My friend, an airline pilot who has visited more than 70 countries, tells me I'm one of the luckiest travelers he knows. Why? First, because my husband and I have never been bumped from a flight using our friend's "buddy passes" for trips to Turkey, Belgium, England, Israel, Jordan, Germany, Panama, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. (If you're a seasoned standby traveler, you know that's about as common as seeing a unicorn in the Jet Blue terminal at JFK!)
Second, I've been fortunate to have unexpected, transformative experiences in every place I've been. Trading English and Arab words with a group of Jordanian schoolgirls amid the ruins of Jerash. Watching the sun set over Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district from an impromptu rooftop party. Meeting a neighbor of my dad's in a tiny, remote eco-lodge in the Panamanian rainforest.
These are the moments that make travel magic for me and why I can't get enough. They're precisely the kinds of moments I'll bring back to the Women on Their Way community if I'm chosen as a winner of the Local Nation contest.
Ten years ago, I was so terrified of flying that I could hardly read the word "airplane" without breaking out in a sweat. I overcame my fear because I didn't want to miss out on the world. Today, I'm running out of pages in my passport and space on my bookshelf for my Lonely Planet guides.
I believe we each make our own luck through the surprise connections we make, the relationships we nurture, and the passions we pursue. Please help me keep my streak alive by casting your vote of support. In return, I promise stories and photos filled with awe-inspiring sights, fascinating people, and unabashed joie de vivre. Thank you!
