Prologue

One does not necessarily set out to travel to every continent, just like life finds us, so does travel. I started travelling the world when I was eighteen as an airman in the US Navy and in this role I went to four continents. Later in life I travelled again to several of those continents and it amazed me that the places were not the same to me, as I grew older. If perception is reality then it was perhaps my recollection or experiences of the same places and people that were now wildly different from what I had remembered. Yes, I know that places do change. Take Naples Italy for example, the first time I was there it was a sleepy town and today there are high-rises and a business district that is anything but quiet.

In this last year my travels brought me throughout Southeast Asia and back to Africa. It has been yet another great year of evaluating my preconceptions of all these places. The only way to do this for me has been to try to get to know as many of the “locals” as possible. It takes a while for a city to release her qualities to you and you must be patient but it does happen.  As someone that lives in the USA, I often rediscover my own country as it is constantly changing. I also think it is realistic to acknowledge that the past is a different country and/or world.

This year I had the privilege and unique opportunity of going to Antarctica and what was amazing to me is that this continent was not as uninhabited as one might think.  What hit me the most at the end of the journey is that it in every way reinforced my belief system. It brought me to the realization that the inhabitants of this place were the passengers and the crew that literally showed us this majestic place with the same pride that someone shows their home.

Antarctica to me was a place for reflection; however, what I was not prepared for was that it was a reflection on the entirety of my life versus just this trip. So as my life decisions passed before me – in what seemed to be slow motion, it occurred to me that what I was remembering was no less than all of the lesson that I had learned from all my travels and of course from the people that I met along the way regardless of their own awareness of how they were my teachers.  I also thought that these memories deserved to be written down and shared with those that would read this novella that I am embarking on today.  Life lessons for us are of course transferrable.

Everything that I ever searched for, was always present, but never seen. To me, travelling exposed this fact but it does give up this truth with a bit of kicking and screaming. I am fortunate to have travelled over three decades as it allowed me to see the same places over different periods of my own personal development. A good example was the first time I walked in Quincy Center and got a slice of pizza at Napoli’s on Hancock Street. I was so amazed and awestruck by a place that would later become nothing special.

So, as I write this please do remember that this work is based on my memories of my experiences. Others present may have different memories of the same event but everyone knows that this makes perfect sense.

Cheers,

Rob

Icebergs blue – Zodiac Ride

Calm Waters

Calm waters, seals and icebergs

Link to more photos

and chicks

rock hoping penguins

walking

swimming penguins

chinstraps