I didn’t travel much growing up. About the only trips I remember taking were to visit my grandparents, who lived in a small town in Oklahoma, just three hours from our home in Dallas. 

In fact, before moving to Colorado in middle school, I’d only ever been to two states. I’m pretty sure I was in high school before I crossed state lines into Utah—and I lived in Fruita!

I think that’s why travel still feels a little magical to me. I didn’t grow up hopping on planes, taking luxurious vacations or checking U.S. cities and states off a list—let alone countries. But I read about so many fantastic places and watched so much TV, the wanderlust was always there.

As soon as I grew up, the travel bug really bit me. As a young adult, my early trips were simple: Glenwood Springs for the hot springs or Denver for concerts, ballets and theater productions. I was in my early 20s before I got on my first flight to Las Vegas with my best friend.

Then came Los Angeles, which was completely spur of the moment. My college roommate was looking into tickets for a cousin’s graduation, and two friends and I decided to tag along—not to the graduation, but to do all the touristy things in LA. For $100 tickets, why wouldn’t we go? We went to the beach, walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame and spent a day at Disneyland.

When my childhood best friend wanted to go to Jamaica for her birthday, I didn’t even have to think about it. And when two friends celebrated their anniversary in the Dominican Republic, I was all for it.

Basically, what I’m saying is that I will use almost any excuse to go somewhere. I don’t take much convincing.

And I know many BEACON readers feel the same way. Some are finally taking the trips they put off while raising families or building careers. Others are making time for long-awaited visits with friends, cruises, road trips or once-in-a-lifetime adventures.

So when I had the opportunity to travel to Japan this summer, I definitely wasn’t going to pass that up either.

I’m sure that’s why travel stories remain some of BEACON’s most popular content. You’ll find several in this month’s issue, from David and Judy Fox’s 500-mile walk on the Camino de Santiago to ideas and inspiration for planning your own next adventure.

For even more travel stories and tips, sign up for emails at BeaconSeniorNews.com/wc-travel-tips and we’ll send you an exclusive collection of some of our favorite articles.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

Several of you reached out after reading last month’s column about my moms, and your kind words meant a lot to me. This Father’s Day, I’m thinking of the dads, grandfathers, stepdads, father figures and men who give us strength, support, laughter and love. I’m also thinking of those who are missing someone they wish they could call, hug or thank just one more time. May we honor them by sharing their stories and jokes, carrying forward their lessons and showing the same love to others.