By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
When I was 12 my parents took me on a vacation that would forever change me. My grandmother had pitched the idea of her and I going on a summer European vacation. My parents, of course, said, "No way, not without us." Which was a great call, because later, my grandmother and I would end up lost in the Frankfurt airport. The four of us took off from our rather small hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee to Frankfurt, Germany. Once we landed and my parents finally found my grandmother and I (we took a wrong turn at baggage claim) we were met by my cousin, Jan, and her husband, Patrick. Pat was a member of US Army, stationed in Bad Winsheim, Germany. Thy offered to be our tour guides for the next two weeks and opened their home to us. The adventure began the moment we got into their car. First stop was over the Rhine River to tour a real castle. Little did I know, while standing inside that gorgeous stone castle, the next 14 days would take me to so many places people only dream of going. Bad Winsheim was a great location because, over the course of our trip, we were able to see a total of eight countries. I built a snowman in the Flüela Pass of Switzerland with my father. I had tortellini just inside the border of Italy. I ate the best chocolate I've ever had - to date - in Austria. I toured the famous Neuschwanstein castle, the same one Walt Disney used as inspiration for Cinderella's. But all of that seems small in comparison to seeing the Queen of England herself. We took a weekend bus tour from Germany to England. When we arrived in London, it just happened to be the Queen Mum's 100th birthday. They were having a royal celebration with a parade. We made our way through the crowded streets and stood waiting her arrival. Being a 12-year-old girl, I was thrilled. I was going to see a queen! As anticipation was killing me, three black cars drove by with Princes Charles, William, and Harry in them. I was over the moon excited. Then, coming down the street, heading for Buckingham Palace was a horse drawn carriage with the Queen. She looked so regal. Reflecting on that moment now, it was so surreal. In that moment, I was changed. Wanderlust had washed over me. I didn't expect to find my love of traveling at the age of 12, but I did. As we were walking away from the parade and the crowd was diminishing I knew I had to see more. On the bus ride back to Germany I took out my notebook and made a list of all the places I wanted to see. A sort of "Travel Bucket List" before bucket lists were cool. That list is still in my childhood desk, tucked away, at my parent’s home. Over the last 19 years it has become worn but it has had a lot of destinations crossed off. Without my grandmother, and her wild idea for her and I to try and embark on an international adventure alone, I would have never had those experiences. Those experiences, and the feelings they evoked have taken me to so many corners of the world, with so many more to see.