I’ve travelled to over 65 countries – including over 70 times to the United States – and sometimes I leave a place before I’ve experienced all I should have done, when really I should have hung around longer and taken that Last Flight Out.
I’m not really a travel writer. That suggests a profession, a job, a need to earn a living. I write about travel because I’m in love with the physical act of travelling. It doesn’t matter if it’s a short train journey or a long flight across the world, the expectation of new and changing landscapes coupled with the characters you meet on the way is the big deal.
I was fortunate enough to have an extended career in the travel industry for over 50 years and have been able to see most of the world. Many years ago, I was in Key West and met a former US Air Force helicopter pilot who ran a retail shop in town. With an extraordinary back story, he had an intriguing philosophy on life based around the air service that operated out of Key West in the 1970’s. Passengers congregating in the airport bar awaiting the evening flight were summoned by the crew shouting ‘Last flight out’. Sometimes the crew were also in the bar, which was often the reason why the flight was delayed or cancelled, so they just extended their stay by one more day. He reckoned everyone has their own ‘Last Flight Out’, and wherever we are, we should take the extra time to hang around a little longer. Slow down, what’s the rush was his philosophy. That resonated quite deeply and has stuck with me ever since.
So, I travel – I write for the travel industry, I visualise current travel trends, I take on commissions which require experience, insight and maybe a little humour. I provide consultancy or mentoring and just occasionally I write for myself about past adventures. Especially road trips, which is where I’m happiest, no matter what road I’m on or where it finishes.
It’s a never-ending story.