This is an example of what we are looking for. Again, you can make it your own, don’t feel limited, but here’s one way of telling us about your trip:
I have gotten a little used to the road lately. That is not to say that trips aren’t as exciting anymore… because that is far from the truth. But endless hours on cars, airports, buses and trains on my way to awesome places have become continual in my life. Still, one of the best trips I have ever been on was a few years back when I got the bug of traveling.
It was 2008 and it was the first time in over 10 years that my family and I were able to do a road trip from inland to the Caribbean coast of Colombia. For a long time it was very dangerous to travel the roads that led to the coast, in fact, most roads outside of cities were dangerous. So although I had been to Cartagena and Santa Marta in the Caribbean as a child, being able to do that road trip once again felt like a new-found adventure.
We left from Cali, Colombia, to Medellin in the mountains and then continued to head north until we hit the beautiful Caribbean coast. It took us a while to get there at a very relaxed pace, with frequent stops and a handful of minor setbacks, which are the norm in the roads of Colombia, such as landslides or flipped-over semi-trailer trucks; you know, the normal life of Latin America.
Our trip was a little over two weeks long and we were in a car for something like 40 hours total–not continuously; that wasn’t the fun part. Neither it was to watch my siblings fight over the window seat, or fight over just about anything, 
really. But everything else was absolutely awesome. Being on the road with my family once again was just the beginning of a great adventure. Even after all the places I’ve been to since then, nothing beats the feeling of my own country…my own culture. I can still remember the flavor of the typical food, I can still feel the bright equatorial sun on my skin, I can still smell the ocean.
I’ve always loved the smell of sunscreen because it reminds me of vacation time. In 2008 that feeling was reinforced and the scent was not only sunscreen but it mixed with sea salt, coconut rice and fried fish.
Every day was a party; not unlike any other day in the Caribbean. It rained maybe once, or perhaps I’ve chosen not to remember any gray days. The sunsets were breath-taking and the water warm. The feeling of relaxation that took over me during this trip was something I wanted to hold on to more than anything in the world.
When I got on a plane to come back to the U.S after making that trip with my family I felt like a different person. I was very sure that what I wanted to do was go places. I wrote in my journal about it and the 5 hour flight went by without me even noticing because I was lost in my day-dream of seeing the world.
Today, 12 countries later and excited for more destinations, what I want is to hear about your special trip.
Send your story to lgomez@tbtalk.com !
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