Travel I Loved as a Kid

My dad was in the Air Force so I grew up a military brat, living in six states and overseas.  This gave me so many opportunities to travel and see places all around the world.  When I was younger, we moved from Louisiana to Georgia, Alabama to Oklahoma, and then our biggest move to Okinawa, Japan when I was 14 years old.

Living and going to high school in Okinawa was one of the best and most unique experiences of my life!  I went to a DoDDS (Department of Defense Dependents Schools) high school on Kadena Air Base with other American brats.  Okinawa is an island in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland known as the “Hawaii of Japan” with its tropical climate, coral reefs, and awesome beaches. 

My senior year of high school my family moved back to the States, and I graduated from high school in Mississippi.  From there, I went to college in Boston University and experienced life in the Northeast.  My parents moved to Florida at that time so I traveled a lot between school in Boston and home in Florida.

I was lucky to have so many travel experiences as a kid, but there are a few that stood out to me:

Washington D.C.

We took a family vacation to Washington D.C. and did all the things – the monuments, museums, and more.  It was so neat to see the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  I know as a kid I didn’t appreciate the Smithsonian museums the way that I do as an adult. 😉

Hong Kong

We traveled to Hong Kong back in the early nineties when it was still under British rule.  What I remember most about this trip was the harbor and junk boats, skyscrapers, and the shopping!

South Korea

Living in Okinawa, nearby South Korea was a popular trip.  We were able to fly Space-A (space available) to Osan Air Base and visit Seoul, the capital city.  It was a cool experience seeing the culture, trying new cuisine, and more shopping.

Mainland Japan & Tokyo Disneyland

The summer before high school, I participated in a homestay program where I camped out and climbed Mount Fuji and lived with a host family in mainland Japan.  This was such a great experience!  My family also traveled to other cities on the mainland visiting gardens, temples, and other attractions.  In high school, my cheer squad traveled to Tokyo for the Far East Cheer Competition and got to spend a day at Tokyo Disneyland.  Some of my favorite memories! 

Hawaii

For Christmas vacation my junior year, my family traveled from Japan to Honolulu!  We visited Waikiki Beach, the North Shore, and Pearl Harbor.  We also island hopped to Kauai, which was incredible.  I’d been living in Japan so it was also fun just to be back in the States.  This was definitely one of my favorite family vacations growing up!

Do you remember your favorite trips growing up?  We’d love to help you plan an unforgettable vacation with your family!  Reach out to one of our agents today!

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