I am Shirley Clayton. My family and I, including my husband, Steve, and daughter, Sarah, travel extensively.
Our travel exploits began shortly after I met my husband in Puerto Rico, where he was stationed while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. There, I immersed Steve in the Puerto Rican culture, dragging him to just about every “nook and cranny” on the island, enjoying the culture and foods, meeting new people, and exploring local landmarks and places of interests. I did not anticipate this was a preview of things to come. After a long-distance relationship, we married and settled in Southern California where Steve was stationed at the time. We pledged then to never stop “living our dreams” through travel.
Our travel exploits continued throughout Southern California and Mexico. After several years we accepted 2-year temporary orders to move to Hawaii. We jumped at this opportunity where we immediately immersed ourselves into the culture of the Paradise Inlands with all of its ancient blend of ethic and unique traditions. Only this time, we were accompanied by our infant daughter, Sarah. She became the consummate “lap child” as we hopped between he Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Rico and Southern California. Our experiences in Hawaii enabled us to not only become adroit travelers by chasing down every interesting opportunity but also smarter travelers.
By age 5, Sarah had visited more than 20 states, traveled extensively throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands, and logged more than 25 flights on airplanes. A funny story is when in kindergarten and asked where she wanted to live when she grows up, she told the teacher, she wanted to live in “Las Vegas in a hotel.” Today she is a student at Texas A&M University and joins us on travel whenever her schedule permits. And “yes” we are a proud Aggie family.
After Steve retired from military service we relocated from Los Angeles to the Dallas-Fort Worth area where we currently reside. My love for travel took a fast track, with my family in tow, when the hit movie Mama Mia hit the screen in 2008. The white sandy beaches and beautiful turquoise ocean waters reminded me so much of my home and growing-up in Puerto Rico that soon afterwards my family and I we were on our way to Greece and the Greek Isles.
Our visit to Athens was a watershed moment. I have always had an appreciation for the arts and this visit marked a new beginning. I became so enamored with ancient art that before then I had only read about in books. It sparked a flurry of travel to visit other major museums and historic sites in Paris, Rome, Florence, Vienna and London. This is why today I have a passion for visiting iconic domestic and international destinations, focusing on landmarks of interests, people and culture.
My family’s love of travel has evolved over time. I planned travel over the years as we balanced career and family. I knew then if we didn’t develop a habit of traveling I would regret it. Traveling has given us the chance to engage in an activity we love as a family, brought us closer to ourselves and others, provided opportunities to learn and grow, and discover new cultures. Today, travel is a big part of our life.
I know there are many people and families with similar backgrounds as ours and who desire to travel. This site is dedicated to everyone with a desire to “live their dreams” through travel.