The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

 “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

St. Augustine

Me in Lisbon, Portugal 2019

No Limit Travel – First Blog Post

Welcome to my first blog post for my upcoming travel agency, No Limit Travel.  You must think I’m crazy to start a travel business during the worst economy since the great depression. But I know the travel industry will bounce back because people love to travel and so do I. 

So, whom am I? My name is Delmaria Settles, my friends call me Dellie and so can you.  After all, I think we will be friends as we share our travel adventures.  I was born and raised in Anchorage, AK.  I’m the youngest in the family, often referred to as the baby.  I am an aunt of many nieces and nephews.  I lived in Alaska for 29 years and during those years I traveled within in Alaska and outside of Alaska. Although I have a degree in Human Resources, my background is in banking and fraud.  How did I switch to travel? It all started in 2014 when I booked my first cruise to Italy.  But more on that later. 

I started traveling with my family at a young age. First to the cities in Alaska that we could drive to and then to the lower 48.  The ‘lower 48’ is a phrase that Alaskans use when referring to the contiguous 48 states.  I don’t have a preference of travel mode, whether it’s by car, train, plane or ship, as long as I’m traveling, I’m happy.

Why am I blogging? My love for travel and the obstacles I face as a traveler who needs assistance traveling.  I have arthritis in both of my knees and traveling can be challenging.  The travel industry is not designed for people with special needs but has come a long way.  And it continues to work on the issue. After all, people who need assistance or with special needs add millions of dollars to the travel economy each year and since we usually travel with a companion, that is more money for the travel industry. I’ve gotten off-topic.  I do not let the arthritis stop me from traveling, and your special needs shouldn’t stop you from traveling.

Traveling is for everyBODY.  Arthritis does not affect me walking altogether, it affects how fast and how far I can walk. I did not need wheelchair assistance until 2015 when I went to DC to see my best friend.  On the way back, I asked for wheelchair assistance at Dulles after remembering the long walk when I landed. I’m a prideful person and it took a lot for me to ask for assistance.  Asking meant swallowing my pride and feeling embarrassed.  But I asked and I’m glad I did. I no longer feel ashamed when asking for wheelchair assistance and no one else who needs assistance should feel ashamed either.

I will be blogging about the best way for travelers who need assistance or travelers with special needs should go. I also will be discussing the different travel adventures I’ve taken in the past and in the future.  I also want to hear from you, regardless if you need assistance or not, about your travel adventures. After all, traveling is for everyBODY!

The first memory that I have of traveling is when I was 5 years old in 1970. I was traveling to Texarkana, TX to go to school for a year. I was in kindergarten.  The schools in Alaska couldn’t keep up with the population growth of Anchorage. My school had three sessions of kindergarten: morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. My session was in the late afternoon and I would get home at 7:00 in the evening. My mom didn’t want me getting home that late so she decided I would go to Texas and live with my grandparents and go to kindergarten there. I was not going alone though.  My sister K was going with me so I wouldn’t be alone. 

On the day of the flight I remember being excited to be flying for the first time and going to see my grandparents.  This was my first trip to the lower 48 and school was the furthest thing from my mind. All I could think about was the plane and seeing my grandparents, (Grandpa and Big Mama). As I walked onto the plane holding my mom’s hand (Something I did well into my 20’s) I wondered how something so big and heavy could fly. (That thought is still with me every time we take off).  I sat in the middle seat with my feet dangling, my sister K on the right of me and my mom on the left. And we were off to Texas. I do not remember if we flew non-stop or stopped in Seattle to change planes. The strongest memory I have about the flight is placing a piece of gum in a lady’s purse who sat in front of us and then laughing about it with K. I have no idea why I did that, but it wouldn’t be the last thing I would do and have no idea why I did it. 

When I think back on that trip, I had no idea the love I would have for traveling, let alone flying. I still get excited when I get on a plane, the butterflies are there, getting settled on the plane, the things I have to take with me when I fly and going through my flight ritual.  (I will get to that later).  The silence of the plane when it takes off, watching the attendants or the screen go over safety features just in case we have to make an emergency landing. I remember one time I joined in pointing at the exit doors.  (Again, doing something I have no idea why I did it).  That was just the first of my many travels. 

Do you remember the first time you traveled?  Where did you travel to?  Did you travel by car, plane, train, or ship? Please leave a comment about the first time you traveled, I would love to read your stories.

Dellie

Next blog: Summer of 1973, family vacation.