All my life I have expressed a desire to travel and see the world. I want to know and learn about all the vast cultures that surround me. I want to see all the beautiful, historical sites. Even more, I want to hear the stories behind their existence.
Growing up, vacations were scarce. It wasn’t because our mother did not wish to take us, but even then, finances were hard to come by. Travel takes money, planning, and time off work. When we did load up and take a trip, it may not have been very far, but the memories made it worth the trip.
We traveled to San Antonio to visit theme parks; Fiesta Texas and Sea World to see Shamu. Of course, we didn’t leave without paying a visit to the infamous Alamo. The story of the Alamo is still one of my favorite pieces of Texas history. We also traveled to Corpus Christi to visit family, the beach, and the city’s aquarium. That trip is a special memory to me because my uncle is no longer with us today. I remember traveling into the busy city to see our cousin, Michelle, at the Texas A&M Corpus college campus. I remember being young and feeling so lost in such a crowded city, but how I looked up to her while we were there. She seemed so grown and mature. I now know she was still finding herself and having a blast living her best life. She is a successful businesswoman and a wonderful mother with a beautiful family now.
My desire to travel has never been despite not venturing far as a child, but to feed my curiosity. I had no doubt it would be hard, but I knew it was possible. Back when our school allowed field trips, we paid visits to Six Flags over Texas, Hurricane Harbor, and even Medieval Times. When I was in 6th grade, the entire 5th and 6th-grade Wildcat Chorale was invited to sing on the Capitol steps in Washington D.C. We took charter buses and drove almost 20 hours away. That was big news for Big Sandy. A few years later when I was in high school, our band took a trip to Winter Park, Colorado. That trip was a little over 15 hours away, but special to me because my sister and I were able to go together.
Growing up and living in a small, one-stoplight town has never discouraged my motive to travel. If anything, escaping the small-town life was always somewhat of a mystery and thrilling to me. I met my husband when he moved here from Holland in the Netherlands. We became friends and started dating my senior year. When our son turned 2 months old, he and I experienced our very first airplane rides. Rick took us to Holland to see his family and celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of his Oma and Opa Smidt. I was in love! Rick’s parents were getting ready to head out, but we were able to spend a couple of days with them during our stay. Everything was so exciting and beautiful. I was hooked. It was happening. Not only did I travel, but I traveled Internationally. Rick has taken me more places than I could ever dream of.
That April of 2005 marked the first of many vacations together. No matter where we are in life; financially, emotionally, or physically, we have always made it a point to have one family vacation a year. We returned to Holland when Blake was 2 years old for Rick’s Oma and Opa Hamberg’s 50th wedding anniversary. In route of their own vacations, both of our parents were able to join the celebration as well. Meeting Rick’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends of their family was a blessing. Rick and I were able to take the train to Amsterdam to tour the historical Anne Frank Museum. To be able to walk through that museum, hear so many stories, and soak in tons of pictures, was a memory I hope to never forget. We were escorted through a working windmill, which was breathtaking. Visiting the wax museum; Madame Tussauds, the Monkey Zoo; Apenheul, and the North Sea were astonishing sites to check off my bucket list. We drove two hours to the North Sea. Yes, just 2 hours to drive from Omi and Opi’s; ten minutes from the German border to the other end of the country. That’s the distance from my hometown to the Dallas airport. I was fascinated with my husband’s culture.
When Blake was four, the three of us drove 17 hours to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. We visited Magic Kingdom. The fireworks and the Finale show on the Castle stage were magical to witness. Mickey Mouse terrified Blakers at first, but he came around on the second day and couldn’t get enough of Mickey and the entire gang. The next day we went to Animal Kingdom. We met all the characters who crossed our paths, received souvenir hats with character signatures, and saw the Animal Kingdom Christmas Parade. We spent a lot of money, but we made wonderful memories. We also played on the beach in 70° weather, in December!
After the birth of our daughter, we took a trip to Branson Missouri. The kids had a great time. Table Rock Lake was probably their favorite. The next trip was Galveston to the beach just to ease Brooklynn into saltwater. She did great. So great in fact, we went to Florida the next year. We have been to Florida many different times to the beaches and stayed in different resorts. A few vacations have been accompanied by other family members as well. We were able to celebrate Rick’s father’s 60th birthday with other members of the Hamberg family. Our most recent vacation was to Destin with my mother and stepfather. A nice, soothing boat ride to Crab Island and a Sunset Dolphin Cruise were two top hit attractions on that vacation.
There have been a couple of years that we have gone in with our friends and rented a cabin in Broken Bow, OK. We kayak the river and find rope swings and resting spots to hang out away from the hustle and bustle of life. Grilling and exploring the hot spots around us became a nightly routine. We are due to return to Oklahoma at the end of this month for one day if the river is open, for one last Hoo-Rah before Summer is over. This time with everyone; Brooke’s family and the Hamberg clan.
One of my favorite vacations has been to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The four of us hiked many trails of the Great Smoky Mountain and swam under beautiful waterfalls. During that trip, my husband rented a white Jeep, my dream vehicle, and we drove it up the mountain. Little did we know, it was raining up the mountain. It was also a lot cooler than we anticipated, so we proceeded up the mountain with no doors and cold rain blowing in. Blake and Brooklynn huddled up together and buried themselves under a cover in the trunk by the tire of the jeep. They were miserable, and I felt horrible. I laugh about it now, but they don’t. My husband is always going above and beyond to make things happen for me. I appreciate and adore that memory.
Brooklynn’s first plane ride was to Holland as well. By this time, there was one Omi left. It was a special treat to be able to visit her on her 80th birthday that year. My husband was able to go to his Opa’s grave site where he and the kids helped Omi Hamberg light the candles as tribute. Blake was older this time around, so he had a better recollection of this trip to Madurodam and Apenheul. We were able to celebrate King’s Day with Oma and join in all the festivities. I do not have as many memories of this trip as my husband and children do but I am grateful my husband was able to see his grandmother because she passed away later that same year.
Blake and Brooklynn’s next airplane ride was to an All-Inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya. We found a great deal online and booked a week’s stay at the Marina El Cid Spa and Beach Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It was amazing! This was the kid’s favorite vacation. The travel to the resort was terrifying. I am exaggerating, but I definitely was not planning on leaving the walls of the resort once we arrived. We did not have to worry about anything. Everything was included; food from four restaurants, alcoholic beverages, kid and family activities, three pools, and more. There was a different show every night. My husband and I were able to celebrate 10 years of being married one evening while there. Blake and Brooklynn were most fond of the cliff jump. I lost count of the times they ran up and down 20 ft of stairs and jumped into this 12–15 ft hole. It was the most popular activity. Brooklynn was nine years old and had the time of her life jumping with her fifteen-year-old brother until … dun dun dun … she nearly busted her eardrum. Lucky for us, the resort had a Dr. on the premises. He was phenomenal. He assured us Brooklynn’s condition was nothing a shot in the rear and antibiotics couldn’t fix. Do not let this discourage you from letting your kids experience the Cliff Jump. She would do it again Today. It was sad, but a cheap fix, and never slowed her down a bit. She didn’t mind hanging out with her mama and daddy.
There are still so many wondrous sites I would love to see. More than anything, I hope to be able to witness my husband’s face light up like a kid in a candy store as he explores Alaska. Maybe we could get a sneak peek of the Northern lights as the Aurora Borealis light up the night sky. Riding the cable cars across Switzerland’s mountain peaks, villages, and gorgeous green pastures would be icing on the cake. I would love to take my mom to Canada’s own Prince Edward Island lighthouses and take a train ride to Seattle Washington. These are just a few destinations on the top of my dream list. With the way the world is going right now, we could just sell everything, hop on a boat, and see where it takes us. Who knows? I’ll never stop dreaming and hope our kids continue the family vacation tradition with families of their own one day.
