I have been thinking about the past three years.. and before.. Some randomness since, I just realized, I have made 100 blog posts..

I lived and worked in the good old USA for almost my whole life.. Electrician by trade and a really good one at that. Houses, offices, department stores.. pulling wire, running conduit, installing lights, switches.. you know.. everything a good electrician does..

Working 60+ hours a week..waiting for that wonderful 2 week break I knew was coming once a year.. That time when I could leave the worries and the stress behind, at least for awhile..

Vacations at that time meant jumping in the car and driving..New states..new cities..Disneyland. Oh sure, occasionally I would be able to afford a trip to Mexico..maybe the Caribbean (I absolutely adore the Caymans) but, mostly, it was “road trips”. Road trips are a fantastic way to explore, but let’s face it..traffic, rest stops, car problems..these things don’t lend themselves to the most relaxing trip..

                                    Me in 1995 Pikes Peak, Colorado

Then .. an amazing thing happened.. I landed a job in Columbia, South America.. Maintenance supervisor in a coal mine of all places..

                      Coal Mine Electrical Supervisor in Columbia..

14 days on.. 7 days off .. with 2 weeks paid vacation and enough money to actually start traveling.. Of course after 14 straight 12 hour days, I didn’t really feel like getting out on my off time.  Long flight back home to Colorado and a week to recuperate and get ready for the next shift..  Good experience but not what I was really looking for.

So back to the 60+ hours a week when the ROF came..  the road trips to Las Vegas, Memphis, etc etc..

I read an ad one day about a job opportunity working for a company that did contract work for the US Embassies overseas.. I applied.. and was hired..

Thus the new life in Kyiv, Ukraine and a whole new world appeared before me…

I had found the perfect job.. 40 hours a week.. tons of holidays and 2 weeks paid leave a year.. which I take 16 – 24 hours at a time.  Let’s face it, 300 dollars will buy a plane ticket to almost anywhere in Europe from here.. and 4 days in Paris or Prague is a wonderful way to spend a long weekend.

This chance happening in my life has allowed me to explore new countires, expand my way of thinking about different cultures and, hopefully, improve my outlook on life..and my photographic skills..

So far..  Poland, France, Italy, Greece, UAE, Hungary, Sweden, Cyprus, Georgia, Spain, Turkey, and the Czech Republic..

Let’s face it.. most Americans don’t travel outside the country because it is so expensive.. and so far to go.. I have been given an opportunity (granted through a lot of hard work and perseverance) that few people get.. I plan to enjoy it, revel in it.. there is beauty everywhere..and I plan to find it wherever I go..  Next stop Bucharest and Ploiesti, Romania..

I hope you feeling like joining me in this journey .. 100 blog posts so far.. and still many many miles to go.. We will be exploring 6 more countries in the next few months..

There are reviews, advice and a lot more photos available   here... my personal Travel related website…  TRAVEL WITH STEVE

Come along.. Let’s Travel!!