MY STORY

The Roots

I was 5 years old when I started traveling. I sailed from Dublin to Liverpool on an
overnight journey that would affect the course of my life. From the age of 10, I
made the reverse trip, on my own, back and forth each summer for 6 years.
The journeys were magical. I can still taste the grit of the noisy trains belching
dark grey smoke as we clattered towards the docks, and the heady mix of fear
and pride as I made my way up the gangplank into the depths of the enormous
blue and white steamship.

I can close my eyes and hear the steady throb of the ship’s engine competing with
the heavy snores of my unknown cabin companion as I sunk into the top bunk,
praying for the excitement of a storm raging in the Irish Sea. And how could I
forget the tension that built from my toes and worked its way up to my hands,
which clenched the ship's rail as we sidled into the Dublin docks? The tension that
would soon be released with a huge pop of joy as I heard the accents of the north
side Dublin dockhands, swearing and cajoling as they jostled for position.
So began my love of traveling, a love that has stayed with me for many years. I’ve
been fortunate to be able to indulge in that love throughout my life, which
included a long marriage and three children. I've lived in Spain, Belgium, England,
Ireland, and on both coasts of the United States. I've traveled fairly extensively in
Europe, Guatemala and the Caribbean. Many journeys but, above all, I appreciate
the enrichment that travel can make in the tapestry of our lives-it certainly has in
mine.

I love not only the journey itself, but also the looking, the seeing, and the
absorption of each destination. That is one of the reasons I named this site
Beyond Travel. It’s not just the location; it’s the history, the people, the culture,
the food, the music, the vibe. It’s the so many different facets of place.
The other reason I named my site Beyond Travel relates to one of my favorite
Irish colloquialisms. Ask many of the country people the location of a place, or of
a person, and you’re likely to get the response, “Oh, they’re over beyond.” Or,
“It’s up beyond a wee way.” The response is usually accompanied by a soft
inclination of the head to indicate the direction of “beyond.” The beyond,
however, could mean around the corner, over the hills, or across the Atlantic.

Traveling "beyond" is my way. I hope you'll enjoy coming along with me.