I met him over 30 years ago, in a time when we all, his wife, my then husband were young and full of life.  Not so young anymore.  But, certainly young in spirit, our time together never gets old.  A friendship that transcends just friends, we all are more like brother and sister.  For the past 2 years, we’ve traveled to 8 different countries, with a quest of seeing, tasting, drinking, and soaking up as much culture as we can.  With lots of laughs, along the way, there’s no stopping us! So, I asked Tony, my beloved brother, to capture if he could, what the other side of traveling after so many years as navy personnel meant now for him vs. all those years ago.

Here’s his capture…in his words:  

As a child, I knew I always wanted to travel and see what the world had to offer.  I was born and grew up in the Midwest.  I loved everyday of my childhood in my small hardworking city.  But, I also knew there were sites and adventures beyond the city limits I occupied.  The Navy would be my vehicle for achieving my goal of seeing the world’s amazing countries and sites.  The Navy offered the opportunity to travel to different parts of the work with me paying absolutely no money.  This idea sounded like a “win-win” situation.

My Navy journey lasted for twenty-one years, and I enjoyed everyday of the journey.  The Navy indeed kept its promise of allowing me to see the world!  I traveled to many countries such as:  Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Korea, The Phillipines, Dubai, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates, just to name a few.  I thought visiting all these beautiful countries was the best.

I have continued to travel since dparting the miliatry.  In the past few yeares I have been fortunate enough to continue to travel throughout the the world, for my job, and in my leisure.   My travels this time around have taken me to various European countries.  HilAm Adventures has provided a great experience all around the continent of Europe.  My wife and I have seen the sights in France, Spain, Belgium, Morroco, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

I did have a great time traveling while serving my country.  I find now that traveling as a civilian, that my experiences have been different.  While serving, the port visits in the military always  seemed like  short and rushed stays. It never seemled like I had enought time to see all the famous sights, or to enjoy local hospitality.  It always seemed that everybody on the ship ended up in the same local establishments, one’s that weren’t too far from where we anchored.  I never spent nights in any five-star accommodations, and my day/s would normally include going out in town and seeing all I could see, and then it would be time to return to the ship for sleep.

Using a different lens now as a civilian, my visits have been more relaxaed and not rushed.  I’ve lived out dreams had of visiting the Eiffel Tower, and Big Ben.  I’ve even had the opportunity to watch the changing of the palace guard, crossing now those iconic things off of my list.  I’ve enjoyed watching and experiencing and taking part in local cuisine, culture, and appreciating the hospitality.  On my HilAm Adventures, it’s all about experiencing it all.  So, I’ve savored fish and chips in London, wanted more paella in Spain, asked for una mas carafa de Sangria, in Barcelona, and couldn’t get enough tagine in Morroco.  My new travel lens, has allowed me to stay in a luxurious three bedroom apartment in Paris, a penthouse suite in Barcelona, and in our own private riad in Marrakech, with a private courtyard, and sundeck overlooking the clay roofs of the city.  It seems like so long ago, that I imagined all the things I imagined in my tiny rack about many surface ships sailed.

Then and Now, is all about recognizing my blessings.  The Navy gave me my first taste of real travel, and I remain so grateful.  In the Navy there’s a term coined, “Lessons Learned.”  It’s descriptive of not only learning from experience, but learning through change.  Change, often that will lead to a different and sometimes better outcome.  My naval career seems like a million years ago.  It was a good run, and a great life.  Now, with my new lens, I’m taking all the lessons learned, applying them to every new step of my continued journey.  Determined like my dear friends…brother and sister, Hilton and Amy, to see all that I can see and experience one amazing adventure at a time!

Contributed by,

Anthony W. Gates