Travelling Man

Greetings Happy People,

Whether it is work, Toastmasters, or just for fun, I love to be on the road. Whenever I go somewhere, I would pick up an atlas, look at the routes, calculate the distance, and estimate how long it takes to get from point A to point B. There is something about the open road that calls to me. Whenever I get the chance, I would answer it.

My road adventures started when I was 3 months old. I was a Navy brat when my family moved from Norfolk, Virginia to Kingsville, Texas. When I was older, I remembered moving across the United States. Thanks to the military experience, I travelled through different parts of United States, western Canada, and Mexico. The best part of travelling is not just seeing the different cities and landmarks, but also visiting my cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents too.

When I moved to Las Vegas 25 years ago, I still got those opportunities to travel across the country and visit my relatives in Arkansas and Virginia. When time passed, those opportunities became few and far between. During a certain time period, I was not able to go out on the road. It was at that moment, I purchased my first atlas and imagined going from one place to another. Somehow, I knew I was going to get another chance to go out on the road again.

When I started working at my current workplace 10 years ago, the opportunities for travel returned. This time, I travelled to different parts of Nevada. Whether it is Tonopah, Pahrump, Reno, Carson City, Alamo, Searchlight, or somewhere in White Pine County, I got to see a lot of beauty that this state had to offer. Believe it or not, there is more to Nevada than just Las Vegas.

When I became a District Officer for District 33 Toastmasters, I started travelling to different parts of California. In District 33, there are seven Divisions. Two are in Nevada, and five are in California. Throughout my Toastmaster travels, I saw many places and lots of cool Toastmasters too!! From the farming communities of Fresno, Modesto, and Bakersfield to the “US 101” cities of Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, to the inland places of Lancaster and Palmdale, I cherish my travelling experiences from this organization. Travelling with Toastmaster friends and my wonderful lady Dana makes it even MORE pleasant because I always have somebody to share my adventures with.

Speaking of Dana, the last time we went out on the road was a weekend getaway to Zion National Park in Utah. This was the second time I ever been to Utah. When we got to Zion, it was breathtaking!! The mixture of mountains, snow, and pure beauty was breathtaking. To make this trip better, I met a fellow Toastmaster I had not seen in a while!! It just does NOT get any better than this…..or does it? Hmmm!!

Today, there are people that live their lives through the newspaper or television. There are other people that lived in one place all their lives, yet never set foot out of the city limits. Oh what these people would not miss if they take the time to just go somewhere. Heck!! This country has only 3.8 million square miles of pure land. Most of it IS filled with beautiful sceneries. Visiting these places is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of “complicated” life. It can make you feel refreshed, reenergized, and relaxed. It can also make you appreciate the finer things in life!!

There are places I still have not seen. Hopefully, with a little free time, I will get a chance to look at more breathtaking places. Who knows? The next beautiful thing can be only miles away!! All we have to do is just go out on to the open road and hit the trails!!

That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I