“Experience, travel–these are an education in themselves.” This quote by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides affirms what world traveler (and Berks native) SARAH E. MACAUSLAND believes: that exploring other lands is invaluable and life-enriching. She says she was “bitten by the travel bug” at a young age thanks to her globe-trotting parents. Sarah–who, at age 25, has visited four continents and 19 countries–continued to travel while a student at both Wyomissing High School and the University of Pittsburgh. She’s happy to be back in Berks, working as the communication manager and youth advisory committee advisor for the Berks County Community Foundation, but she admits she’s always looking forward to her next trip.
Q | What’s your first foreign travel memory–or when did you first travel out of the country?
My first trip out of the U.S. was to St. Maarten when I was seven months old, so I don’t remember it much [laughs]. The first trip I really recall is one my parents, brother and I took when I was 12; it was a month-long trip to France, Italy and Spain. We rented a car and just drove. One of the outstanding moments, a memory I treasure, happened in Provence. We stopped at this huge field of lavender. The experience of standing in that field has stayed with me; it was gorgeous and amazing.
Q | Do you collect souvenirs as reminders of your travels?
I do. I buy a postcard everywhere I go, whether it’s in the U.S. or not, or for business or pleasure. It started when I was little and I’ve kept it going because they’re different from photographs, although I take a lot of those, too. I like to display them. I write a memory I have of that place on the back and can re-read it later. I also used to collect money, but it became less interesting when Europe switched to the Euro.
Q | With all your experience, you must have some tips for fellow travelers. Can you share some?
I think travel is all about the experience, so I like to really get to know the culture and the history of where I am. A great way to do this is to find a good vantage point at a café and just sit–eat, people-watch and listen–you can absorb so much about a place that way. The biggest thing to keep in mind is to be flexible because travel can be unpredictable. I have no iron-clad itinerary and try to go with the flow. Travel delays happen; also, sometimes you plan your day to see a certain sight only to find out there’s a fair or festival that day–I often do that instead and am glad that I did.
Q | Of all your trips and travels, do you have favorites?
That’s tough; I’ve loved them all, but going to Greece with my mom the summer after I graduated from high school in 2005 stands out for me. It was just the two of us and we brought only what we could fit in our backpacks. We stayed in a pension, like a hostel, on top of Santorini, and the view of the blue sea and the white buildings was so unique and beautiful. Other favorites are the three-and-a-half months I spent studying in Rome as a college student–I was really immersed in the culture, what it’s like to live there–and another backpacking trip I took with my best friend through Europe. We slept on trains, a boat; we really roughed it but loved it, too. I truly learned to pack on that journey, that I don’t really need five pairs of shoes or 10 dresses.
Q | What’s the future hold for you and your passport?
I’d like to go to every continent. I haven’t been to South America, Australia or Antarctica, so I’d like to see them. I feel like I’m ready to go off the usual path, like to the Middle East or the African desert–I’ve been to Tunisia, but I want to do a safari on the savanna. And Thailand, India, Switzerland, New Zealand. Oh, and I haven’t been to Turkey. Or Scotland [laughs]. For me, no place is off limits. I’m very grateful to my parents for opening my eyes, for cultivating my global perspective when I was young –it’s an expensive hobby, but it’s better than a classroom.
Where o' where has Sarah MacAusland been? Lots of places!
Check out this list:
1. Italy - Tuscany, Venice, Messina, Portofino, Lake Como, Siena, Ancona, Tivoli, Milan, Florence, Bologna, Palermo/Taormina/Agrigento (Sicily), Pisa, Rome, Bari, Pompei, Capri, Sorrento, Naples
2. Vatican City
3. St. Maarten
4. Cayman Islands
5. Greece - Athens, Mikonos, Santorini, Corfu
6. England - London
7. Germany - Munich, Frankfurt
8. Netherlands - Masstricht, Amsterdam
9. Monaco
10. Russia - Moscow and Ivanovo
11. France - Biarritz, Nice, Pomerol, Reims, Eze, Avignon, Lyon, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Paris
12. China - Xi'an, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guilin, Chongqing
13. Canada - Prince Edward Island, Vancouver, Toronto
14. Spain - San Sebastian, Madrid, Bilbao, Santander, Barcelona, Seville
15. Tunisia - Tunis
16. Czech Republic - Prague
17. Austria - Salzburg, Vienna
18. Budapest - Hungary
19. Bosnia and Herzegovina
20. Croatia - Split and Drobrovnik
21. Arizona - Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Tempe
22. North Carolina - Raleigh, Cary, Outer Banks, Charlotte, Asheville
23. Nevada - Las Vegas
24. California - San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara
25. Florida - Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Marco Island
26. Texas - Austin, Houston
27. Georgia - Savannah
28. South Carolina - Charleston , Hilton Head
29. Virginia - Williamsburg
30. New York - Syracuse
31. New Jersey - Princeton, Atlantic City, Ocean City, Sea Isle
32. Delaware - Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach
33. Rhode Island - Providence
34. Vermont - Jay Peak, Stowe
35. Connecticut - Bridgeport
36. Massachusetts - Boston
37. Maryland - Ocean City
38. Washington - Seattle
39. New Hampshire - Portsmouth
40. Maine - Portland, Kennebunkport
41. Washington D.C.
BY MICHELLE E. BIGGERSTAFF | PHOTO BY JOHN A. SECOGES, SECOGES PHOTOGRAPHICS
