Early Beginnings: Trained To Travel From A Young Age (Thanks Dad!)

Traveling gets easier the more you do it, and thanks to my dad, I've become quite the seasoned traveler—both domestically and internationally. Well, at least I'd like to think I am!

From a young age, my life was filled with travel, largely thanks to my golf spirit and my dad's frequent work trips. Once I was old enough, I got to tag along on his business travels, particularly enjoying trips to warmer states during the cold winter months. My dad, being the incredible person he is, would handle his work in the mornings while I enjoyed sleeping in and having breakfast. Afternoons were reserved for golfing together, making the trips both productive for him and opportunity-filled for me.

When the weekend arrived, I would participate in golf tournaments, gaining valuable competitive experience. From about 5th or 6th grade through my early high school years, I was probably gone about 75% of winter weekends. Adding in other family vacations, travel became a routine part of my life. 

All this frequent travel taught me invaluable skills—what to pack, how to prepare, what to anticipate, and even how to handle the unexpected. More importantly, it showed me how much one can learn simply by experiencing new places and cultures firsthand.  Indirectly, this also taught me that you don't need a classroom to learn.  I am glad to have developed the skill to learn things on my own because sometimes I just didn't have a choice I wasn't in class.  This proved super helpful throughout all of school and I am so happy that I learned this early on.

Through these travels, I learned what travel truly means—it's more than just going somewhere new. It's about broadening your perspective, challenging your assumptions, and embracing the diversity of the world. Every trip opened my eyes to new cultures, traditions, and ways of life, teaching me empathy, adaptability, and appreciation for different viewpoints. Each destination became an opportunity to grow and evolve as a person and also sharpen my golf game.

These early experiences shaped who I am today—someone who loves exploring new destinations, escaping winters, and constantly seeks learning through travel and experience. Thanks to my dad, I learned early on that traveling isn't just about going somewhere new; it's about growing, adapting, and becoming the best version of yourself through every journey.

Thanks, Dad, for giving me the world, literally!