My name is Cora and I am addicted to traveling. As a young kid, I enjoyed packing up and hitting the road ... even if I did have to share the car with my older siblings! I would watch out the window and take in the sights - or read a book and get lost in the stories of far off places. As I got older, my passion for traveling only intensified.
During the summer between eighth grade and freshman year, I had the remarkable opportunity to travel to Australia and New Zealand as part of a student ambassador program. I was able to experience things during that trip that most people don't get to experience in a lifetime. I fed a kangaroo! I hugged a koala bear! I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef (and did not get eaten by a shark...)! I saw the Sydney Opera House. I stayed with a family in New Zealand. I fed a dolphin at Tangalooma. More importantly, I realized that the world had a lot of magnificent sights and unbelievable experiences to offer... and I wanted to take advantage of those opportunities.
Unfortunately, my high school years did not offer an overwhelming number of chances to get out and about into the world. That was quickly followed by years of being a poor college student. Finances did not allow for many travels, much less those that would involve crossing an ocean. I did find a way to do a little domestic traveling - sometimes revisiting places and sometimes discovering new places. During those years dedicated to education, that desire to travel continued to grow.
I took that adventurous spirit and applied it to my everyday life. I packed up anything and everything that would fit in my car (temporarily leaving all of my other possessions and my dog, Dublin with my dad) and moved from the northern suburbs of Chicago to Atlanta, Georgia. I had grown up in Illinois and I was ready for a change. Little did I know that Atlanta would be just the change that I needed - that it would lead me to embark upon the international journeys that I had been thinking about for years.
A friend from work had taken several trips to Europe with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe - and just raved about his experiences. So when the opportunity arose for Tom and I to travel to Ireland, I immediately signed myself up! Ireland has been at the very top of my travel bucket list forever. I love all things Ireland - the accents, the people - I even named my dog after the capital city! In the summer of 2012, Tom and I set off for an eight-day trip to Ireland and it was awesome! It met (and even surpassed) all of my expectations.
Two years later, I was itching to get another stamp in my passport. I reached out to Tom to see if he was interested in another David McGuffin trip. Before I knew it, Tom and I were signed up for a trip to go to Germany and Austria and explore their Christmas markets! I had never really given much thought to Germany and/or Austria as a destination, but it was so much fun. I love Christmas and this trip was full of ornaments, decorations, and holiday cheer!
These two trips in two years made me realize that I want to make international travel part of my future plans. It would be great to get a new stamp every year. While there are some times that that might not be entirely possible, it is something that I would like to try to achieve. There are so many places to see, so many pictures to take, and so many people to meet. I'm looking forward to the next adventure!
During the summer between eighth grade and freshman year, I had the remarkable opportunity to travel to Australia and New Zealand as part of a student ambassador program. I was able to experience things during that trip that most people don't get to experience in a lifetime. I fed a kangaroo! I hugged a koala bear! I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef (and did not get eaten by a shark...)! I saw the Sydney Opera House. I stayed with a family in New Zealand. I fed a dolphin at Tangalooma. More importantly, I realized that the world had a lot of magnificent sights and unbelievable experiences to offer... and I wanted to take advantage of those opportunities.
Unfortunately, my high school years did not offer an overwhelming number of chances to get out and about into the world. That was quickly followed by years of being a poor college student. Finances did not allow for many travels, much less those that would involve crossing an ocean. I did find a way to do a little domestic traveling - sometimes revisiting places and sometimes discovering new places. During those years dedicated to education, that desire to travel continued to grow.
I took that adventurous spirit and applied it to my everyday life. I packed up anything and everything that would fit in my car (temporarily leaving all of my other possessions and my dog, Dublin with my dad) and moved from the northern suburbs of Chicago to Atlanta, Georgia. I had grown up in Illinois and I was ready for a change. Little did I know that Atlanta would be just the change that I needed - that it would lead me to embark upon the international journeys that I had been thinking about for years.
A friend from work had taken several trips to Europe with David McGuffin's Exploring Europe - and just raved about his experiences. So when the opportunity arose for Tom and I to travel to Ireland, I immediately signed myself up! Ireland has been at the very top of my travel bucket list forever. I love all things Ireland - the accents, the people - I even named my dog after the capital city! In the summer of 2012, Tom and I set off for an eight-day trip to Ireland and it was awesome! It met (and even surpassed) all of my expectations.
Two years later, I was itching to get another stamp in my passport. I reached out to Tom to see if he was interested in another David McGuffin trip. Before I knew it, Tom and I were signed up for a trip to go to Germany and Austria and explore their Christmas markets! I had never really given much thought to Germany and/or Austria as a destination, but it was so much fun. I love Christmas and this trip was full of ornaments, decorations, and holiday cheer!
These two trips in two years made me realize that I want to make international travel part of my future plans. It would be great to get a new stamp every year. While there are some times that that might not be entirely possible, it is something that I would like to try to achieve. There are so many places to see, so many pictures to take, and so many people to meet. I'm looking forward to the next adventure!
Current City ..... Saint Louis, Missouri
Favorite Destination ..... Ireland!
Must Have Travel Item ..... A camera! No matter what else you pack, make sure you can document your travels!
Best Souvenir ..... Postcards - without a doubt the best gift you can give to someone from your travels. You can show off not only the fabulous destinations that you've visited, but also send some distant greetings along with some unique stamps and postmarks. I'm slightly in love with all things "snail mail"!
Dream Destination ..... Now that I've crossed Ireland off the list (even though I'd definitely go back a million times over again!), my next dream destination is Amsterdam. Fields and fields of tulips ... sign me up!
Feel free to contact me anytime!