A young family hits the road in their terracotta-hued ‘79 Ford F-Series, destination the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sleeping bags and mats lined the bed, which was covered with a camper shell converting the vehicle to a makeshift RV. The child sat in the middle of the truck’s cab, in between her parents, wide-eyed at the open highway that laid ahead. Her father had told her stories of where they were heading. The lore of cowboys and the Wild West intrigued her, as did stops with oddities like Wall Drug. A sense of adventure had already been planted by formatively watching films like Indiana Jones and now she would be on her own. The first of many.
The young adventurer on a road trip to Banff National Park in the terracotta Ford F-Series, 1980s (©Deborah Clague)
The road trips continued throughout her teenage years, although accommodations varied from the compact Bonair trailer her father purchased and budget off-brand hotels with flickering signage that were often located at the edge of the cities they visited. Staying at a Super 8 was considered luxurious (and was a rarity), although a stolen towel embossed with the Holiday Inn logo might prove that the family did actually once stay at something a bit “higher end”. As for adventure, a trip to Mexico offered elevated excitement–and stress–as masked men armed with machine guns stopped and boarded an intercity bus her and her father were traveling en-route from Cancun to Playa del Carmen. It was her first reality of life being finite. She believed the men were a cartel and she was about to be kidnapped … and perhaps murdered; but in the end, it was actually Mexican authorities entering the bus to find just those people and the event became another story to add to her future memoir.
Younger me can feel like an old, distant friend but I always see the throughline to who I’ve become: a curious woman who still loves learning, nature and wildlife, and experiencing adventure.
In the mid-00s, China first piqued my interest after flipping through a Lonely Planet travel guide at my local bookstore. A specific footnote about the Giant Panda Research Base in a city I had never heard of (Chengdu) caught my attention. It mentioned the possibility of seeing and even interacting with baby pandas. Daydreaming about this experience turned to planning and I eventually embarked on a backpacking adventure around the country with my late father. It was one of the most memorable trips of my life, although at the time it felt like we were constantly at the mercy of the rhythm of a culture we were woefully unfamiliar with (and, admittedly, had a lot of culture shock from). I even wrote about my travels in a series titled “The Worst Day of My Life”, part 1, part 2 and part 3. In retrospect, that title is hyperbole.
I eventually got to see and hold a baby panda, survived eating mystery street food, and, despite being on the verge of a meltdown, learned so much about an entirely new world and myself. Without experiencing the contrast of a place like China compared to my homeland of Canada, I never would have developed the mental fortitude to continue on with all of my other (solo) travels around the world. I never would challenge myself. And my life would have become so much more boring as a result. My future memoir is stacked.
At Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, China (2007, ©Deborah Clague).
Throughout my twenties, my bank account had cobwebs. The minuscule amount of savings didn’t give much stress though. It was a different time, after all. No social media or “influencing”. A predictability and comfort in life, even in middle class. Trump remained a self-inserted tabloid fixture and reality television star. I wasn’t scared of technology eradicating my career.
Life was good.
With age and wisdom, I am sometimes conflicted about not saving more for a home when they were actually affordable or accumulating for that sweet, sweet compound interest. But the other part of me–the one that feels most authentic to my true self–knows that money does not equate to wealth. The things I did invest in have given me growth in ways that are intangible.
I look forward to my upcoming trip where I will return to China (Chengdu and Chongquin), ride the world's highest railway to Tibet and visit Everest Base Camp.
This will be one of the greatest adventures of my life.
Childhood me would be so proud.
