For such a long time I wanted the opportunity to go on a mission trip. A trip to help people, learn about different cultures, and travel to far-off places. I didn’t really think of a mission trip being in my backyard but I was wrong. My first trip took me to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi where the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed through on the morning of August 29, 2005, around 9:45 am. I went there several months after the hurricane to help the folks who lost everything and try to put some of their life pieces back together. Their lives were forever changed and so was mine. Since then I’ve been on many mission trips, began traveling with my son, and eventually with my husband. All my trips have changed me in one way or another as I keep learning about myself and the world around me. I have a strong desire to travel which is the definition of wanderlust. It’s funny, I first read the word, wanderlust in Jane Austen’s book Emma decades ago. I seldom heard the word but now I seem to hear and see it all over. That makes me a little sad because it’s such a great and special word to me.  Nonetheless, I have the wanderlust bug.

I’m 60+ years old, married 44 perfect years going on 45. If I were honest, I would say 42.5 perfect years as there are days, we’re not talking to each other or just grumpy. I’m a mother of four children, all born at home, by choice. The only reason I mention that is because I don’t think of myself as adventurous but looking back on it, that was adventurous. Because of traveling; I’m stronger, smarter, braver than I ever thought I could be. I’ve seen beautiful landscapes and war-torn cities,  mountaintops, and countrysides. I’ve eaten bugs by choice and by mistake and have tried many, many local dishes. I’ve white-water rafted in Thailand, kayaked in Vietnam, climbed Mt. Popa barefoot in Myanmar and many more adventures. This website is for me but also for you because if I can do it, so can YOU. Whether you join me vicariously or be inspired to travel yourself. Be careful you may catch a case of wanderlust.