Today is the day. Or rather, tomorrow is the day, after nearly 14 hours in the air. I splurged on this particular flight; choosing lay-flat business class seats. It will be the most expensive nap I’ve ever taken, but what the heck. I’m reaching a goal that is close to a decade in the making. It’s worth celebrating.
Up until nine years ago, I believed I had all the time in the world. I’d need to worry about creaky bones, wrinkles, and retirement funding … someday. I had years, decades, even, to concern myself with those challenges. That belief was shaken when a sudden cardiac arrest brought me to my knees. Emerging from life support, I realized that I may never grow old. I might not even see 50. Doctors never determined the cause of my “non-ischemic cardiomyopathy” event. Asthma, maybe. An allergic reaction to algae in the lake as I swam. That uncertainty fed my yearning to see and experience everything I could in whatever time I had left.
Asia
My sister, Susan, and I traveled to Thailand and China in November of 2013. This trip, more than any other, awakened my wanderlust. I’m not sure why travel beyond the US and Europe had always seemed so far out of reach, but the planning and execution of the trip made me realize that it only takes a few simple steps … save, plan, book, go … to experience the richness of cultures beyond my own. The trip was full of new, never-before moments; scrubbing the back of an elephant in a lake, walking along the Great Wall, my first tattoo … it was here Operation Seven Continents was born.
Africa
My friend, Lynn, and I traveled to Botswana and Zimbabwe in November of 2015. We camped our way through the Okavango Delta, Khwai, Moremi, Savuti, and Chobe. We experienced Victoria Falls by foot and by helicopter. We saw zebras and hippos and lions and leopards; more wildlife than I had seen before or since. It was raw and wild and life changing. The inside-out nature of a safari felt right and good. We were the creatures in cages, or in this case, jeeps, while the animals roamed free. I liked that.
Europe
I had been to Europe before, going to France and Belgium in 2000, and a many-country cruise with my folks and my aunt in 2009, but Ireland with my sister was the first visit, in April of 2015, since Operation Seven Continents was established. We drove nearly the circumference of the island, seeing castles, cliffs, yummy Irish men, and every shade of green. We drank a lot of Guinness, kissed the Blarney Stone, and I got my second tattoo. I got the chance to visit Europe again last summer, going to England with my mom, sister, and niece. We wandered the English countryside, had tea at Prince Charles and Camilla’s place, saw Stonehenge, Downton Abbey, and I got a little more practice driving on the opposite side of the road. I’m still not good at it.
South America
My intrepid travel partner, Lynn, and I visited Ecuador, starting in Quito, Napo, and Otavalo before heading to the Galápagos Islands in February of 2017. We snorkeled, kayaked, and hiked our way through that magnificent archipelago; swimming with seals, turtles, and marine iguanas, the dragons of the sea, and laughing at the antics of the blue-footed booby. I had always seen the value and importance of protecting and preserving our wild places, but seeing this clean, unspoiled chain of islands cemented that belief. It’s important.
Antarctica
I traveled to Antarctica by myself in February of 2018; joining six other travelers and our guide. We flew down to King George Island and boarded a sailboat, where we would spend the next nine days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. There were days that we didn’t see another person. We camped on the ice, sat with tens of thousands of penguins, and flirted with a minke whale. One of my most memorable moments was sitting in a kayak next to a leopard seal on an iceberg, listening to glaciers calving in the distance. Crossing the Drake Passage was another unforgettable experience, with waves the size of buildings and no land in sight. For three very long days. I was glad to finally step on stable ground when we reached Ushuaia.
Australia
So, here it is. The culmination of a dream hatched so many years ago. It is one short day away. One. Day. Off I go … g’day, mates. Cheers …