by Mollie Bechtold
My Dad always raised me to never shy away from pursuing my passions, and thanks to him, my greatest passion has always been to travel.
When I was a child, he traveled constantly for business and would bring me little trinkets from his travels. I dreamed about all the exciting places my Dad would visit and when I could see them myself.
As I grew older, he would take me on special trips where he would carry out his business duties and I would explore the highlights of cities like Boston, New York, San Diego, and Orlando. As my travel obsession grew, our destinations grew wider. We experienced Europe, cruising in the Caribbean, and the wonders of South America.
He taught me important life lessons through travel, namely to fill your life with adventure, not things. Adventures provide stories to tell and memories to keep, not things to show off.
We lost my Dad almost 3 years ago after a short, but valiant fight against brain cancer, and my adventures with him and the memories I have are the best parts of what I have left of him. As he was dying, he talked to me about taking risks and making my life more memorable.
We planned an incredible family trip to the Galapagos, because he wanted to celebrate his legacy with the trip of a lifetime…and it was! The Galapagos Islands are indescribably beautiful and provide one-on-one experiences with wildlife that no other place in the world can offer.
Father’s Day is a day honoring the incredible sacrifices it takes to be a wonderful father, and the inspirational men who devote their lives to being amazing Dads!
Life Lessons Through Travel
I celebrate the memory of my father every day in my career. My dad encouraged me to be a travel agent, because he knew how important it is to me to experience the world and help others to do the same.
So today and every day, I say thanks Dad. Thank you for allowing me to travel and showing me the big, beautiful world we live in. Thank you for exposing me to the wonders of the world and the enchanting variety of cultures and people who make up this planet. My life is forever better because of my travels.