Early Travel Memories #2

Along with my second installment of April photo-a-day's I thought I'd share part two of my early travel memoirs~  I also had a rummage around in the basement and found a very early photo of me to share too...

See the super stylish little person with their hand up?? That's me!! I loved those yellow ski boots... they were second hand, but they are probably (to this day) my favourite out of all the snow gear I've ever owned... mostly because I remember going shopping for them with my Dad... every year there used to be a big jumble sale at a ski store up on K' Rd, where people would come to sell off their second hand gear before the new season started.. it was the perfect place to pick up stuff for kids, who pretty much outgrew everything from one season to the next... I think a lot of my early ski gear came from going to that sale each year with my Pa... 

Aaannnyways... apparently the ladies at the momster's knitting group were talking about me, and said that I seem very independent and would adapt quickly to people and surroundings... that I seem to have no fear... the momster told the story of me losing them at Narita airport... and how I never stayed by their side when we went away with tour groups... that I would always find other people to hang out with.. She said she never felt like she had to look after me when we were on tour because somehow I'd always find other people and they'd just look after me... "Maybe because you were a kid and they thought you were cute, I dunno"... She said maybe they were both a little naive too, but I never seemed to get into trouble or wandered off and got lost so they just let me do whatever I wanted... She said, I probably didn't want to hang out with them because she used to always tell me off... and we'd always fight and argue, so it was more fun for me to go hang out with other people... (it's true!).. I was never one of those kids that hid behind my mum's leg... I was always looking for ways to get as far away from her as possible!! If she couldn't see me, she couldn't tell me off for whatever I was doing that she didn't like!! There would usually be some family with older kids or young couples, maybe on their honeymoon or something... these were normally my targets... :D

Thus concludes memories from kindy and primary school.

When I was in intermediate/middle school, my parents sent me off on a tour group on my own... It was my summer holidays in NZ but they both had to work.. I was bored sitting around so Dad came up with the bright idea to send me to Canada/USA with a tour group... They dropped me off at the airport... much to the surprise of everyone else in the group, they then buggered off.. and off I went!! There was a company on their work holiday, so there were loads of young'uns for me to hang out with... I had a great time... I remember eating lunch at the Grand Canyon... a very very wet day at Disneyworld and Universal Studios... riding at the very front of Jurrasic Park and getting absolutely drenched and it making not a lick of difference as I was already soaked to the bone!

I remember being on safari in Kenya and Zimbabwe... staying in giant tents or tree houses... almost being squashed by an elephant... showering outdoors, the chameleons, the snake in our bedroom.. visiting Victoria Falls and not realising we had wandered into Zambia until we were stopped by armed guards on our way back... oops!! One of my favourite memories - being woken up by a stampede of elephants... A memory that makes me laugh now, tho not so much a the time - a monkey crapping on my head while I was attempting to have lunch...

The icebergs on our way to Antarctica.. on a Russian icebreaker boat... the chocolate mousse fight we had in the kitchen with the staff one day... trying to eat while holding onto plates and cutlery while the boat was pitching at crazy angles... playing silly buggers on the deck while dad took photos on his Hassleblad... I should really dig that camera out.. tho I would need to look up how to load the film!!  Getting to Antarctica and the gentlemen of the group being told not to pee outside as it could result in some rather "uncomfortable situations"...  Visiting the American McMurdo Base and really wanting to bowl on their mini bowling lanes... visiting NZ's Scott Station and thinking how much smaller it was... the penguins.... trying to shower and sleep on the floor of the cabin while the boat pitched madly and threatened to tip over... thinking the floor was maybe safer than being in the bunks as I couldn't get thrown off, onto the floor!

Those are my most vivid memories of travelling with the parentals as a small person.. if I think of anymore.. I'll be sure to share them with you~!!


Do you have early travel memories?? I'd love to hear them if you do!!