I grew up in Brisbane, Australia and until I left home in 1980 never ventured more than 150 miles from home. I flew to Adelaide for my basic military training, and stepped into a life filled with travel, often for work but increasingly to satisfy my desire to experience other lifestyles.
I lived in Malaysia for two years, and travelled through China when it drew aside the Bamboo Curtain in the 80s, taking the first steps towards a more entrepreneurial style of communism. The ‘I cruised the Yangtse’ t-shirt deemed insufficient proof of the trip amongst my Chinese-Malaysian friends who could not hope to visit relatives there at the time.
A move to the United States in 2000 presented us the opportunity to expand our travel experience, and we developed a new philosophy that now shapes our lives. Travel is an experience and to experience something new you must adopt the local philosophy, and see yourself through their eyes. If you make your destination just like home then you may as well have just stayed there and watched television.
