64 Rotations Around the Sun

July 30th, 1959 I entered the world at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was greeted by my parents and older brother. I was taken home to Bright, Indiana where I would stay for the next 21 years!

Growing up in Bright. Bright, Indiana, is a small place located about 30 miles outside of Cincinnati. Not very far, but a world away! The Bright I grew up in had gravel roads, farm land, two general stores, one with gas pumps, one grade school, three churches and one stop sign. I rode bikes, played in fields, knew all the neighbors and knew that if I did something wrong my parents would know before I got home. It was a great childhood, but I always liked to go “to the city”. It was big, and loud, and different.

My first apartment really wasn’t that far away, it was in Lawrenceburg, Indiana or “down the hill”. Actually down and up on another hill. I had a good job, a good social life, and things were really going well. At 24, I got married and moved “away” to Dayton, OH. That was the beginning of my world exploration. Although Dayton was only 1.5 hrs away from where I had grown up, people felt I spoke with an accent. I sounded “country”. This baffled me, but I’m sure it was true. After a few years in Dayton I moved to Virginia Beach, Va. If people in Dayton thought that I sounded country they must never have been to Virginia! Vacations were spent going back “home” for a visit. I met many people from all over the US because we were military. Everyone seemed to be from someplace else. I learned the good and bad of living close to the ocean. Enjoyed the milder climate, and learned more about US history than I probably needed. After Va. Beach, we moved to the island of Guam. Once on the other side of the world, there were no vacations home for the next two years. We went to places like Bali, Singapore, Saipan, and Hong Kong. I was exposed to authentic Chinese food, Hindu culture and saw my world open up at an open market in Singapore. What we called pets, they called food. In Bali as we woke in the morning, there would be a banana leaf outside our door with a piece of fruit, a flower, and sandalwood incense. This was an offering to God for a good day and good health. I found out living on an island is not romantic at all. My milk was flown in from Australia, fresh fruit was not always available and the meat of choice was chicken because it was readily available. I learned to scuba dive and saw the wonders that lay beneath the sea. Again I made wonderful friends from all over the US. At this point I had lived away from the Cincinnati area for 10 years. We decided it would be better to live there, than vacation there. Coming home I was a different person. Not just because of the passing decade, but because I had seen how different the world was. Once we returned home, Bright had also changed. There were more neighborhoods and less farmland. A small supermarket replaced the general store. A traffic light instead of a stop sign. Another church was added. Progress.

I’ve lived in Cincinnati now since 1992. In my neighborhood, since 1993. I have traveled to many countries. I’ve made it to Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North & South America with trips to Africa, Arctic Circle and Australia already planned. I’ve seen many other cultures, tried many different foods, and learned about many different cultures. I’ve traveled the world by plane, train, boat, and automobile. I feel grateful that I have been able to see so much of the world. As I look back over the last 64 rotations around the sun I am grateful. Grateful for Bright, Indiana and where I came from. Grateful for moving away, and coming back, and the person I have become. Grateful to have been bitten by the travel bug. Grateful that I have learned how others live. Grateful for all the people I have met along the way. Looking forward to my next rotation around the sun and the adventures it will bring!