My Travels: The Beginning

For Miss Amy, traveling has always been her first love. It ebbs and flows through her veins, fabricating every inch of her being. 

(Miss Amy and her  Dad on a trip to Boston)

As the daughter of an airline pilot, traveling was simply a way of life for Miss Amy and her bustling family.  When she was nine, her radical parents made the decision to homeschool their growing quiver of children to maximize their traveling opportunities. If Miss Amy’s father was going on an exciting trip, the family would obediently pack their bags, lock up their Pennsylvania home, and travel with him. 

As the oldest of seven children, Miss Amy and her family went on many adventures. I’m sure you can imagine the friendly chaos that accompanied her large family when all crammed into one hotel room. Multiply this by the fact that they always flew “standby” and you have a recipe for disaster. Somewhere along the way they were given the nickname, “The Volcanoes,” for their vibrant presence. 

Now at family gatherings, questions such as, “How many trips have we been on?” or “Which Christmas were we stranded at the Belgian airport?” often lead to a an argument or two. They laugh because no one can quite remember! Regardless of these disagreements, each child in the family has their own treasure chest of memories. Inside, held for safe keeping are things like, which country they lost their first tooth in, which country made their favorite toy, or where they had their first international kiss. 

In regards to Miss Amy’s first kiss, which took place at the age of nine onboard a 777, in route to Germany, she can still recall the details. Somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean, she had befriended the German boy three rows behind her. They convinced their younger brothers to switch seats so they could sit together. They played with legos, swapped coloring books,  and laughed at each other as they fastened the plastic pilot wings to their shirts. After the plane landed in Germany, Miss Amy shimmied up from her seat and entered the aisle to locate the rest of her family. Little Marcus followed too. She turned around to say goodbye and he plopped a big FAT one on her lips in front of all the other passengers. Shocked, furious, and mortified, she ran from the plane! I guess it's true, you never really do forget your first kiss!!!

( Mrs. Noor Hasinali-1st Lady of Trinidad )

For Miss Amy, there are several trips that have carved their memories in the corner of her mind. Highlights of her childhood days gone by, include: interviewing the president's wife of Trinidad and Tobago, visiting Ann Franks house in Holland, and exploring the famous Aztec ruins in Mexico. 

The thing that amazes Miss Amy the most about her parents is they did all of this on a shoe-string budget. Her Dad didn’t make a lot of money during his early years as a pilot.  Yes, her wardrobe came from House of Bargains and she never did get that shinny new bike that she always wanted. However, what her parents gave her was priceless, a ticket to see the world!

Countries Conquered: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Canada (x2), China (x2), England, Guatemala, Germany (x3), Haiti, France, Mexico (x5), Morocco, the Netherlands (x2), Trinidad and Tobago (x6), Turkey (x2), Qatar, and the UAE.