Thursday, January 15, 2009

The travel bug

How did Brian catch the travel bug? When I was about ten years old, I read a book by Richard Halliburton that greatly influenced me: Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels. While there existed a 19th century British explorer with the same name, the Halliburton I read was a young adventurer who made a living writing and lecturing about his adventurous travels.

Halliburton had a gift for the dramatic. He swam the Panama Canal as the S.S. Richard Halliburton, paying 36 cents in toll based on his weight, and possessed a particular gift in writing for young people. Like other successful authors (and teachers), he does not "talk down" to kids. I've reread that book as an adult and still enjoy it. Learning years later that Halliburton disappeared and presumably drowned in 1939 while sailing a Chinese junk across the Pacific Ocean to the Golden Gate Exposition in San Franciso only enhanced his allure.

How did Kathy catch the travel bug? Probably from Brian...

1 comment:

  1. I never knew that! I'd like to read that book.
    Love your blog... we'll look forward to the updates.

    ReplyDelete

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