This blog was originally published in November 2021. It was updated in March 2022.
Written by Otterbein Granville resident Dave S.
Both Becky and I traveled a great deal throughout the United States as we were growing up. Becky spent nearly every summer at her family's vacation cottage in Ontario, and I spent my vacations on the shores of Lake Michigan in South Haven or in the mountains of northern Utah near Ogden.
Discovering International Travel
Following our marriage, we lived for three years in Grand Forks, North Dakota, which meant traveling to western Pennsylvania and northern Kentucky or Ogden, Utah, to visit family over summer breaks. Becky enjoyed a summer through Europe while in college, and my first international trip to Europe was with family in the early 1980s.
Our serious travel began with my sabbatical leave in the spring of 2003 when we lived for six months in Thessaloniki, Greece while I worked at the American College there. This gave us the opportunity to travel throughout Greece, a country to which we have returned three times.
Living and Working Abroad
This experience spurred us to consider living and working abroad following our retirement in 2005. I spent my career as a faculty member and administrator at Muskingum University, where Becky served as the director of career services. Since neither of us speaks any language other than English, our search for a place to use our experience was somewhat limited.
I was most fortunate to receive a Fulbright Fellowship to teach at LCC International University in Klaipeda, Lithuania, for the academic year of 2005–06, where English is the language of instruction. We enjoyed the opportunity to work with students from the Baltic countries, Russia, and central Asia. Our experience was so special that we returned for the next eight years as volunteers, with our last trip in 2014.
Deciding to Move to Otterbein Granville
Returning home in the spring of 2010, while flying over Iceland, we looked at one another and simultaneously said it was time to move to Otterbein Granville. As Denison University graduates, we had been following the development of the Otterbein Granville community and had even made an initial deposit to add our name to the list of future residents.
Our home in New Concord, Ohio, which we built and occupied for 42 years, had become a bit of a burden as we were living in Lithuania for six months or more each year. We immediately put out the word that our home was for sale, and within three months, we were moving from New Concord to our new home at Otterbein Granville!
Related: Why we chose Otterbein Granville: A resident perspective >>
We continued to return to Lithuania throughout 2014, leaving the care of our residence to the Otterbein Granville staff. It made our travel more worry-free knowing that our cottage would be cleaned regularly, checked for any maintenance issues that might arise, and that our possessions would be secure. These assurances allowed us to travel extensively throughout Europe before and after our commitments in Lithuania.
We have traveled in the United States as well. Just this year we traveled to San Antonio, Texas, to see our granddaughter compete in the National Collegiate Synchronized Swimming competition. Later in the spring, we managed to attend her graduation from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, and the same weekend a grandson’s high school graduation in Naperville, Illinois.
In July we spent three weeks at our family cottage in eastern Ontario, and next month we’ll be traveling to New York by train for a long weekend adventure. Looking ahead, we are planning a three- to four-week eastern European adventure to Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Hungary.
Securing a Home Base for Travel
Yes, we love to travel, and we have found Otterbein Granville to be the perfect home base for these adventures. Beyond the benefits mentioned above, Otterbein Granville is located just 30 minutes from the Columbus airport.
There is only one stoplight between leaving the Otterbein Granville community and pulling up to the departure gate at John Glenn International Airport. Airport parking is very inexpensive if you care to leave your car while traveling, but there are often Otterbein Granville friends who are more than willing to provide transportation, and Uber is always available.
Flights from John Glenn provide connections to most gateway airports for travel to any destination outside the United States, as well as nonstop service to many major cities on both the East and West Coast.
I would also like to note that many Otterbein Granville residents have their own travel experiences to share. Becky and I have enjoyed hearing of visits from friends to parts of the world we have not explored. Even though we may never have the opportunity to visit Japan, China, or Southeast Asia, our lives have been enriched from hearing our Otterbein Granville friends relate their experiences to these destinations.
Considering Otterbein Granville for Your Home Base?
If you're considering Otterbein Granville as your home base, learn more about our community by visiting our website at the link below. It's a great time to start a new adventure, and our community paves the way to a more meaningful, active lifestyle.
