When I was 16, my family went on a cross-country road trip covering 25 states and 2 countries in 5 weeks. On that trip, I developed a love for both travel and history that has stayed with me throughout my life. My love for one has reinforced my love for the other, and vice versa. Because I love history, I want to travel to places where important historical events took place. And because I love to travel, I continue to learn and strengthen my appreciation for history.
I can trace my love for both back to that 1988 trip. Up until that point, I had only been in 4 states - all in the southwest. That trip introduced me to new horizons, environments, architecture, and helped me connect what I'd been learning in school to the real world. One reason was that I had just finished taking U.S. History in school, so I had just learned about many of the places we were visiting. The other was that my father was also a Social Studies teacher. Everywhere we went, he was able to add a few interesting details about whatever we were seeing. Traveling around the country with your family 24/7 for five weeks might sound like torture to some people, but I absolutely loved it.
When it came time to choose a major in college, I chose History Secondary Education. I am a strong believer in the statement, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." (George Santayana, Spanish philosopher) The only way to remember the past is to make learning a lifelong pursuit. Just because I'm no longer a student doesn't mean I've stopped learning. In fact, I may have learned more as a teacher than I ever did as a student. Whenever I go on a trip, I try to learn more about the places I'm visiting. Not only does it make my vacation more interesting, it helps me understand the world around me a little better.
Have fun learning on your next vacation!
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