Welcome Wagon

Everyone wants their first blog post to be epic and profound and newsworthy.  I’m not sure how many people actually succeed and I have no expectations of grandeur, because after all I’m just like the millions of other folks out there who are traveling and blogging about the stuff they think is worth writing about.

I’m going to write a blog to explain how I view life abroad, actually, life as a woman living abroad.  A woman who is a Baby Boomer and an expat all rolled into one.  Growing up in the US I am used to certain comforts that I mostly took for granted while I lived there; like hot water, a good drinking water supply, screens on windows, toilet paper and hand soap in all the public toilets, trash bins for those that want to use them, restaurants that ban cigarette smoking and so much more. However, if I write something that makes people smile, or makes them angry with rage, or makes them want to vent back and take the time to comment and interact with me, even better, because to me, a blog isn’t just me saying whatever I want to say, it’s about building a relationship with my readers and engaging them in lively conversation.  If I just wanted to write and be silent I would write in a diary that no one would see.

I will also impart information about the locals that I meet on my travels.  I have always found that spending time with the locals of any culture helps me to see the world differently.  We are not so different.  If the leaders of the world were forced to spend time in a kitchen, cooking together, they would soon learn how much we had in common across ethnic boundaries.  Maybe then they would think twice about wars and trying to do harm to others because deep down, where it really counts, we are more alike than they realize.

And still, with all the problems and challenges I have experienced while traveling, and the things I will impart in future posts, I wouldn’t stop traveling and seeing the world for anything.  Sitting and reading about all the beautiful places in the world that someone else has written about doesn’t even compare to actually seeing all of these places for myself.

If I am going to write about all the bad things that happen when one travels why do I keep traveling?  That’s easy, because over that rainbow, at the next bend in the road, past that next bridge or waterfall, lies the world, and everything it has to offer and I want to see it all.  I want to meet its people and share in its beauty.  I want to look back when I’m 100 and know I did my best to leave a mark on this humanity and I want to know that I lived up to my motto; “Don’t make an impact, make a difference.” 

                                                                                                                       Florence Lince