When I married the incredibly handsome guy to my right in the photographs of our honeymoon in Havana in 1940, Fidel Castro was 14 years old. The only revolution I knew about was the Russian Revolution, which occurred the year I was born – 1917 – the same year the First World War was declared. Bob, my husband, who died in 1992 and who remains to this day the one and only love of my life, was the most interesting person I had ever met. Nine years older than I, he was beautiful – well educated, athletic, sophisticated and had the best sense of humor of any person I had ever known. And he had been married before, which back then was scandalous! As an 18 year old girl running a restaurant I had bought with the money I was supposed to use for my college education, (which I did without telling my parents) I was stunned the moment I met him. Bob was one of my first customers at “The Pantry,” because it was located in the factory laden neighborhood of Cleveland’s “Harvard and Miles” district and he owned a small business in that area. In those days, the area was a testimony to the success of the industrial revolution. Factories boasted success by billowing, black sooty smoke into the air, no one gave a second thought to what price we would pay for – and I would live to see – the damage it would create to our environment.
While our courtship lasted longer than most, due to my policy of staff not socializing with customers, Bob was resolute, determined, and I ultimately agreed to go on a date. It was only with the understanding that it would be a double date, chaperoned by my friends from high school, who viewed this “older man” as a potential troublemaker. In addition to his ability to charm, what we all discovered was that he possessed the most incurable case of wanderlust, adventure for travel and discovery – which would ultimately result in our opening a small travel business in Willoughby, Ohio in 1962. I mean, he had been to Europe on an ocean liner, and traveled throughout the continent and British Isles on an Indian Motorcycle, and played trumpet in an orchestra that featured a then unknown singer named Bing Crosby! He had met Ernest Hemingway and had been part of the “café society” that was Paris in the 1930’s.
The stories that follow in this blog of my career in travel are clearly a result of having met this man who was happiest, at his best and most prolific, while he was traveling the world, and not dealing the with daily drudgery of business and commerce. Nonetheless, he worked hard in his industrial coal and stone business and we lived what could be considered the perfect life, having four wonderful kids together. The most unique aspect of our young lives, in comparison to other couples who longed for bigger houses, and even bigger finned cars, was that we lived simply – almost austerely – in a very modest home in a blue collar community. But…each time we had a few extra bucks we had saved, rather than buying the latest model of Oldsmobile Rocket 88, we would rocket our way around the world, most of the time with kids in tow. Our kids all considered us slightly eccentric, especially for the times, but each of them would tell you today that those early days of taking the road less traveled…made all the difference. Ultimately, Bob’s “mid-life crisis” involved him selling his business and becoming a small town lawyer at age 52. For me, it was opening the travel agency at age 45. Late bloomers in some ways, but then, my daughter Jill just published her first book at age 60!
The reason I opened this blog with the title “Cuba to Cuba in Three Generations” is a play on words, from the saying “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations,” referring to the cycle of life from poverty to riches and a return to poverty. But the Cuba reference has nothing to do with money; rather it has to do with the fact that, hopefully within my lifetime, but certainly within my grandchildren’s lifetimes, we will see the return and renaissance of Cuba as the exciting, energized, artistic “salsa destination” that, while it’s riches, opulence and excess of the 40’s and 50’s were destroyed by the communist regime and Fidel Castro’s philosophies, its culture, joyous people, weather and natural beauty remain refuse to be vanquished. For those of you who remember the tension of the now historical confrontation of the “Bay of Pigs” incident, when our families were all parked in front of our rabbit-eared black and white TV’s waiting to see if nuclear war was imminent, I know you’ll agree that the Cuba of the post Castro era will be a sharp and joyful contrast.!
This blog will have to do with (mostly) travel related experiences, commentaries, even a few complaints and laments about the travel industry between the time of the 19 year old woman on the beach and the 93 year old woman you see pictured holding the world in her hands. (It’s a balloon actually). My plan is to update the blog once per week, although if I get the chance to go someplace fantastic, it may just have to suffer until I get back. In this year alone, I’ve been to South Africa to visit my granddaughter Lindsay Kneen studying to become an M.D., helped my granddaughter Kristin move from Los Angeles to Raleigh Durham, where she is now a professor (please note – DR. Kristin McNealy, Ph.D), and sailed on the Danube River with my son Rob from Budapest to Vienna. As I write this, Halloween is coming to an end in Phoenix AZ, where I go each year to my daughter Jill’s home to “trick or treat” with my special granddaughter, Jennifer, now 32, for whom this, next to Christmas is her favorite day. My great-grandchildren are another whole story in themselves! Nolan is now 3, and we are awaiting the arrival of “Baby-Girl” McNealy in December! Look for details soon.
This is my “intro-blog,” so not all of them will be this long. I guess my point is….”Life’s a Trip.” Live and enjoy every day with as much energy as passion as you can! Oh…and be sure to travel, whether you book it through me or any other qualified travel agent! .
So, go ahead. Get “off your rocker!”
Arline