Early Travel Memories

With the parentals on one of the islands on the way to Antarctica.. I think Auckland Island...

Age 15, and rocking the meanest wraparound sunnies EV-AH!! & Reebok high tops.. Yup-huh!!

Yes, we all have matching jackets... and even trousers!! Coz we're cool like that... Think I still have that jacket somewhere..

I like to think that one of the reasons I love to travel is because we travelled a lot when I was a kid. My dad was as intrepid as they get and loved going places on and OFF the tourist trail...

My earliest memory is riding on my dad's shoulders while touring ice sculptures in Hokkaido. I must only be 3 or 4, still in kindergarten.. I remember complaining that my feet were cold and I didn't want to walk anymore.. I remember playing in the giant castle carved out of ice and that it had a slide. Apparently having a cold ass didn't bother me as much as having cold feet!

I remember going to Disneyland in Tokyo, numerous times.. tho I don't remember any particulars.. I remember having my photo taken with Mickey and Minnie, and I still have their dolls in storage somewhere... I remember going to the Sanrio stores and getting my fill of Melody, Bad Badtz Maru, Pekkle, Kerokeroppi and Twin Stars while attempting to avoid Hello Kitty.. She never appealed to me, even as a kid... I remember thinking it was funny that our Japanese friends said I was a "kero", like Kerokeroppi because of my name...

On one of the trips, we were at Narita airport.. my parents were unloading luggage from our family friend's car, I needed to go to the bathroom.. so their daughter took me.. but when I came out, she wasn't waiting for me at the entrance... I called for her in the bathroom but she didn't answer me... I looked all around the entrance to the bathroom and couldn't see her... I didn't panic, I didn't cry... I looked for the "i" which I knew meant information... walked right up to the counter and told the lady that I had lost my parents... they made the announcement and my parents came to find me.. They hadn't even realised I was "missing"!! The momster said I was 6 or 7 at the time... She said, she doesn't know how I knew to go to the information counter... They had never taught me.. She thinks I'm weird because I didn't freak out like a 'normal' kid would...

I remember being in Mexico and really wanting a bag from one of the markets we went to... it was quite expensive, but I really liked it... my parents said I was allowed to buy it, but that I wouldn't be allowed to buy anything else for the rest of the trip... (we were only about half way through I think)... they told me to go and barter with the shop keeper to see if he would sell it to me for cheaper... but to be sure that I really wanted it, because that would be my spending money for the trip... the shop keeper didn't budge... I still have the bag...

I had an allowance when we went on trips, money my parents gave me either each day or however long, that I would have to look after on my own, that I was allowed to spend on whatever I wanted.. if I didn't spend it one day, I could save it up to spend the next day.. but if I spent it all, I didn't get any more.. It was a great way to learn how to be responsible with money.. to look after it and not lose it (didn't get any more if I lost it either!), and to not just spend it on frivolous things, to be sure I really liked something before buying it... Even tho, to this day, I love spending money on frivolous things!! Think my problem is that I love everything I see that I want!

There's much more I want to share... and memories to do with that photo up there... but I will save them for another post...


Hope you've enjoyed reminiscing with me!! What are some of your fun, early memories??