This blog has sprouted from the seeds of travel planted in my heart and soul by my natural wanderlust. Seeds that were later cultivated in stories by author Delia Goetz. The first word I ever spoke, outside of mama or dada, was ‘gone’. As a child of four and five years old I would wander off in the neighborhood. My parents called it “running off” and it was something I wasn’t supposed to do. I did it anyway, it was adventurous and fun. I remember sitting on the curb several blocks from home, five years old with such a feeling of achievement. I had run off and I was sure no one knew I was missing – and best of all…I had gone to the neighborhood store and charged a pack of gum. I had charged this to my parents’ account. I could sit on that curb unsupervised and chew every piece. Oh, how I loved the freedom of the journey even then. Sadly, that same year we moved out from town. Bragging on myself for not running off anymore I would quickly lament “because there’s no place to go.”
In 1964, Delia Goetz introduced the nine-year-old me to the world. Her 4th Grade textbook, ‘At Home Around the World’ opened a world of foreign countries, foreign children, foreign languages, and foreign cultures. With her ‘At Home in the- Mountains of Ecuador, A River in India, A Ranch in Argentina …’ through nine geographically diverse places she helped me to discover our differences and our likenesses. She introduced me to the challenges of land reclamation in The Netherlands and to the challenges of reforestation in Norway. I fell in love with the people and places of our world and ever since I have been discovering places near and far as part of this beautiful journey she unfolded for me. While I must declare a physical address for the privilege to vote and to drive and I must declare a physical address for my passport, I do consider this planet my home. So, you may find me packing to go home, or you may find me gone but you will never find me homesick. In this space, I hope to share my own stories of travel and journeys, my own Reflections of Place.
Delia Goetz wrote ‘At Home Around the World’- 4th Grade Level textbook published by Ginn & Company. This book was one in a series of books published by Ginn & Company -‘Lands and Peoples of the World’, which included multiple volumes for grades 4-7. This series was originally printed in 1958 with reprints in 1961. Ginn & Company at that time was in Boston, MA and is no longer in business. The publishing imprint for Ginn & Company belongs to Pearson Education a publisher based in the UK. Delia Goetz 1896-1996 is known for her work as an author of children’s books. She taught school both domestically and internationally. Later in her career she worked for the US government as an educational specialist.
Copyright © 2017- Molly Cox
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