Previous travel experience?

[MrNoodly]

How many of you had traveled quite a bit (a vague term, I know) around the country/continent before starting your current nomadic life? How many hadn't? How many still haven't?

 

[AbuelaLoca]

I was dragged along on those dreaded family "road trips" as a child and I am soooooo thankful now! I've been to 44 states and hope to finish the list before I die!

 

[SoulRaven]

I traveled for years for business, never took the time to explore, I was always in a hurry to get home. I've spent more time traveling or being overseas than I have here. Too many missed Christmas' and birthdays.

Now the kids are grown and gone I want to see the places I have been at my pace and closer. Now it's time I am fighting.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Traveled for work. I miss being on the road, however, I want to do it on my schedule. If you were to draw a line from east border of North Dakota all the way down, I haven't been east of that. (not nomadic, yet)

 

[Gary68]

the rock hard passenger's seat of my grandpa's cabover kenworth is where i put the most miles in,a couple oregon to georgia and back for family
and west coast road trips
now,i road zombie going to the store,not really interested in traveling,not in this country at least,now if i could go to egypt... i'd probably make the 24 hour news shows

 

[TMG51]

Zero. I come from rural Vermont and had done no travel before living in a van.

 

[waldenbound]

I was a young Marine traveling in the bands I was in to play parades, concerts, patriotic events. A trip to the Virgin Islands, later crisscrossing the US on a Greyhound bus with just a seabag. Overseas, trips to Philippines, Japan, Guam. The ocean in Guam was the bluest blue I ever saw. Those were the days.

 

[Dennis]

Not a lot of travelling. Have only been to twenty states with multiple trips to some of them. Never enough time to stop at all the places I was interested in even in those. Usually going to some place specific and back on limited time. Going to try and change things up pretty soon though. Running behind.....

 

[user 423]

I traveled for years for business, never took the time to explore, I was always in a hurry to get home.

When I first hit the road hitching I got more than a few very good rides from travelling salesman. Had some interesting stories, knew the roads and made good time. Usually they wanted someone to talk with to deal with boredom or to keep awake.

 

[bullfrog]

I have had an unusual journey. Family vacations when I was young usually 2 or 3 weeks always camping because we were not rich. Went to Philmont when I was 13 years old. Worked summer jobs planting trees living in the forest when I was 14 and 15. Built a dune buggy at 16 and raced and traveled to Canada and a little in Mexico visiting family and friends. At 17 always camping/working. 2 weeks after I turned 18 joined the service and was stationed at Tucson Az. Lived in a tent a year instead of an apartment when I made Sargent and got off base housing allowance in the national forest. When I got out in 1975 in Arkansas I spent most of my time motorcycle camping or in a commune helping others learn how to survive out of the main stream. Sort of homesteaded through college as I had married and had children but still took long family trips in a VW bus and started building a school bus but never finished. Built several dune buggies and traveled both as a family and alone when I raced again always camping. Finally bought and used an old motor home for vacations till kids were grown. Bought a newer restored motor home and full timed in it and several trucks and trailers / tent combinations ever since. Now at 66 wondering what I'll think of to do as I age but I'm sure glad I've done what I have so far. Been in almost all the states now helping my wife see the ones she hasn't seen yet.

 

[rvpopeye]

Pretty much non stop for over 35 years.
Can't count how many times I have traveled 1000 miles in a week or less. Sometimes way less.

 

[John61CT]

Lived most of my life many decades overseas, mud floors, very poor "third world" poor conditions, no running water, chop wood for heat, toilet is a bucket, gas or kero lighting, etc.

Means I really appreciate the mod cons but perfectly comfortable without them.

Not much patience with people who take first world conditions for granted.

 

[Queen]

Grew up in a military family with parents who loved to travel, so we'd move every year for my dads transfers then travel from there constantly. It rubbed off on me and I've never stopped moving, exploring, traveling.

 

[Scott7022]

I have always been a Nomad. From days sitting in the back to the GTX, barely able to see out the window, driving to Manitoba from BC, both parents smoked so not the nicest experiences but fun none the less. Then weekends spent of trails and hikes all over the province. Friday's bell meant heading out for a hike, till we arrived monday for class smelling of campfires and unwashed socks. Mom only became concerned when the School would call monday. Happened a few times. Into the military at a young age....Balkans, various American bases in the USA, Hawaii was cool. Three UN postings. Covered most of the lower part of Africa. Loved every minute. Well almost...
Many states in the US with a big Winnie Chieftain my parents bought later in life.
Scandinavia, Europe, Eastern Europe, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, work or play or a little of both.
Since I retired. Lao (Laos), Cambodia, Malaysia, Republic of Georgia, Russia, Aberbazian, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
A rolling rock collects less moss. It also collects less in its bank account but loads in its experience account.

 

[CityWoman]

I've traveled some, to a few countries and different places in the US but mostly East Coast. No meandering road trips, though. Mostly flying somewhere and staying a few days to a week or two.

Thing is, it's the actual driving that will be most foreign to me.  I've never owned a car and my ex-husband always drove whenever we went somewhere.  After 30 years of living in a city where a car isn't necessary, I am not confident, so I will have to brush up on lessons before embarking on a nomadic life (hopefully within the coming year).

 

[cyndi]

Seriously started to travel as divorce therapy when I was in my late 20s, 30+ years ago.

 

[TrainChaser]

As soon as I started working full-time and got a vacation, I hit the road with my dog. Mostly they were trips to OR, and then between AZ and the Canadian border, zigzaging across the Rockies, and one long trip from SoCal to Maine.

But when I start traveling again, I can go more slowly and look at more stuff, since I don't have to be back at some stupid job.

 

[Almost There]

Camped as a young child and then again as a young mother.

Then my brother sold me the 1961 Ford Econoline in 1975. I was pregnant with my youngest so I was kind of restricted to the province that year. By the next year however, the continent was my playground. We travelled all over Ontario and started heading stateside. Most of it was there and back trips but also a lot of roadtrips to Colorado, Texas, Rhode Island etc for the National Van Meets.

25 years ago I hit the road full-time in a van and travelled all over the eastern seaboard for 14 years working art and craft shows and markets.

I tried really hard to settle down for 8 years but as soon as I was free of parent care I was back on the road.

Now that I'm retired I have a whole continent to explore and I'm doing it as fast as I can!!

 

[meme]

Grew up in a military family with parents who loved to travel, so we'd move every year for my dads transfers then travel from there constantly.  It rubbed off on me and I've never stopped moving, exploring, traveling.

Loved your signature line...  if the words you spoke appeared on your skin...

 

[slynne]

I have always liked to travel. My family went on a lot of road trip type vacations when I was young, always tent camping out of a car. We went on some great trips though! I found that as an adult, I kept it up. Road trips and camping with my friends. As a consequence, I have been to 49/50 states so I am planning a trip to the last state (Alaska) for next year on my 50th birthday. 50 by 50!

I have traveled quite a bit in Eastern Canada not too much out west. I figure that once I get all 50 states, I might make driving to all of Canadian provinces a goal. I have been to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario so that leaves a lot of places to get to!

I have only been to Mexico once and it was a day trip that was part of a trip to Arizona.

Overseas travel has just been Germany, France, and Italy. One of the reasons why I want to move out of my sticks and bricks is so I can save money for travel in other areas. I have so many places I want to go. Like pretty much all of the places.