I have a confession. Although my posts for OIC Moments suggest I’m a solo traveler, that’s not the whole story. Truth is, I never travel without a guide. To some, he’s just a “travel mascot.” To me he’s much more, a travel buddy who helps me see the world differently.

Gnome on the Range

Seeing the world with a travel mascot is nothing new, of course. In the 1980s, an Australian man decided that his neighbors’ garden gnome needed to get out more. Photos he sent back anonymously featured the gnome at famous landmarks.

Cue the surge in gnome-nabbings, elfin escapades, and photographic tomfoolery. Petite plaster pilgrims began popping up around the planet. Gnomes roamed to every continent, even Antarctica.

The World Is Flat Stanley’s

Then there’s the “Flat Stanley” phenomenon. What began in the 1960s as a dad’s whimsical bedtime story for his sons grew into a worldwide literacy project.

Kids send forth a paper cutout of Flat Stanley to discover fascinating places and people around the world. Today’s tech-savvy students can even launch a digital Stanley via smartphone. Students then collect photos and write about Stanley’s adventures.

Best in Travel Show

You know him from John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley: In Search of America, the 1961 memoir that inspired millions of readers to see the world differently. Here’s how Steinbeck introduced his travel buddy:

“He was born in Bercy on the outskirts of Paris and trained in France, and while he knows a little Poodle-English, he responds quickly only to commands in French. Otherwise he has to translate, and that slows him down.”

From Portland to Every Land

I first met Bedford while I was, uh, conducting a thorough study of American cultural artifacts at a Goodwill in Portland, Oregon. There among relics that, in technical terms, included bric-a-brac, knickknacks, and whatchamacallits, I found a diminutive cloth canine lying face down.

Concerned that this downward facing dog might remain lost amid the archaeological middens, I resolved to secure him a residency.

So I set him upright at eye level, directed his gaze toward the main door, and tilted his head fetchingly. Thus, I reasoned, the very next person to see him would be captivated.

That was 15 years ago. Since then, my Oregonian pal has adopted the name Bedford. Inspired by Bedford Falls in It’s a Wonderful Life, it also honors Bedford’s penchant for tumbling out of bed every morning in his eagerness to begin the day. Funny, I know just how he feels.

Business Travels with Bedford

Initially, Bedford’s travels were limited to business trips. Many a late night editorial slog benefited from his dogged assistance.

He traveled undercover in those days, hidden in the checked luggage. Neither of us breathed a word about his existence to my colleagues lest they raise questions of seriousness.

Which simply wasn’t the case. One, I’m rarely serious. And two, who are you calling a toy?

Bedford, Come Home!

It was on a business trip to Denver that my luggage went missing. But it wasn’t the replaceable business wardrobe that concerned me.

Looking back on it now—as one who’s since embraced her inner Pippi Longstocking—I’m not ashamed to tell you that I was thunderstruck with sadness. Yes, over a little cloth dog.

Several anxious hours later, my luggage resurfaced. Another passenger had mistaken it for his own. It was then that I made a Big Decision: It was time for Bedford to come out of the suitcase.

“A Dog Is a Bond Between Strangers”

So wrote Steinbeck, and it’s proved true of Bedford. This global Citizen Canine has:

I guess there’s just something about spotting a cheery canine character beside you in trains, planes, cafés, and long lines that helps break down social barriers.

Not to be dogmatic, but I believe Bedford has contributed to a pup-surge in pawsitive international relations. He loves all cultures, and understands every language except cynicism.

Oh, I see: If this mini alumnus of Goodwill “University” can graduate into a global goodwill ambassador, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us rovers.

With or without a canine traveling companion, we can see the world differently. It starts when we unleash our natural instincts for warmth and good humor.

Have you ever had a travel mascot or travel buddy? How did this help you see the world differently?

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

$\"A$

“Have pawsport, will travel,” that\u2019s Bedford’s motto.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

To See the World Differently,
\nTake Your Travel Buddy<\/h2>\n
I have a confession. Although my posts for OIC Moments suggest I\u2019m a solo traveler, that\u2019s not the whole story. Truth is, I never travel without a guide. To some, he\u2019s just a \u201ctravel mascot.\u201d To me he\u2019s much more, a travel buddy who helps me see the world differently.<\/p>\n
Bedford, take a bow. And a bow-wow.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Testing the tartan in Scotland . . .
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
$\"A$
. . . and the tea in Turkey.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Gnome on the Range<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Seeing the world with a travel mascot is nothing new, of course. In the 1980s, an Australian man decided that his neighbors\u2019 garden gnome needed to get out more. Photos he sent back anonymously featured the gnome at famous landmarks.<\/p>\n
Cue the surge in gnome-nabbings, elfin escapades, and photographic tomfoolery. Petite plaster pilgrims began popping up around the planet. \u00a0Gnomes roamed to every continent, even Antarctica<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The World Is Flat Stanley\u2019s<\/strong><\/h4>\nThen there\u2019s the \u201cFlat Stanley\u201d phenomenon. What began in the 1960s as a dad\u2019s whimsical bedtime story for his sons grew into a worldwide literacy<\/a> project.<\/p>\n
Kids send forth a paper cutout of Flat Stanley to discover fascinating places and people around the world. Today\u2019s tech-savvy students can even launch a digital Stanley via smartphone. Students then collect photos and write about Stanley\u2019s adventures.<\/p>\n
$\"Travel$
He’s flat, but his world is wide: Flat Stanley at Doonagore Castle, Doolin, Ireland.
\u00a9 Jules Larkin<\/p><\/div>\n
Best in Travel Show<\/strong><\/h4>\n
But the most famous travel mascot of all is Charley.<\/p>\n
You know him from John Steinbeck\u2019s Travels with Charley: In Search of America, <\/em>the 1961 memoir that inspired millions of readers to see the world differently. Here\u2019s how Steinbeck introduced his travel buddy:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was born in Bercy on the outskirts of Paris and trained in France, and while he knows a little Poodle-English, he responds quickly only to commands in French. Otherwise he has to translate, and that slows him down.\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Bedford drops subtle hints that he’s itching to travel.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
From Portland to Every Land<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Which brings us to my own travel buddy.<\/p>\n
I first met Bedford while I was, uh, conducting a thorough study of American cultural artifacts at a Goodwill<\/a>\u00a0in Portland, Oregon.\u00a0 There among relics that, in technical terms, included bric-a-brac, knickknacks<\/em>, and whatchamacallits<\/em>, I found a diminutive cloth canine lying face down.<\/p>\n
Concerned that this downward facing dog might remain lost amid the archaeological middens, I resolved to secure him a residency.<\/p>\n
So I set him upright at eye level, directed his gaze toward the main door, and tilted his head fetchingly. Thus, I reasoned, the very next person to see him would be captivated.<\/p>\n
My good deed done, I walked away. But then I glanced back to check the effect.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Bedford on the Bosporus: A little whimsy can broaden one’s perspective of the world.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
That was 15 years ago. Since then, my Oregonian pal has adopted the name Bedford. Inspired by Bedford Falls in It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>, it also honors Bedford\u2019s penchant for tumbling out of bed every morning in his eagerness to begin the day. Funny, I know just how he feels.<\/p>\n
Business Travels with Bedford<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Initially, Bedford\u2019s travels were limited to business trips. Many a late night editorial slog benefited from his dogged assistance.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
On business trips, Bedford would check my “ruff” drafts.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
He traveled undercover in those days, hidden in the checked luggage.\u00a0Neither of us breathed a word about his existence to my colleagues lest they raise questions of seriousness.<\/p>\n
As in \u201cSeriously<\/em>? You travel with a little toy dog<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n
Which simply wasn’t the case. One, I’m rarely serious. And two, who are you calling a\u00a0toy<\/em>?<\/em><\/p>\n
Bedford, Come Home!<\/strong><\/h4>\n
It was on a business trip to Denver that my luggage went missing. But it wasn\u2019t the replaceable business wardrobe that concerned me.<\/p>\n
Looking back on it now\u2014as one who\u2019s since embraced her inner Pippi Longstocking\u2014I\u2019m not ashamed to tell you that I was thunderstruck with sadness. Yes, over a little cloth dog.<\/p>\n
Several anxious hours later, my luggage resurfaced. Another passenger had mistaken it for his own. It was then that I made a Big Decision: It was time for Bedford to come out of the suitcase.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Bedford’s travel style is muttropolitan.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cA Dog Is a Bond Between Strangers\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n
So wrote Steinbeck, and it\u2019s proved true of Bedford. This global Citizen Canine has:<\/p>\n
\n
facilitated delightful conversations with families from Amsterdam to Zagreb<\/li>\n
coaxed smiles out of blas\u00e9 sophisticates, weary waiters, and grouchy bureaucrats<\/li>\n
and inspired many a business traveler to change the subject from marketing platforms to childhood memories.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"A$
Making friends in Ireland.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
I guess there\u2019s just something about spotting a cheery canine character beside you in trains, planes, caf\u00e9s, and long lines that helps break down social barriers.<\/p>\n
Not to be dogmatic, but I believe Bedford has contributed to a pup-surge in pawsitive international relations. He loves all cultures, and understands every language except cynicism.<\/p>\n
As Steinbeck noted of Charley, \u201cThis is a dog of peace and tranquility.\u201d<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Coyly checking the koi pond at the Huntington Botanical Gardens,
San Marino, California.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Oh, I see<\/strong>: If this mini alumnus of Goodwill \u201cUniversity\u201d can graduate into a global goodwill ambassador, maybe there\u2019s hope for the rest of us rovers.<\/p>\n
With or without a canine traveling companion, we can see the world differently. It starts when we unleash our natural instincts for warmth and good humor.<\/p>\n
Have you ever had a travel mascot or travel buddy? How did this help you see the world differently?<\/p>\n
Comment<\/a>\u00a0on the post below,\u00a0or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0<\/em>here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":28597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190,202,227,249],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-travel","category-lessons-life","category-worldwide-mappoints","category-ahamoments-discoveries-creative"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28558"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28558\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28619,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28558\/revisions\/28619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

To See the World Differently, Take Your Travel Buddy

Gnome on the Range

The World Is Flat Stanley’s

Best in Travel Show

From Portland to Every Land

Business Travels with Bedford

Bedford, Come Home!

“A Dog Is a Bond Between Strangers”

To See the World Differently,
Take Your Travel Buddy