Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Growing up in a poorer section of Indianapolis, I often dreamed of visiting distant, exotic lands. The only way I could afford travel was to join the Army. It worked. In 1962, I got my free trip, all the way to Korea. My pay allowed me to buy more airline tickets. In 1964, I left the service and traveled on as a civilian. I had to see the Taj Mahal. An ancient British railroad car offered me a hot and dusty ride from Delhi to Agra. I walked through the towering gateway to the compound, into another universe - one of greenery, beauty and mystical calm. The Taj Mahal appeared floating in the distance, an astounding vision of pure, white architectural perfection. All the accounts of other travelers paled before the impact of the experience in real life. My long journey had been truly rewarded.