Sara E. Baxter

Before I go on with some of my most memorable travel experiences, I should tell you how it all started....well, not from the very beginning, that would take too long, but how I met my travel buddy during my second trip to Europe.

I had been living in London, England since April 1989 when I met Sara a few months later. We met when sharing a big 8-bed dorm, nicknamed "The Tree House", in the Pembridge Hotel, a Bayswater Backpackers. Those were THE most formative months in my life in more ways than one. Sara became my best friend and perfect travel buddy. Our 5 years of adventures took us hitch-hiking around Europe and the Canary islands, to Morocco, the USA, Oceania and Jamaica. In the 21st century, Sara became a mom, a gifted writer/poet/journalist. Although we have drifted apart for a while, we remain in touch to this day.

Here, you can see Sara trying to get us a lift (a "ride" means something entirely different in this part of the world.), somewhere on our way to the northest tip of Scotland.
Since the cars were few and far between, I started to sing while my thumb was out: “I can’t get no lift to Thurso....and I try and I try...” (Sang to the tune of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones.)

This photo was taken with my 1940-something Agfa 120 camera.