By Miss October 2014, Deborah Brauser

As I’m running around trying to get ready for another overseas business trip, my Mom calls with an urgent message, “Are you getting your money transferred to euros ahead of time? And if so, how many are you taking??”

Mom and Me in Spain

I think the most fun part about the upcoming trip to Berlin, Germany is how excited my Mom and my Aunt Darlene are. My Mom has tagged along on at least 1 of my big trips each of the past 3 years, but this will be the first time that my Aunt will be part of the group too. She has never been outside the country and keeps calling it the trip of a lifetime. So my Mom and I have been spending a lot of time comparing notes to make sure we can show her a good time – in between my work schedule of course!

I’ve always loved travel and believe it all started when I was very, very young and was left at home with my Grandmother instead of allowed to go with my parents on a trip to California and Disneyland.

Grumpy Little Me in Mouse Ears

Yep, my parents met Mickey Mouse without me!! I’ve written before about this incident, but it’s funny to think that that long ago feeling led to me never wanting to miss out on, well, ANYTHING ever again.

Once I was a little older, my folks would pack up my brother and I on weekends and we’d all go exploring the fun and sometimes down-right odd attractions around our state (Kansas). We visited the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, the World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well, the Dalton Gang Hideout and Escape Tunnel, Boot Hill in Dodge City, Dorothy’s House and Land of Oz, and a giant 160-foot electric shovel nicknamed Big Brutus.

Big Brutus

Later, we made several cross-country trips, including 1 particularly memorable time we sat inside the family van in the middle of rush hour traffic in New York City. Wowza!

But the biggest highlight came when I was 16 and somehow talked my grandparents into letting me tag along with them on their first trip to Europe. They said if I could figure out how to pay my way, they’d let me go with them. Thankfully, they had signed up for a budget tour that saw a different country almost every day. So I was able to save up the needed funds and then experience a colorful buffet of new locales.

Grandma and Me in Gondola in Venice

Although it took a lot of years, I was finally able to start making overseas trips again as an adult, including several by myself. But no matter how busy I am covering conferences, I always hear a little voice saying, “Are you missing out on something fun that’s going on?” And away I go. A few hours open in between lecture sessions? Let’s go exploring! An interview’s been canceled? Plenty of time to ride London’s giant Ferris wheel!

And now I’ll soon be traveling to Germany with two family members determined to see absolutely everything. They may even wind up wearing me out! But that’s okay. We can all sleep when we get home, right?? 😉

Mom and Aunt Darlene