98 - Travel

Dear David,

We all had a great vacation last week. On Thursday, you and I and Michael and Mommie packed up The Big Red Truck and drove down to Connecticut to visit friends. You loved being On Vacation. You were very patient during the long drive. You got to play with all the other kids, go swimming in the lake and stay up late to watch the fireworks over the Ocean. Then we traveled on to New York City, where Curious George lives. You danced with The Big Blue Whale at the Museum, and played in the Playground in Central Park.

We have been traveling with you since you were only a few months old. You have been on more Airplane Rides and stayed on more Hotels than many adults. So, as a result, you are very comfortable, and in fact, excited about being in new places with new people, where very little is familiar.

I hope you continue to travel when you are big. I hope you travel very far, to many other far away places. But, you don't have to go far to see new things. You just have to go.

Travel is one of the best ways to learn about people. When you travel, you get to live like other people live. That can help you understand them better. It can help you understand that most people are very much alike. They all have families and friends. They all eat things and drink things. They all sleep at night and wake up in the day time. But they way they do these things is sometimes different. Not better, or worse, but simply different.

Traveling will open your eyes to these differences. You may even learn to appreciate them. But more importantly, you will learn how very much the same we all are in this world.

Love,

Daddy