Traveling

38 Replies

Let’s go back. I grew up in a blue collar family. The only vacations we took were what my parents could afford so that was an annual trip to Virginia Beach. My mom was very frugal and brought things in coolers so we could eat cheap. This was a LONG time ago, back before high rises on the beaches. All these hotels were old clapboard two story beach hotels. We stayed at the Dolphin. It had a big front porch and a lawn down to the boardwalk. Right on the ocean. I have fond memories. We always brought our dog Cricket. 🙂

Flash forward. I was thirty one years old and had been married thirteen years. We had been very poor since our marriage. We had never had a vacation. I worked to pay our food and rent. Luther worked to pay his tuition. Until he finally stopped going to school and got a job we had little. Even trips to McDonald’s were a stretch. So, I was thirty one and I realized I had never been outside of the US. And finally we could afford a vacation. I said to Luther “we are going on a vacation”. I remember planning that trip. We went to England and Scotland. Good place to start because the language was ours… sort of. It was an epiphany. I saw the world I never knew. It scared me some. I felt uncomfortable but still. It was our beginning. After that we traveled to Europe every two years.

I think most who of you who know me and read this blog know our first really big adventure was to actually MOVE to Germany in 1990. After our first travels we decided to go for a big adventure. Luther first got a job with a German software firm. I worked for an international company who had a site in Heidelberg. So I transferred there. Moving to Europe was probably the reason we finally decided to retire in Europe. It was life changing. Just a couple pics from our time there.

Me and Luther in Florence.
Luther near Ponte Vecchio in Florence
Me. No idea where!
Amazing experience to actually be this close to Pope John Paul.
My sister Cindy, Her husband Bill, and Luther on the Cinque Terre.

Once in Germany, we went everywhere. It was right in the middle of Europe. We visited all the Low Countries, France, Austria, Spain, Denmark, Italy. It was an amazing opportunity of which we took total advantage. It was the beginning of our great European adventure which led us here, where we retired, in Umbria, Italy. So this post is a Blast from the Past!

38 thoughts on “Traveling”

  3. Carlo

    Yes, I remember that wonderful hiking trip we took to the Emmental in Switzerland. My brother-in-law, Tim, was with us and every time we see him, he never fails to mention what a great adventure it was! And, the search for true Emmentaler (Swiss) cheese!

  5. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Anita, well, you have your own Italian memories, whether you live here or not. Keep on traveling as long as you can!

  8. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Thank you Carlo. That was a nice comment. And you made me remember lol those things we did together, along with bike trips and cheese tasting trips to Switzerland. And many more. 💕

  12. Anita Dawson

    Really appreciate the backstory. I wondered how you got to Umbria! My husband and I have been traveling to Italy for 25 years. At first just 2-3 weeks and then I got to lead art students from my college in a semester in Rome for 4 years. We got used to staying for 6-8 weeks. But it’s too late to move permanently, just too much to deal with. Love your updates thought so I can dream…

  15. Carlo

    I would like to add another comment, this one in appreciation of Nancy and Luther. When we first met in Germany over 30 years ago, They were among the first couples to introduce us to some of the finer things in life Europe has to offer. They started by inviting us to join them at Le Beureheisel restaurant, a Michelin two-star, set in a park in downtown Strasbourg, Alsace, France. This was followed by other similar travels to Michelin-starred restaurants, wine-tastings, and purchasing adventures throughout the Alsace, France, and Germany. Some of our most favorites being the wine-purchasing road trips we made to the Alsace and Burgundy to stock our cellars before returning to the United States when our contract work in Germany was coming to an end. We started the trip with one of our most memorable fine dining experiences—Jean Schillinger’s eponymous two-star restaurant, also in a park, in downtown Colmar, Alsace (home of the creator of the Statue of Liberty). Mssr. Schillinger died in a fire that destroyed the restaurant but his son has revived it as JY’s—now also a two-star venue. And, most recently, Nancy’s blog inspired me to start my own travel blog after I retired a couple of years ago. Thank you, Nancy. And thanks to Luther, too. It has been a pleasure to be counted among your friends all these years.

  18. Joanne Qualey

    Love this story of your European adventures and how you got here! I especially love the pictures. Someday I’ll share my story with you. You’ll be one of the few people who can appreciate it.

  19. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Wow Louann! What an adventure! I’m happy to have reminded you of that terrific trip. I never had that opportunity but a lot of people our age did the “grand tour”!

  23. Louann chapman

    I loved your blast from the past!! I always am fascinated with people’s photos and gravitate to them whenever I go to anyone’s home. Sad that our Kodak photos deteriorated over time. Or were they always fuzzy😂?
    At age 19 I took my first trip to Europe with a school friend. After a year in college, I moved for a year to Lis Angeles to work in an insurance company and a second evening job at a Greek deli. I saved every penny I could and had $2000 when I left for my adventure. We hitchhiked and took trains all over Europe for 5 months. Those were the days when all we had were paper maps!🤣 We proved it was possible do “Europe on $5 a day!” We did the British isles, took the rocky hovercraft to France and went as far South as Morocco and Yugoslavia and Greece. This adventure gave me a taste for history and travel the rest of my life. Thanks Nancy for bringing the past back to life and enjoy!

  24. Valerie

    This is so spot on Nancy and so very relatable. Thank you for this share, and wonderful reminder of my own memories of similar experiences. 🥰

  25. Catherine Rowley

    THIS was so enjoyable to read; with illustrations too! Sharing such personal details made this post rather special. Everyone reading has ‘a story’, so varied one could write a book…but something empowered you to do so, right now, and we got to benefit. In the midst of all the details I’m reflecting on your long and happy marriage. That in itself is worthy of writing about. What a wonderful, full and adventuresome life you have lived!!! ‘Keep on truckin’!

  29. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Tom and Eileen, Yes, we were 39 and bored in the U.S. Luther loved Germany. He taught himself the language and landed a job. We had no idea if the salary offered of something like 65,000 Deutsch marks was enough to live on 😁 It really was a gamble and leap of faith. Luckily, my job had perks. Housing allowance, cost of living and all the breaks that come with working with the U.S. military. So it could have turned out very different butwe were lucky it worked perfectly.

  31. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hi Sandi, yes, we did all dress nicer back then. People have gotten very sloppy! 🤷🏻‍♀️

  32. Nancy Hampton Post author

    Hey Steve. His birthday is July 5. Will tell him. Yes. These old pics can all seem similar! Good memories.

  33. Sandi Lane

    I am loving this. Thank you!
    One thing I am really struck by is how well-dressed you all were. I’d forgotten how we used to dress nicely for any event…

  34. Steve

    Damn that is sorta like having flashbacks So very similar to my early travel experience. Tell Luther “happy birthday”. 🎂🥂🎉

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