Photo by Carlos Aristizabal
I am addicted to travel. I have been my whole life. This seems like an opportune time to blame my parents. After all, one was from Israel, the other from Pennsylvania, and together, they ended up raising a family in Venezuela.
Which meant there were aunts in Jerusalem waiting to feed me kreplach and uncles wanting to pinch my cheeks while handing me change to buy gum at the nearby “makolet.” In between catching up with relatives, there’d be trips with friends — early morning hikes up Masada to watch the sunrise over the Negev and Red Sea snorkeling in the beach town of Eilat. Visits to the U.S. included strolls down the bustling streets of Manhattan (where my parents met) and quieter moments among the mountains of Vermont. And back home we’d explore some of the prettiest spots on earth.
That wide-angle lens of the world I grew up with helped ignite my insatiable curiosity for other places and cultures. (So, actually, thanks Mom and Dad!) It’s led me to faraway destinations like Nepal and South Africa and closer gems like Aruba and Barbados (yes, I have a soft spot for beaches!). Each time I travel, I feel fortunate for the opportunity to explore the world, meet interesting folk and learn something new about myself.
With my son and a Galápagos tortoise on Rancho Primicias.
These past couple of years have been challenging in many ways, one of which, of course, is travel. After a two-year hiatus, I was thrilled to go on a new adventure. The destination: The Galápagos Islands, a place so incredible, saying the name alone conjures up emotions in almost everyone. It felt fitting that my travel companion was my 19-year-old son, Jonathan. As equally inquisitive about the world as I am, it made sharing our encounters with extraordinary animals, plants, landscapes and people all the more exciting. Evolution is a buzzword in Galápagos — there are multiple species endemic to the islands, having changed to adapt and survive. I like to think of travel as a type of evolutionary process: with each place visited, each experience had, we leave slightly changed.
It’s a great big world out there, I encourage you — when you feel safe and are able — to go out and explore! In the meantime, dive into this glorious issue celebrating phenomenal destinations. With each page you turn, you just may find an addiction forming.
Happy Reading!
Alona Abbady Martinez
alona@bocaratonobserver.com