McGresty

Travel has been part of my life since I was born. All of it has been in this corner of the globe. My father was a Lt. Col in the US Air Force (USAF) and retired to England while I was still on active duty in Alaska. That ended iin 1968 while at a USAF base in Southern California. My family are not those who live long lives. the oldest was my Grandmother who passed away in her mid-eighties. I am the eldest now.

Not long left

When I reached 14 Dad was assigned to Fairchild AFB and I entered my 10th school in 10 years, I hated school and just wanted out. When my time in the USAF was finished, I put a pack on my back and took off.

Once in the UK I began working on Concorde Development for British Aircraft, I gave them 18 months and went pro, working on contracts in England and The Netherlands. Traveling was involved and many years later even wrote up a few trips. Often getting out hiking on various trails I would enjoy the solitude and countryside. The early 1980's saw me written off for 3 years with a strange form of Hepatitis. To stay sane I began narrow gauge model railroading, mainly using natural materials which no one had done before. I decided to model Colorado narrow gauge using HO scale track as 3 feet between the rails.

Many years later found a site where I am listed as pioneer in the scale of 55n3, news to me. I would even model the rust running under a nail on a wooden fence, for myself it was caricature/semi-kinetic art. Inside me though was an almost extinquished ember of creativity which burst into flame on a course which included graphic design.

Toward the end of year long college thing I had 3 weeks work experience inside Saatchi and Saatchi, working on different design elements and branding. I began my own design company in 1994, didn't make a lot of money but loved what I did until 2010 when I retired.

November 2011 a travel blog was begun and in 2013 started Simian Circles, which ran for ten years. During that time I discovered Pamplona, a good travel hub and was there a lot, I still have a few friends I keep in touch with who live in the city.

So where is home?

I first traveled when I was about two weeks old. Many schools were entered and 10 places lived in. Enlisting in the US Air Force when I was 18 continued the moving around. That sort of stopped while living in London, but as a travel writer there were places I lived in for 3 months at a time.

I really have had only one home, on the road. I am now 81 and it will be a major miracle if I reach 82, so will spend my last days traveling.