My daughter and her husband are in a frigid Montreal this weekend. This was their Christmas present to each other. My daughter loves to travel and I think she has found someone very similar in her husband. Her husband although only in his early thirties has already lived and worked abroad in the UK and in Germany so I think they are a good match.
My eldest son as you probably know is bumming around Europe with his Australian girlfriend, presently they are in Austria at a ski resort working to pay for the lift passes, but in the last four months since the wedding they have been to Hungary, Germany and Italy and driven through a few others en route.
Youngest son also has itchy feet and is always planning a trip, for several years he talked about his project to walk in a straight line around the world and did lots of research as to the easiest (and safest) way to do this – I think he will do this one day. However more recently he has been contemplating trips to Latin America and Japan. As he is in his penultimate year in high school he is constantly thinking of how he can combine uni, work and travel.
So where did our children get these “gypsy” genes? Well we have never lived a particularly settled life, as a child myself I was moved from pillar to post as my dad was in the RAF so I went to several schools and always loved the new countries (maybe not those first few days in a new school!). My husband though had never been outside the UK before we met at 15 and 17. His first trip abroad was a day trip to France and then we went on a ship to Denmark for a weekend!
However he is in an industry (aerospace) where job opportunities are global and we have taken advantage of that and moved regularly with the job. Here is a run down of our moves over the past 25 years.
1985 – 1986 Israel
1986 – 1987 back to the UK were GWE spent 6 months of that in Scotland
1987 – 1990 San Diego California
1990 Savannah Georgia
Oct 1990 – Jan 1993 Montreal Canada
1993 to Oct 1996 Toronto Canada
Oct 1996 to Apr 1999 Seattle Washington
Apr 1999 – Aug 2004 me in the UK ( in 6 different houses – 3 of which we bought and sold!!) while GWE was in Taiwan, Germany, Italy
Aug 2004 to Mar 2005 Seattle Washington
Mar 2005 to present – living in Canada while GWE has been to Germany, Montreal and now Wichita Kansas
Is it any wonder? And of course you know it is next stop France!!
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17 comments:
Travelling and living in different places is such a cool thing.
I have only been to Canada and the US. That is kind of boring!
Well its in the genes then....... must be and you have always hankered after France.........
My own son is like that, as you know & when in England wants to be in Japan..... when in Japan wants to be in England.
The world is a lot smaller today.
Oh, god, I'm jealous. Palpably and violently jealous. What an amazing set of experiences and places.
I just want to up and move. Pick a country I've never even been to and GO.
I'm not jealous of looks or intelligence or even success, but well-traveled people put me in awe. Can I go with you?
I travelled with my job worldwide on assignments too - it's exciting, tough, laborious, exhilirating etc etc. After a few years being settled here, me and himself are keen to get on the move while we are able and willing. Oh to travel and be removed from the everyday domestic stuff that happens. We each have an intrepid explorer in us and what a way to live eh?
Wow, what splendid Wanderlust!
SITH, Will you tell us in time how you got on with your 'chores' and buying in France - I hope it was successful!
Wow! The diversity! I'm very impressed.
We'd like to travel more than we do. Trying to organize/coordinate all the demands seems to thwart us. But I suppose the real trick is to stop trying organize/coordinate and just go.
But we seem to be on a a Canada kick lately - heading up again next month.
Yep...my parents moved house a lot (but always in the NE of UK)...however they talked about moving abroad a lot. Still do. I can speak Spanish/French/Italian and have lived in those countries a bit plus Portugal and Egypt (and of course UK). So can really relate to the wanderlust thing.
I love being where I am but somewhere there is a tiny bit of me (OK a big bit) that still wants to live somewhere in Southern Europe. It always surfaces every seven days or so but I'm trying to keep it buried in my head.
Sorry...this wasn't meant to be a long one....anyway loved the post and will be back for more. :)
I wonder where they get their itchy feet from, indeed!
glad to know it's not just me then...
hello
thanks for visiting again
yes that is a door halfway up our landing
but guess what, that is actually the top of the stairs lol
told you it was small hee hee
its the door to the 2nd bedroom which leads on into the loft
andrea
wow some travelling
does your hubby work for bombardier ,my partner works for bombardier in the northern ireland shorts firm
well known company
andrea
sith, Never mind France. I insist you come to Northumberland. x
It sounds adventurous, but so much moving would unsettle me, because I like routine and structure. You're quite an adaptable lady for having done it and lived to tell about it. I would have been stark raving mad and begged for a cottage in the countryside to be safe and cozy.
Wow SITH that's an impressive number of countries that you've lived in - and houses that you bought and sold in such a short time in the UK!! No wonder you are so chilled out about coming to France! Knowing that your kids travel around must also make it easier to make the move, a reason why some of our Canadian friends are reluctant to move to Europe as six of their kids are firmly set to stay in North America.
I think your son's idea of walking around the world in a straight line is amazing, how special to have a son that has researched into that, very adventurous!!
Oooh so many comment, thanks everyone for dropping by.
Shana - no not boring I sometimes envy people who have stayed in one place, I have lots of friends but they are spread all over, I will never have all of them or all my family over for a bbq!
Maggie - yep the grass always seems greener...
Andrea - it is bombardier at the moment but he has also work for most of the big ones.
Billy - actually my mum lives in Spennymoor Co. Durham and we don't get up there nearly often enough - a lovely part of the world though if a bit chilly with that north sea breeze!!
Irene have you not been reading my blog? :) softinthehead and pining for my french cottage LOL
Frances - buying and selling houses has never fazed us, I don't know why: My kids weren't always keen on the moves but it has made them very adaptable and confident now. Yep the walking round world project has needed a lot of research - I said he should try and get the media involved. We'll see. He always has some scheme on the go, at the moment it is watching all the movies on the top 100 list and attempting polyphasic sleep!!!! He's always been a strange boy. LOL
softinthehead - Moving around so much would have been nightmare, for me, but I can well understand that others would find it exciting and stimulating!
Yes, yours have obviously inherited the wanderlust!
LOL! Sorry about addressing my comment to you. Forgot where I was, for a minute, there. ;0)
Well as you probably know, I am a huge advocate of travel! I think to put yourself in new situations, to learn from many cultures and to keep life interesting by soaking up many locations is the only way to live. Life is short and the world is big! in saying that, I also think that travel can help to realise what is also important. A win win situation either way! Your life sounds wonderful! I hope you will stop by my twittermoms travel column sometime :-)
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