Most memories of my youth are vague. Eroded by the passage of time, blurred by age. But I remember this day vividly. The wind whipping on the Salisbury plain. The modest visitors center with displays describing the history and mysteries surrounding the prehistoric monument across the street. The small replica I bought at the gift shop. A stranger asking me to hold his fanny pack for him. I remember the long, meandering drive to get there through the English countryside, sparsely dotted with farmhouses. This memory, like many others, was made possible by my mom's love of travel, and the spark it similarly ignited in me.
My mom died when I was 16, but a few years after this grainy picture was taken. Two thirds of my life ago. But the values, memories, and passions she instilled in me in those too-short years have made me the man I am today; the father I espouse to be. My mom loved to travel. To experience other cultures, be awed by God's beautiful planet, spend time with her family.
Traveling has a way of doing that. The fondest memories I have are s'mores by the campfire, carafes of chocolate milk on a cruise ship, tour buses through a bustling city. It's why, despite the fights and long flights, the ups and downs, I am adamant about doing everything I can to make time to travel with my family. To open their eyes and create snapshots in their memory they will never forget. I am grateful and blessed to have that opportunity to do so, and that the world of points has been able to expand my travel horizons further than I ever thought possible. When I came up with whatsthepoints.com, it was an appropriate pun for my vision. But really, this is the point. Escaping from the everyday routine for an exciting adventure. Being inspired by the beauty around us and diminished by its vastness. Discovering that a pile of rocks in a field can mean so much more. And doing it all with the people we love, with the hope they will be moved in the same ways we are; the same formula my mom used with me.
Thanks Mom
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