Adventures abroad.

Another time in Italy I had got off with a gorgeous local boy and we went outside to spend a while lying on what I thought was a sloping patio. In the morning when I looked out I saw that we had been lying on the sloping wall of the castle and below was a drop of about 100 feet!

I got myself in some situations being either too naive or too confident. I had some lucky escapes which nowadays horrify me. But I enjoyed the travelling without parental restrictions very much and I’m glad I did it!

I did a bit of gallivanting in my time. Crossed Europe in an old van with a few randoms as far as the Bosphoros. The aim was to get to India via Afghanistan but by then it was ‘closed’. Phew. Lived in Paris for a year. Like BlueSky I shudder at some of the things I got up to. In fact, some I just don’t want to remember! A mix of naivety & adventure which is why I worried myself stupid when my 3 DDs took off on their adventures. They of course were more sensible and worldly wide with the benefit of a mobile 🙄

On a road trip through Europe fog began to fall thickly. We were heading for Rome, crawling slowly along, it was getting late so we decided it was too dangerous to proceed and we pulled onto the verge and settled down for the night. The next morning we were awoken by a less than understanding policeman, and realised that we were parked in the middle of a traffic island in the suburbs of Rome on a glorious sunny morning.

You’ve had some lucky escapes kirkcubbin !

Never went anywhere or did anything remotely adventurous. Lived at home with parents until married at 19, worked in a local bank, very safe and staid.

DD however, au paired in America for a year at 19, then worked in London, then back packed round Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, ending up in Australia.

Which is why she ended up married to an Australian, with three children, has lived there over 20 years, and DH and I are still in our local area, neither of us having moved more than a few miles from our birth place.

Yes Marmight we are as anxious as our own parents once it’s our children and grandchildren’s turn!

BlueSky 😂. I really can’t bear to think of some of my escapades. I go all wobbly, hot & cold!
Calendar My middle daughter did the world travel thing too, met her now DH on a Sydney beach in week 2 and they’re celebrating their 18th anniversary tomorrow (plus 4 children). She’s very happy & very Australian, but sometimes I rue the day I encouraged her to travel .....😥

No, I didn't have a gap year although I did stay with a French family for three months looking after the younger children and a British family 'au pairing' too.

I was thinking of some of the things I did which we took for granted, and I'd be really worried if my DGC did the same now.
Of course, my DC were more adventurous as gap years became the norm and it's just as well I didn't know what they got up to until afterwards.

She’s very happy & very Australian, but sometimes I rue the day I encouraged her to travel .....😥

Marmight I always say that I should never have bought them backpacks

No gap year unfortunately, but have lived in the US, China, Spain and now Switzerland. A few unwise scrapes involving the opposite sex, but mostly work experiences, which as a workaholic, is fine by me.

Hitchhiked a lot around Europe during Uni holidays (66-69). The risks we took . Brilliant time though!

Lived in Paris for a year 1967-68.
Also lived in Italy for four years and during that time travelled round USA alone. Flew back to Italy.....missed airport bus etc, offered a lift by an airline worker,he took a diversion and suggested some in car antics......I gave me a real flea in his ear and demanded he take me to the station as promised ! 😱

No gap year, but took myself off to Singapore to work when I was 23. Met DH and lived happily ever after...

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Lucca

Lived in Paris for a year 1967-68.
Also lived in Italy for four years and during that time travelled round USA alone. Flew back to Italy.....missed airport bus etc, offered a lift by an airline worker,he took a diversion and suggested some in car antics......I gave me a real flea in his ear and demanded he take me to the station as promised ! 😱

That reminds me of a night in Athens.We were given a lift by 2 pilots and mine asked me out that night. He drove to a scenic place to see the view but I ,as usual, needed to spend a penny so hopped out of the car. I don't know what he thought I had gone to do but when I got back in the car he was stark naked! I think I started to laugh and he quickly got dressed and took me home.😁
We were very naive.

No gap year, most of my ‘adventures’ were when I travelled extensively, often on my own, in my first ‘big’ job.

No gap year. Traveled extensively with friends and sometimes on my own.
Met the kindest people, and also the most dangerous people in USA. Some unbelievably fun times, but the scariest I can only now think about.

Blimey. I'm envious of all this adventure and fun. I never had a holiday in my life or even a day out until I was married. Oh, a school friend and her family took me to Bournemouth when I was 15. The first time I'd seen the sea or been taken anywhere.

Lucca

Lived in Paris for a year 1967-68.
Also lived in Italy for four years and during that time travelled round USA alone. Flew back to Italy.....missed airport bus etc, offered a lift by an airline worker,he took a diversion and suggested some in car antics......I gave me a real flea in his ear and demanded he take me to the station as promised ! 😱

Sorry, typos. Gave him a flea in his ear.....

Having never left the Country on my own before, I went to a conference in Cape Town, having booked myself into a small out of town centre hotel, as it was cheaper. Coming out after the conference dinner, I went to the taxi rank opposite and got into a cab with completely smooth tyres, that initially refused to start. The driver set off in the right direction, but then starting saying he was going to take me on a tour of the townships. I said 'no, take me back to my hotel', but he was very insistent he would give me a good price for the tour. I was equally insistent he take me straight back, and got out my phone saying I would call for help if he didn't drive me straight back. Eventually he gave in with bad grace, I have never been so glad to get out of a car.

One month later, October 2010, poor Anni Diwani was murdered while on a township tour in Cape Town. I shuddered.

Wow Lucca lived in Paris! I nearly went there au pair. But I did visit many times and hope to go there again as soon as!

We have done our travelling with our children (yes we were awful parents and took them out of school either side of school holidays)

Australia, twice
Asia
Brazil
Travelling around Europe

Their education didn’t suffer, in fact their eyes were opened to how others live.

Lucca. I was in Paris 67/68. Some time to be there !