Rookie Vagabonders

An Ode to a Fellow Vagabonder with a Flair for Mischief

So I was cleaning my room and looking through some old pictures as I was packing to head back down south, and I came across an old diary entry of mine from about 1994 (age 9). I love finding stuff like this, the huge handwriting, the oh-so-many crushes I used to gush about; it’s like an archaeologist finding remnants of an ancient civilization…kinda. Anyways, so this one entry in particular, I was discussing the Egyptians, our latest topic in school and I ended the paragraph with a resolution to see every country in the entire world. It’s kind of funny how some things never change…boys may come and go, handwriting gets slightly neater, but the desire to travel NEVER fades.

What a classy broad

But what really inspired me to wax poetic about my nine-year-old self was the mention of one of my favorite TV shows and top ten idols of all time, Carmen Sandiego. Let me tell you, I loved this woman. She was the epitome of cool with a dash of mystery and a killer fashion sense (the color red and giant hats are always a good choice…just ask the Brits) And her TV Show? Where do I even start? I loved both Where In The World and Where In Time. I mean, there’s not much to dislike: educational content, cool costumes and a sweet villain…everything my young self asked for on a Saturday morning.

I don’t know about you, but I always wanted to be Carmen; she was way cooler than the Chief and she had gumption (something I like to think I have a little of). She was clearly too cunning and sexy to ever get caught, plus she had a one way ticket to some amazing sights on the way. Now don’t get me wrong, the Chief was a good boss. Boy, she meant business and I respect that in a women. Although I think I would be a little scared to have her as my supervisor, even if I did get to explore the world in pursuit of Ms. Sandiego and her cohort of V.I.L.E agents.

So, what’s the point you ask? Well, I think it’s pretty fantastic that, despite it being 10+ years later and I no longer resort to pink diaries equipped with brother-proof locks to divulge my deepest, darkest secrets, I still want to be Carmen Sandiego. Lucky for me, I have never lost this insatiable yearning to explore every corner of this globe (and perhaps even dabble in a little time travel while I’m at it) More importantly though, I want to inspire the same curiosity in YOU, my VBs, my partners in crime, whether by providing you with a few pointers on how to book a hostel, or stealing history textbooks with my fellow thugs (or whatever it is that those sneaky rascals used to do). So vagabonders, or should I say gumshoes, let me be your Carmen Sandiego in 2009. It would be my pleasure to lead you all around the world in pursuit of the latest, greatest mystery and take you to places not even the Chief could have imagined.

It shouldn’t be too hard to find me seeing as I am hoping to update frequently – but I do plan on getting my own Rockapella theme song for starters, and maybe even a fashionable red hat to bring out my eyes. So, where do we begin gumshoes? That’s for me to decide and you to find out…the possibilities are endless!