My Travels

Music is one of the great transporters of me and mine.

Everywhere I go, I take music with me. It used to be cassette tapes. Back in the early 80s when I first joined the Navy it was a tape player, more than one Walkman I had that I accidentally dropped and broke. Glad I was employed full time then.

Then years later CDs started to come out and I started changing from the one format to another. Then just last year I finally got my first MP3 player. Still I am taking my music with me where I go. On my MP3 player to listen to at work, while I walk, wandering around the local bookstore, I can have music with me all the time.

Just found this awesome music group Nouvelle Vague. Just random hit off of a twitter, someone followed there. What a catch, wander here and listen, http://www.nouvellesvagues.com/english/music.html
what a catch.

8 September, 1998

Back in the States. Back in the real world. Back where I am now.
Spent the last several weeks once again aboard a US Naval vessel, the Clark (FFG-11).
Myself and 5 other Reservists met the ship in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where there is a US Naval base at and we got on and left there a few days later to conduct Counter Narcotics Operations in the Caribbean. ^ some days later we pulled into Ocho Rios, Jamaica for several days before we left again. Not a very impressive place at all. The Bahamas are much nicer and cleaner by far.
Then floated around for 7 some more days before we ended up in Cozumel, Mexico where I was at for 2 days before catching the flights back home.
Cozumel is an awesome seeming city. Very clean and nice looking. I recommend it if you are thinking of a trip to the Caribbean.

During that time I did read several books. I forgot to write down all the titles before today but I can tonight and get them into this weeks additions to the journal.

Got back at midnight on Friday and lazed around Saturday. Sunday we went to the local festival, Artsplash, and I went over to visit my friend Pat at Doug-1’s house. Stayed up way too late and go into a bit of trouble for it. Did very little of nothing all day Monday. The wife went shopping with her sister for most of the day while Jake and I mowed the yard. It had been over a month since the last mowing so it was a total of 7 some yard bags worth of yard clippings.

On the missing of people:

When I was younger, my father was a traveling salesman. He would leave for days or weeks at a time. Then be back for a few days. I never missed him. When he was gone he was not in my mind or thoughts. When he was back I noticed him. When he was gone I did not notice his absence. We also moved at least every year,  on an average, which also assisted me in my nomadic tendencies.

Then I went and joined the military. Went to Japan for 2 years, then Norfolk VA, then a month in Mobile AL, then back to Iowa. Then a few years later went back into the Navy, back to Norfolk, back onto my 3rd ship, always on the move in my work since then as well. Changing jobs all too often for the modern sensibility.

8 September, 1998

Back in the States. Back in the real world. Back where I am now.

Spent the last several weeks once again aboard a US Naval vessel, the Clark (FFG-11).

Myself and 5 other Reservists met the ship in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where there is a US Naval base at and we got on and left there a few days later to conduct Counter Narcotics Operations in the Caribbean. ^ some days later we pulled into Ocho Rios, Jamaica for several days before we left again. Not a very impressive place at all. The Bahamas are much nicer and cleaner by far.

Then floated around for 7 some more days before we ended up in Cozumel, Mexico where I was at for 2 days before catching the flights back home.

Cozumel is an awesome seeming city. Very clean and nice looking. I recommend it if you are thinking of a trip to the Caribbean.

During that time I did read several books. I forgot to write down all the titles before today but I can tonight and get them into this weeks additions to the journal.

While in the Reserves I went to

Lets see

In eleven (11) years in the US Navy Reserves I went to a few more places in my life.

So in the interest of completeness of my travels and documentation to the best of my ability here are the ones I recall

San Diego                                2 weeks

San Diego                                2 Weeks

Washington DC                        3 Weeks

Washington DC                        2 Weeks
San Diego                                2 Weeks

Port Townsend, WA                3 Weeks

Port Townsend, WA                2 Weeks

USS Stark in Caribbean           2 Weeks

That is it. There was one year I did a class right in town, and 2 times I waived going. So that is all of my trips in the US Reserves, besides 2 single weekends to Long Island, NY

Some General Observations on the open Ocean

Getting back to the waters I have traversed. I had that list posted a few days ago, or so. Listing lots of the different bodies of water I have sailed on. Just remembered that I almost made it to the Barents Strait and Sea, and I did go up the English Channel one time. The ship got close enough to see England on the Radar Screen. That was after we had visited Brest France for several days. Brest is another entry.

But more on waters and general observations I recall having made.

I have no problems imaging that there are hundreds, thousands, miles worth of water passing below my feet. I have a massive fear of heights. But there not a fear of the water, not a fear of the Deep Blue. Which was a very cool movie one that I recommend finding at a Movie Rental place to see the beauty of the water.

So when I would be out on the open ocean during my sea time in the Navy, I would spend what scant free time, around sleeping and work that is, out on deck. I love the ocean feel. I can look out and know that there is no land for over a thousand miles in any direction. I can know there is nothing out there visible and I love it.

Sunrises are awesome normally out on the deep ocean. The same with sunsets.

At night there are no city lights to interfere with star gazing at all. Sure clouds will. But they are born of the same segment of the planet as what I was floating on.

The Island of Corfu

While on my third ship we stopped in at the island of Corfu, in the Adriatic Sea. It sits off the Italian coast, between there and the former Yugoslavia. Which reminds me of the 3 times we had visited Trieste as well, which became my favorite Italian city of the few I got to visit.

Corfu is a lovely destination for European vacationers. Inexpensive, in the Mediterranean Sea as well as picturesque.

So the main memories involve 3 large double cappuccinos at a local coffee shop, and being so wired I would not stop talking for hours it seemed like. The awesome ice cream bars at the wandering street vendors, and the best pitas I have found from a little place just around a corner with the spit and the lamb turning right there.

Just great food, lovely little island, some nice scenes. I bought some coffee cups there that I still have.

Two nights ago I dreamt of the military once again. I often do have dreams that involve the navy in some form or another. They are not accurate. Usually involve some idealized ship structure. This dream was on a shore base. I had gotten into trouble for some reason. The architecture on the base was very Antebellum though. Almost Doric in some spots as well.
That is the only connection to travel the dream had, the military, there was some car riding and me walking along with someone else as well. Very odd.

So travel. I think the best when I am moving. Driving the car, riding in a bus, on a plane, going on cruises when active, all of my best thinking seems to come about when I am moving. This hints to where I feel I am the most vagabond at heart. This is when I am the most at peace as well. I hate to drive anymore though.

The lists continue:
So do I actually start listing out all the bodies of water I have traveled upon.
Sure why not, he says to himself.

Here in no particular order are some large bodies of water.

Of the 5 Oceans I have visited 3 of them.
(Ohh have to add the island of Diego Garcia I spent like 11 hours on once that is in the Indian Ocean)
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean

Of the 7 Seas I have visited
I have only been on
The Persian Gulf
The Mediterranean Sea

Now other named bodies I have been across include
Sea of Japan
Sea of China
The Philippine Sea
The Gulf of Mexico
The Sargasso Sea
The Bermuda Triangle
Adriatic Sea
The Suez Canal (5 times total the length)
Numerous harbors and such as well.
The Missouri River

That is about all I can recall right now.

Next is where I have wandered in the States
This is how I am beginning to organize my thoughts as well also.

Looping back around, here are the states in the US that I have lived in
Massachusetts
Vermont
Maine
New Hampshire
Iowa
Alabama
Virginia
Florida

States I have driven through or in include (I think I have missed a few somewhere)
All of the above plus
West Virginia
Kentucky
Indiana
Illinois
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Nebraska
South Dakota
Colorado
Arkansas
Louisiana
Texas
Washington DC
Washington State
California

So if you add that to the number of countries I have visited, I really feel like I have gotten out and around a goodly bit. I know I have missed some of the places I have been. The memory will do that for you of course. But I know I have hit most of them.

Come to think of it, I need to also list the wonders, monuments, and awesome spots I have been to as well. I could list the major bodies of water as well. Doing it that way will make it flow easier also.

Once these initial lists are complete, then the expansive dialogue will ensue.