Fave Travel Moments

- Landing in Colombia and leaving the plane à la the Beatles by walking down a mobile staircase and right onto the tarmac, then being greeted outside near the taxis by Marina. We screamed (like Beatles fans, no less) and smacked into one another for a great big hug that brought on tears. Our screams also provided a nice little laugh to all the others waiting for their loved ones. After a smoke break and chit chat we drove to Marina's apartment and all I saw out the window were lush green mountains.

- Stepping outside the San Francisco airport and discovering a smoking section - in California! It was a beautiful start to my adventure in Cali with little brother Xavier.

- Being mistaken for an actual Londoner in the West Kensington tube. A fellow foreigner (not American) needed assistance in reaching the Hammersmith line and I was able to help. Hurrah! 

- Stepping off the train at Santa Lucia in Venice, walking out the door and discovering that we must be on a film set. It was completely unreal. Sitting on the steps and looking at the canal and hearing so many different languages was truly unbelievable. (By the way, if this moment was indeed from a film, it was clearly starring George Clooney.) 

- Seeing Captain EO in Disney - my first 3-D movie! It was 1986 and Michael Jackson was all the rage.

- Helping a German woman and her child, who spoke zero English, find the loo at the train station in Italy with Nicole. We were breaking down language barriers!

- Finding Vlaeykensgang all by myself when I was in Antwerp. It was this little winding alleyway that felt like a sanctuary; so quiet and peaceful. My fave place in the whole city.

- Seeing the Picasso in Daley Plaza that I first saw in The Blues Brothers when Amy and I were kids. We had wanted to visit Chicago for so many years and recreating our own little Blues Brothers tour was heaven.

- Picking up broken tiles on the beach in Positano with Nicole. Positano was a place I had dreamt of seeing and smelling and experiencing since I was seventeen. Stepping onto that beach was surreal and dreamlike. I cannot wait to return again.

- Meeting Natalia on the flight to Dublin and spending the entire next day with her - goofing off, acting like tourists, chatting like old friends, and laughing the whole time.