As a very little child--I can remember that I had just learned how to read--we went on a road trip (I think we were going camping.

My father sat me in the right front seat of the family pickup and unfolded the map of Connecticut (remember those accordion-folded maps?) and laid it on my lap. It practically covered me like tent.

He showed me how the land was green, the water blue, and the roads black lines that snaked across the paper. He pointed to our house, then to the map, and said, "That's where we are now." He then ran his finger along the black line and said, "And that's where we're going."

I was fascinated. I spent the entire trip learning left and right, north and south, water and land and how to read a map. I followed our journey on the map the entire way. That love of traveling and maps is with me still.

In my high school years my mom told me I could decorate my bedroom any way I liked, so I went to the truck's glove compartment, got out the AAA maps, and papered one whole bedroom wall very neatly with road maps. It looked just like map wallpaper. Needless to say, my father was a tad irked at having to replace his map collection, but proud that I did a professional job.

In college, when I had optional courses open to me I took geography classes for fun. So many of them, in fact, that I completed a minor in Geography, much to my surprise.

After Peace Corps service and teaching for 11 years, I ended up in transportation for the rest of my career as a truck driver, bus driver, transportation supervisor and eventually transportation planner.

Some life themes were meant to be, in spite of plans to the contrary.