I urged my dad to get closer to the front of
the dense crowd as I sat perched on his shoulders, yelling over the gongs and
cymbals. He pushed his way through the throngs of people until I could catch a glimpse at the
main attraction, the dragon. Its’ overwhelming size and menacing grin
immediately sent me into a panic.
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This is one of my earliest memories of my travels. I was about 4 years old at a Chinese New Year
parade in Malaysia. The dragon that had sent me into a tizzy was a traditional
dragon used in the annual parades made up of about 10 men as the body and one
as the massive, caricature-like head. I
eventually recovered from the trauma of the dragon, but I will never forget it
and I have a mental storage locker chock-full of memories that are as unique
this one.
Born overseas, I was thrust into
nomadic lifestyle, which entailed copious amounts of travel as well. From medieval castles in Scotland to
breathtaking temples in Bali, sometimes it’s hard to believe that I have
actually seen what I’ve seen and been the places I’ve been. Experiencing a
plethora of unique lands, each with a culture of their own, has provided me
with priceless knowledge and insight that has become a large person of who I am
today.
