Christmas. Of course, the following day was the tsunami. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
This summer, I got on a shuttle at LAX and heard the guy next to me talk about Singapore. What an exotic place, I thought. It would be cool to go one day. I found myself jobless and with the time to explore what I have been longing to see for four years. It did not take long to book the trip and close the chapter, or maybe turn it into a novel. This is my chance to walk through the gate to see what is on the other side!
My Travel Map:
