I’m not exactly sure when the urge to travel first hit me, but a good guess would be 1969. In the summer of that year, soon after graduating from college, I bumped into a childhood friend, Mike, whom I hadn’t seen in a long, long while. That encounter took place inside a restaurant in Roslyn, the Long Island town he and I had grown up in and to which we had returned when our collegiate careers reached their conclusions (Long Island is near New York City).
Mike and I immediately hit it off at the restaurant, to the extent that he asked me if I’d be interested in joining him on a road trip to Canada, which he was eager to embark on. With no employment plans, or any kind of plans in place, I said yes. Off we went, then, maybe a couple of weeks later, in Mike’s bright red Ford Mustang convertible. Our journey lasted for two weeks or so, I think. We got as far north as Canada’s Gaspé Peninsula, where we began the southward drive back to the States. Mike and I had a blast throughout our expedition. We’ve palled around regularly ever since that time, partly because, as fate would have it, we ended up living not far from each other in Pennsylvania, the state each of us moved to a few years after our Canadian journey. We remain Pennsylvanians and close friends.
Having been bitten by the travel bug, and still uncertain about what to do with my life employment-wise, I scratched the bug by exploring many states of the USA on two separate month-long occasions during the early 1970s. And in 1977, right before beginning what would become a lengthy career in government, I wandered through Europe for six weeks, accompanied by a backpack. With little money to my name — I specialized in low-paying, short-term jobs for a bunch of years — it’s somewhat amazing that I pulled off those three trips. These days, it probably would be next to impossible.
(November 19, 1982)
Well, I’ve maintained a pretty active travel schedule since then, spending significant amounts of time on foreign shores and also in a selection of American states. The most astonishing adventure I’ve ever had was a three-week hike, in 1982, through the Himalayas in Nepal. Sticking strictly to terrains on which mountaineering equipment (ropes, ice axes, etc.) was not needed, I and a couple more members of my small trekking group ultimately reached Kala Patthar. KP is an approximately 18,500-foot-high ridge almost within spitting distance of the world’s tallest structure, Mount Everest, whose tippy top is 29,032 feet above sea level. On Kala Patthar, with Everest and other monstrously elevated peaks staring me smack in the face, my mind was totally blown. I’d never experienced anything that majestic before, and haven’t equaled or topped it since. And there’s virtually no chance I will.
My wife Sandy wasn’t with me in Nepal, due to the irrefutable fact that we didn’t meet until 1990. But we’ve logged plenty of miles together since becoming a couple, both in the States and abroad. Many of those miles have been on Cape Cod, a 65-mile-long Massachusetts peninsula. I’ve written ad nauseum about the Cape in this publication, another irrefutable fact. That’s because Sandy and I have developed an intimate relationship with Cape Cod, something we never anticipated would happen with any travel destination. Cape Cod is blessed with unusually beautiful coastlines, tons of restaurants and a good arts scene, and it emits welcoming vibes. It is our soul mate. We have vacationed on the Cape almost annually since discovering it in 1998.
Sandy and I travelled quite a lot in 2025. Totally domestically, as all five of our destinations, which included Cape Cod and Maui, are parts of the States. Where might we find ourselves in 2026? Cape Cod is on the agenda once again. Beyond that, we don’t know. Getting to, and back home from, vacation spots wear us out more than it used to. Last year’s trips proved that to us emphatically. So, we shall see.
I’ll say this, though: Somewhere down the line it would be cool to return to Italy, where Sandy and I explored Venice, Florence and Rome in 2011. We’d like to see more of Italy, the Naples/Pompeii region, for instance.
And we would be thrilled to poke around any number of lands we never have set foot in. Spain is on that list, as is Portugal and Morocco and . . .
Yeah, Another Blogger 
Your adventures are inspiring, particularly those Nepal stories. The way travel transforms us into insatiable explorers is magical. May your journeys continue to bring you wonder and joy
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Hi, and thank you very much. You’re very kind.
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Aren’t mountains mind-blowing? I’ve rarely seen a mountain half the height of Everest, and even those blow me away. I can’t imagine the awe-inspiring sight. What a treat that life took you there. Great pic, too, Neil.
I’m glad to hear that your traveling days aren’t over and that Europe may be in your sights. I haven’t made it there, but hope to someday. It’s such a beautiful world. In the meantime, enjoy the Cape. That’s another wonderful destination, and right around the corner. 🙂
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You’re right — our planet is beautiful. The natural world certainly is. And much of the man-made world too. Here’s to more adventures for you and for me too. See ya!
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You have so many great memories, Neil. And, you can keep adding to them.
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Hi. I hope so!
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Wow , how delicious these sound. I love such holidays/walks.
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Exploring the world, near and far, is fun.
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Wishing you many happy travels, Neil!
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Hi, and thanks. Is this Jan?
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What a world traveler you are, Neil!
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Hi. Here’s something pretty amazing: a blogger I follow (Vivienne Lingard) wrote an essay recently about her adventures in Nepal, which took place a number of years ago. While she was there, she had dinner with Edmund Hillary, who not only climbed Everest, but devoted much of his life helping to improve conditions in Nepal.
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And I remember that Hillary also climbed Mt. Rainier which isn’t as steep, but technically just as difficult. How cool that she could meet him!
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We have a lot in common, Neil. I love travel, too, as does my wife. I did two cross-country trips in 1982-83, sleeping in my Chevy Impala and living and working in Florida, Chicago, and Boulder-Denver. And we visited Maui in 2019, plus Big Island in 2024 (Kauai is on the agenda.) Haven’t done the Himalayas yet, but you have officially added another item to my Life List.
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Pete, I’m pretty sure you have traveled more than me. And you definitely have done way more hiking than me. Are any more long hikes on your radar screen?
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Hi Neil…we’re both prolific travelers! Yes, lots of trails are beckoning. Need to finish Long Trail in Vermont. There’s also the Foothills Trail in S. Carolina, and a bunch out West, plus the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Hopefully my health cooperates!
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Neil, your travel adventures sound amazing and wow, the trip to Nepal must have been incredible. The photo alone is stunning. It’s wonderful you and your wife share a love to travel. Enjoy your new ones abroad and your love of Cape Cod is precious.
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Hi, Annika. Yeah, the Himalayan trek is something I think about fairly often. I’d never done anything like it before, and haven’t since then. Have a good rest of the week!
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This is what happens when curiosity drinks gasoline and grabs the steering wheel. A red Mustang, the Gaspé Peninsula, Everest staring you down, and Cape Cod as a lifelong emotional support peninsula—this isn’t a travel memoir, it’s a victory lap for saying “yes” at exactly the right moments. Equal parts wanderlust, wonder, and “how the hell did I pull that off,” and somehow it all lands with heart. Captain Whiz Bang salutes this beautifully lived, gloriously untidy life. 🧭💥
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Hi. Your commentary is better than my post!
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🙏
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I admire people who had the wherewithal to just run off through other parts of the world, assuming that they’ll find a way to get by. I guess I must have been too risk-averse when I was younger. Or maybe I just didn’t understand that such things were possible.
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Hi. When I think back to those trips in the 1970s, I’m still amazed I was able to swing it financially. I had so little money back then.
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Apologies for my delayed response to your latest post. I was …traveling! Your background sounds familiar to me–and probably to many in our generation: graduating from college, wandering the world with a backpack and no money, while keeping ourselves afloat with various non-professional jobs in between trips. It. Was. GREAT! Like you and Sandy, Ed and I still love to travel. All our “free” money goes to that.
You mentioned it “would be cool to return to Italy, where Sandy and I explored Venice, Florence and Rome in 2011. We’d like to see more of Italy.” All I can say is GO! I love all three of these cities, which I’ve visited numerous times. And if you haven’t yet seen Pompeii, it’s a must, though it may have changed since I was there in 2003 (in one of the hottest summers Italy had ever seen, 104F). If they haven’t disturbed the site too much–you know, making it all super-touristy–you’re in for a real treat.
Stay well and travel on!
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Hey there. Yeah, I’m definitely psyched to see more of Italy. It’s such a great country. Fabulous cities, beautiful old towns, delicious food, etc. etc.
What a place!
Will you be writing about your latest travels? Where did you go?
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Barbados–a GREAT reprieve from winter in the Northeast, and a place where we’ve made many Bajan friends over the years. I highly recommend it–ocean water so clean, you can see to the bottom, great food, and the loveliest people!
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One of the best things about travel is not the places you visit, but the fresh perspectives you have when you come home again. Too bad more people can’t/won’t travel…
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Hi, Dave. Right, travel can be enlightening. And I’m all for enlightenment!
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