It is often said that the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only the first page!
I am and always have been a big dreamer, and lots of those dreams all center around travelling. I have always found myself to be fascinated by other countries and cultures, resulting in me developing an incessant need to travel.
Growing up, our communities did not see very much in terms of travel, given that the socio-political climate at the time excluded us from being able to make travel possible. My parents however tried to expose us to travel, albeit locally and occasionally we would have the odd trip across the border to the neighboring African countries. I remember the excitement of coming to the border and getting my passport stamped, or if it was a local trip, just entering a new city or town. The experience of seeing how other people conducted their lives was fascinating, and I could spend hours just watching or listening to people when I was out of my own City of Johannesburg.
I found myself living in a new City close to the end of my high school career, given that my parents had relocated the family to Cape Town. I was angry because I had to leave behind my friends and a City I had known since birth, but I was now able to learn how the folk in Cape Town lived. Over the years I had come in contact with exchange students and visitors from other countries, and my fascination with their descriptions of their Cities or Countries just kept fueling my desire to travel, but the socio-economic situation didn't inspire me with confidence as the cost of travel for an average South African was astronomical, and then added to that, the below average South African household would potentially never experience International travel in their lifetime.
I had just started with my tertiary education when our family was affected by a serious accident which resulted in amnesia for my father. The result of the accident was that we had to move back to Johannesburg, as I had to give up my studies to find a job to help my mom out with the expenses, given that we had no idea as to whether my dad would recover or not. I moved back to Johannesburg, and I was working within a matter of weeks. I was lucky to get permanent employment withing a few short months, and still this desire to travel was with me like a monkey on my back! I had so many things to do, and so little financial resources to work with, and it seemed that the dreams of travel were just becoming smaller and smaller, getting further and further out of reach and then life happened!
I was into my second marriage with three kids to provide for with mounting expenses, and this travel dream had still not left me. It had just become a feint voice in my head calling out in the distance, hoping it would be heard.
I was in the throes of my career now, trying to build something solid, but getting hit with every setback as I tried to climb the corporate ladder.
I had become so bitter with the lack of traction in my career, and after doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results, my friend and I decided to hop a plane to Bangkok to go look at some business ideas. We both were just absolute novices, but we had a strong desire to find some viable business opportunities and see what that part of the world looked like. We put the trip together really quickly and let our families behind to go and explore what potential opportunities we could find. I chose not to ask anyone for advice and pointers, as I wanted to make the trip with no pre-conceived ideas or judgments, but I was terrified inside, as I had never done this before. My friend and I hopped on the flight, and literally agreed to take things as they would come. It was an eight hour flight and quite a nice one at that, as we did not experience much in the form of turbulence or delays. The entertainment onboard the flight was really good as well as the food, not to mention the attentive service provided by the cabin crew. We arrived, and commenced with all the formalities at customs and passport control, which was so seamless and professional. I literally found myself gawking at how beautiful that airport was and all the fascinating sights that it had on offer. We very quickly became aware that the Country was ruled by monarchy, as murals and pictures of the King and the royal family were on show everywhere.
Bangkok was everything I imagined it to be! The song "One Night in Bangkok" truly does the place justice.
A bustling city that never sleeps, complete with all the distractions that one's heart could desire complete with shopping and entertainment! The sights and smells were enthralling, and one was often taken aback by how liberal certain parts of the city was, in contrast to the very conservative parts elsewhere. PDA are generally frowned upon and one very quickly becomes aware of how society is steeped in a very conservative construct by day, but when night falls over the city, it spawns into an entirely different creature. The city operates on a very well integrated gratuity system, and all facets of the business landscape participate and benefit from this system. I was so taken by the humanity I experienced here, as the people would literally take the shirt off their own backs if you were without one. I learned some hard lessons about how cold a society we are back home on this trip. The people were warm and receptive to us, we were able to make contact with the businesses we sought out and we also came to understand the culture of bargaining. I found the bargaining really hard, as I felt that I was ripping them off every time I purchased something, but I also learned that it was an insult not to bargain and haggle over there.
We made some good contacts over there, which opened up a little clothing enterprise for us, but we were also introduced to bespoke tailoring and some exquisite silk throws and material. I literally only went there with underwear and got all the clothing I could possibly need for next to nothing. It was indeed a trip that did not break the bank, although I had negotiated a loan to make the trip. We found amazing tattoo artists, really talented artists as well as really fascinating technology which was so affordable!
I must say that the food was also quite an experience, and given that I am such a foodie, I was in seventh heaven with the variety I was presented! The donuts and cakes were absolutely to die for, and the local cuisine was an immersion of delicate spicy and sweet balances that left the palate watering for more. I was always excited about what the next meal would be, as the hotel would have different themed dinners in the evenings. The little enterprise we started quickly funded the next trip and settled the loan, and I was able to visit again! The next two visits saw my spouse and my sister come along, as I just could not stop talking about how amazing Thailand was.
The city was really good to all of us, and provided yet another shopping spree of note. We indulged in the fast food chains that were on offer, and it was interesting to see how different the menus looked in different Countries, and the tastes just added to the exotic allure of what was aptly named, Amazing Thailand! The travel bug had now bitten me hard, and there was no turning back for me! I now could no longer silence the call to travel.
Life yet again happened, and I had found myself in a rut and also had not travelled for three years when an old school mate reached out to me to show me an amazing Lifestyle club. I joined in hope, not knowing what a ride I was in for! All I knew was that I needed to find away to travel more, as my kids were growing up, and I had decided that I would not give them things, I would give them experiences. Little did I know how our lives would change as a result of my affiliation to this club, and little did I know what an upgrade it would be! Shortly after joining, we had booked a trip to Cape Town, and just like that, my kids were on their first flight! The Cape Town trip was followed up very quickly with a Sun City trip. We were now travelling at fairy regular intervals, taking in amazing experiences in our own country.
The members of our lifestyle club regularly came together on trips and one day a conversation turned to us making a trip to Cancun. We spoke around the logistics and costs, and the trip was conceived, but it was now not just a trip to Cancun, but to Orlando Florida as well! A few short months passed and I was yet again on my way out the Country en-route to the USA, a longstanding childhood dream of mine! Our travelling party hopped on the 23 hour flight and we all had such expectation around what we were going to experience, and at the same time, we didn't really know what to expect.
Orlando was just phenomenal! The weather was perfect, the people were warm and welcoming and the variety on offer for us to experience was just way more than we could have imagined. The food was inexpensive, and the portions were fantastic! We had such a wealth of variety on offer, from all the famous fast food chains that America was famous for. We were able to go to the Golds' Gym that Arnold Schwarzenegger had trained in to become Mr. Universe, and it was such a surreal experience! We were so warmly received by the wonderful people of Orlando, and it was nothing like the descriptions of America that we had come to hear about in the media.
Our Lifestyle club booked out the entire Epcot Centre theme park at Disneyland for us and 22 000 members of the Lifestyle club from all over the world to mix and mingle. It was such an experience, as I was now able to fulfill a childhood dream of one day seeing Disneyland. We were treated to a private fireworks display which really had me choked up and teary eyed, as only a product of Disney could. The connections and friendships made on that trip just boggled the mind, as we were not aware of how interested the rest of the world was in South Africans. Our flag was just a magnet for interest, and everybody just wanted to pull us aside for a chat as well as a picture. We were made to feel like we were celebrities wherever we went in Orlando, and that made the trip so much more memorable. I got to see such diversity in Orlando, as most of the people we encountered were Latino, which made for some interesting interactions as I was often taken to be a Latino by the locals.
Next on the list was Cancun, and to get here, I took a little detour through Miami. I realised that Miami would have to be a trip on it's own, as passing through would not suffice for me! I landed in Cancun and the picture on my left is what the view from my room looked like! I had never seen anything like it before! The resort I stayed at was all-inclusive and there were no restrictions on anything one could want! As I was checking in, they met me with Krispy Kreme donuts at reception with a refreshing milky Mexican drink to settle me as I was checking in. I was then taken to one of the bars to wait while our room was being prepared, and I was given an armband, with the instructions to have it on at all times to indicate that I had opted for the all-inclusive package. I jokingly ordered a Johnnie Walker Blue, and the drink was sent over with haste. I sheepishly asked what the cost of it was, as I was skeptical that it was included under the all-inclusive stuff, given my experiences back home. The waiter politely told me that there was no charge due to the armband I was wearing, and in a whisper told me that I should just grab a bottle and plonk myself on a beach bed for good measure. I was now absolutely floored by the Lifestyle club, as I had never in my life experienced such treatment. The rest of our travelling party started arriving as their flights departed an hour or so after mine, as they had opted to fly direct. We had quite a week planned for ourselves, and we were most definitely not ready for what Cancun had to offer us!
We kicked off our first evening with what can only be described as the most EPIC foam party ever! We partied into the early hours of the morning with VIP status at Senor Froggs, where the drinks flowed all night non-stop, at no cost to us, and we got to party with some really interesting folk!
The next day was a booze cruise to a really beautiful island called "Isla Mujeres", translated as the island of the women, and boy oh boy does Cancun have beautiful women! It was as if everybody was just permanently in a party vibe over there because yet again, the drinks were all free on the cruise, along with lunch on the island as well as an activity of your choice. I of course decided to go snorkeling, given that the water was an Azure blue and it was a really pleasant temperature as well! The day was spent exploring the island and taking in the very rich and interesting culture as well as learning more about the travelling party I was with. We spoke late into the evenings and shared amazing meals and fantastic breakfasts. We had established some really deep bonds and we were also bonding as business partners, which was another one of the many benefits that travelling provides. We went to historic sites, took in the local cuisine and of course the world renowned tequila! The Mexican people are very hospitable, and are potentially one of the hardest partying individuals I have encountered to date! I can't even fully begin to describe how hard these folk party, given the amount of drinking, dancing and twerking they can do! I was truly a spectacle!
The food and culture is so immersive and steeped in history, that you just lose yourself in the beauty of it all! We would take our breakfast out on the beachfront and just sit there in awe of all the beauty around us. I felt so much peace and tranquility here, and it was just so uplifting to my soul. We got to experience a genuine Mariachi Band one evening at dinner, and I must say that I also had on of the most tender, buttery soft steaks I have had in my entire life that night. We had so much more that we could not see in the week we spent there, so we resolved that we would make another trip back there to see the other sights we could not see.
The beauty of the architecture as well as the history we learned was really such an educational and a spiritually moving experience, as it highlighted the significance of many of the historical sights we saw. The majestic beaches that surround these sites was also quite a moving sight to behold. We all took different experiences out of the visit, but the overriding feeling we took from it all was that the world had so much to offer, if only we'd take the time to see it. The Lifestyle club I had joined, had now put me on a path to being a master of living, as I was determined to put life into my years as opposed to putting years in my life. I then embarked on a journey of showing others how to experience life with greater emphasis on having Peak Life Experiences. I had received a gift from my Lifestyle club, and I am determined to show anyone who wants to experience more travel, have more Fun, seek out more Freedom and gain Fulfillment how to do exactly that on any budget!
The world is truly a beautiful place and we truly rob ourselves of experiencing it's beauty by feeding ourselves the poppycock stories and self-limiting beliefs that they are out of our reach. I found a way to make travel a reality, but more so a priority and I am willing to share it with all who will listen! I already have the next few trips lined up, and they are a mix of local and international trips, and my kids have also been bitten by the travel bug thanks to me. I will give them experiences and I will make experiences!
The one thing about travelling that also always made me happy was finding a Starbucks in most parts of the world before they came to South Africa!
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