Nathan's Insights

Highlights:  Andrew’s first overseas trip, Alcatraz, Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Knott’s Berry Farm and Vegas.

Photos

Late 1998, almost exactly 12 years after my first world trip as a 12-year-old in 1986, I set off on my second overseas trip, this time with my mother (Helen), sister (Kara), and nephew (Andrew).  We flew to the USA via Auckland on 31 October and returned to Australia on 19 November 1998 for a 20-day overseas trip.

Andrew’s first overseas trip

One of the first highlights of the trip was that it was a surprise for Andrew, who was 7 years old.  He didn’t even know he had a passport when we headed to the airport.  He thought he was saying goodbye to his grandmother and me for our trip to the USA.  The surprise was total as he tried to race past security.  Many years later, his younger sister in the same situation cried at missing out on school and her friends, but Andrew was instead racing to board a plane 🙂

Terrified At Splash Mountain

The major event of the trip was a 5-day pass to Disneyland. It sounds wild now, but the first day was on arrival and was just a quick check-in/scope of Disneyland, so we knew where to go for the next few days. We also visited the Citadel Shopping Centre in Los Angeles, which is a stop my mum would make on every future trip to the USA from this point onwards—experiencing Disneyland through Andrew’s eyes made it extremely enjoyable.

Somehow I became the designated driver and later carrier for all the gifts and presents bought at the stores.

San Francisco was next up, with a visit to Alcatraz, the Cable Cars, and ice cream at Girhardilli House, followed by walks along Fisherman’s Wharf.  My biggest memory of San Francisco, however, was our hotel being in a very rundown area of the city that my mum was recommended.  I was thinking that ‘friend’ must not like her very much!

We then moved on to San Diego, with me doing a lot of the driving during this trip, to visit probably the greatest zoo in the world, the San Diego Zoo, with their all-white koalas, and later SeaWorld San Diego to get splashed by dolphins and enjoy the WaterWorld show.  A quick stop back in LA for a visit to Knott’s Berry Farm was next, not as much fun as I remembered back in 1986, but Andrew loved it.

Our last visit was to Las Vegas, and this time I could gamble. We tried to gamble, since I kept losing my money.  We once again stayed at Circus Circus, but by now the main attractions of the strip had moved somewhat down the road.  Still, I like Las Vegas, and it would feature many more times in future USA visits.

If the 1986 trip was the start of my interest in seeing the world outside of Australia, this trip confirmed it.  I was starting to earn enough money to save for an independent trip.  Just over 12 months later, I was to be on my first big travel adventure. Sure, I started small by limiting myself to English-speaking places in 1999-2000, but it was over 100 days outside the country.

The travel bug had bitten, and the cure was obvious: see more of the world.  I was also glad to travel with Andrew while he was so young.  We would travel together again in 11 years to the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and New Zealand after he graduated from high school.