Beijing and Beyond

from Ben's mom

Today Mark is in Beijing. I was thinking about his travels and the influences that have shaped us.

I was 7 when I caught the travel bug. We had lived in Germany for a year when I was a baby while my father paid his dues to Uncle Sam; at 7, my parents decided on a return trip. We went to Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, traveling by train and car. Being young and somewhat insane, my parents took their children (7 and 16 months). I can still remember scenes from that trip: a snowy curvy pass through the mountains of Switzerland; driving across a dike in Holland with water on both sides forever; and sitting in the train station in Germany. I remember the high of it. And I determined that I would go back to Europe some day.

Mark was a little slower to be infected. For awhile his interests were in the U.S., particularly National Parks. This recent trip was acknowledgement that he is a member of the clan known as the Biggers, a people born to roam. Maybe we used to be gypsies.

I grew up with my grandparents taking trips. A stint in Ecuador as missionaries, and trips to the Virgin Islands, Mexico (every year for a long time in retirement), and to other locations made me excited to grow up and go on my own adventures. My grandpa, particularly, is always energized by a trip. Plane, train, automobile, motorcycle--any vehicle to be someplace other than home for awhile.

I subscribe to a lot of last-minute fare special lists, and routinely check rates to places I couldn't afford to go if the plane fare were free. Just because.... I have subscriptions to travel magazines. I hoard frequent flyer miles, waiting for the day when we can really make a trip. And I follow the travels of others. Like I said, Mark is in Beijing....