Background: I was born in mid 1958 in the midwest. I had an interesting childhood. I had 2 younger sisters with Cystic Fibrosis (born 1963/1964) that are deceased, my parents brought us up to be honest, ethical & to be positive! I also had 2 other sisters that were healthy.
As an child, I was hyperactive, and needed speech therapy. (at 5 yrs old, I could not speak well but I knew to spell BIG words!). I was always very curious and wanted to see the world. I started out small and gradually worked my way from there!
I always run into negative people but I never let those people get in my way. I remained positive in spite of the negativity that often came before me. I always listened when advice was helpful and even at a young age, I had very good intuition.
Getting back to travels, I will give examples of my "curious nature" and how it ties into travels.
1. At age 7, I lost a button at my summer speech therapy camp (6 summer weeks 1965-1970) and I knew enough to go downstairs to a sewing lady to have her sew my button.
2. At age 14-15, I collected stamps, coins and old bottles. I also had my first job at age 12 (picking apples). I also started riding my bike starting at age 12. By the time I was 15-16, I rode my bike 25+ miles from home. (near MBS). I pursued my hobbies using my bicycle as a means of transport.
I wanted to find my way to a relatives house 200 miles from home (near TVC) but I couldn't ride a bicycle that far!!! I was going to buy a motorbike but they moved back to our area.
3. At age 17 (1975) , I got my car. (actually 1966 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup). In 1975-77, I was all over lower Michigan, Ohio,Indiana. My travels were expanding alot. I started college in Fall 1976 (you can guess my major by my FT handle!!!) and travels increased alot during college. Still no airline trips but that will change alot starting in the summer of 1980.
4. I had my airplane trip and I was looking for the cheapest airfare. I was invited to the University of Texas-Austin to look at graduate schools in the summer of 1980. I took my airline flight & I flew MBS-DTW-IAH-AUS, AUS-DFW-DTW-MBS. I was on NW Orient/TX intl/Continental/Southwest/Braniff. I even joined a FF program (TX intl?) on that trip. This was my first time that far away from home &I loved it!!!
5. During grad school, I took alot of airline trips for cheap!! I was smart enough to join every FF program including CO. I was a very late bloomer on flying but I took the plunge. I did my first MR IAH-JAX for $32 RT w/no taxes. O got something like 4X or 5X times. Too bad I did not do it many times!
That would come in later years!!