It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are
Stop by their posts and thank them for hosting.
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Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's optional question is:
What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?
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Happy June, Everyone!
I hope all is well with each of you.
I don't remember a time I couldn't read, and I read voraciously while I was growing up.
My parents and other adult family members encouraged me to read,
and they never censored my book choices.
I had free access to all the bookcases in my extended family, and there were many.
One lazy summer afternoon in Charlottetown when I was eight,
I was browsing through my Grandmother MacBeath's bookcase in her living room.
I pulled out a plain black book titled "The Flying Carpet" and opened its cover.
I was expecting magic, genies, and rugs swooping through the air.
The Front Endpapers of The Flying Carpet by Richard Halliburton
Aurora, Colorado, USA
June 2, 2025
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Instead, the endpapers were maps covered with routes,
the front cover's of Europe and North Africa, and the back's of India and Asia.
The flying carpet was not a magical rug. It was a plane!
More specifically it was an open cockpit biplane, a modified Stearman C-3B.
Richard Halliburton (forward) and Moye Stephens (aft) sitting in the Flying Carpet
I was hooked, bitten with wanderlust.
Stephens, an aviation pioneer, shook hands with Halliburton
and agreed to fly him around the world for no pay but with unlimited expenses.
They began their adventure on Christmas Day, 1930,
just three years after Lindbergh flew the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic.
Halliburton's flying trek around the world with Stephens made him a household name.
I avidly followed his 40,000 mile journey, and I vowed that I would travel the world too.
I swore, like him, I'd visit the hidden city of Petra and visit the headhunters of Borneo.
I've slept on a dirt floor in a hut among the headhunters,
but I've haven't made it to Petra ~ yet ~ although I've studied and read
about that magical city carved from rose sandstone throughout my life.
Of course I devoured Halliburton's other books over the years,
and I've followed his footsteps as I traveled the world.
I really, really wanted to follow him into the Blue Grotto of Capri.
I came so close ~ within a few dozen feet,
but high seas prevented me from going inside.
Me, by the Entrance to the Blue Grotto
Capri, Italy
May 21, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I haven't given up on the Blue Grotto either!
I've been gifted with a sense of wonder and wanderlust,
and I hope to visit more of the amazing places Richard Halliburton introduced me to.
Wishing each of you a great IWSG Day,
and a big thank you to our awesome co-hosts.
Have a healthy, happy, and creative June!
Take care!
My next post will be Friday, June 13th 🤞
I love your description of being 'gifted with a sense of wonder'. So very true. My partner has been to Petra and loved it - I hope you can get there too.
ReplyDeleteHi, Sue! My brother and my sister Donnie have been to Petra with their spouses, and so has a niece of mine. They all loved it. I've just got to do it! Have a great day! ❤️
DeleteSo I'm not the only person who finds life changing things among their grandmama's things. I haven't got any books but a few cute things I treasure. That's a really nice picture- your outfit and the place vibe!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday!
Thanks, Rida! It's great that you found something life changing among your Grandmama's things. I learned very young that in spite of their being old, my "ancestors" were very alive. They inspired me in many ways, and they showed me not to worry about aging and that life was rich at any stage. May your life be filled with rich adventures! ❤️🍀
DeleteI've been hooked, bitten with many things, but not wanderlust.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the best place to wander is close to home, Tom. I've roamed through "my" little section of Piney Creek for almost 20 years, and it's never boring. Some of my "friends" are trees that I've nicknamed and visited countless times. Of course, JRR Tolkien impacted me too. 😂❤️. Have a great day!
DeleteWhat a vivid and inspiring memory—it's amazing how one unexpected book from a summer afternoon sparked a lifelong passion for travel, adventure, and discovery
ReplyDeleteThanks, Roentare! I'm forever grateful that I pulled that book out of my grandmother's bookcase! Life has fascinating twists and turns! Hugs to you, my friend! ❤️
DeleteI always love your posts, filled with wonderful info and pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Teresa! I always enjoy writing them and sharing pictures! Have lots of fun today! ❤️
DeleteHe opened your eyes to the world and that's a great thing!
ReplyDeleteYes, Alex, it was a great thing! Thanks for all you do for us! Happy IWSG Day! ❤️
DeleteThat's cool how a book at your grandmother's inspired your love of travel.
ReplyDeleteBooks are wonderful things, Natalie! I wish I could read all the amazing books you've shared on your blog! Enjoy visiting around today! ❤️
DeleteI love reading how this book influenced your life! Keep on traveling and exploring!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! That's my plan! 😂 It's also why I work out hard in the gym on strength, balance, and flexibility. Darn! I thought the gym wouldn't be necessary at this point in my life. What was I thinking! 😂❤️
DeleteI would love those books. I've never read them.
ReplyDeleteThey are fabulous, Diane! Have a great day! ❤️
DeleteI LOVE travel books that take me somewhere new! Definitely one of the genres that have my heart. One day I'll actually get out there like you.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good to see you back, Crystal! I hope you get out there sooner rather than later! Happy IWSG Day! ❤️🍀
DeleteI loved that question and I love your answer even more. You lived that as well as read about it. Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeanie! I love to read about your travel adventures too! Your posts are always interesting! ❤️
DeleteI read a lot of Sahara type travel books as a kid - they were all the rage... and my brothers probably had them first. Those early pioneers had a lot to answer for :)
ReplyDeleteThe Sahara remains a fascinating place. I usually read books first because I was the eldest, although Roy was only 14 months behind me. We still trade books and discuss them. Actually all five of us do. Happy June, Jemina!
DeleteThose open cockpit planes give one exciting ride. My husband was a pilot, so I I've had some great times in some of those early flying carpets!!!!
ReplyDeletehttps://substack.com/home/post/p-164762814
Oh lucky you, Lee! I've never flown in a plane with an open cockpit, but I have flown in bush planes, landing on water on pontoons and on ice on skis and once on a plane belly! Happy creating!
DeleteWhat a great discovery. You're one lucky lady. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna! I've also been gifted with luck. In fact, one of my nicknames is "Lucky Louise." Why I should be so fortunate rather than someone else, I don't know, but I'm grateful. Wishing you a wonderful June!
DeleteLoved this story of how this book inspired you! Petra is a place I would like to see someday too.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to see Petra, Jenni! My brother Roy, my sister Donnie, and my niece Heather have all made it and said it was fabulous. I'll get there!
DeleteHow wonderful to fly away in books.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Books open the world, time, and the universe to us. I can't imagine what I would do without books. Hugs to you, Janie!
DeleteWhat an amazing experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim! Wishing you a happy June!
DeleteAdventures! Continued safe travels to you. Are you like me, where you remember what book you were reading at each of the places your visited?
ReplyDeleteSometimes I remember what I was reading at a certain place and sometimes I don't, Laur. I literally read every day. 😂 Happy adventures and reading to you!
DeleteOf course my power and internet would go down in our neighborhood for much of IWSG Day! 😂 Thanks for all the visits! I'm making the rounds today!
ReplyDeleteI don't know these books, but they sound exciting. My dad wasn't much of a reader, but he had been in younger days and I remember reading two books he which probably sent me off in the direction of a wanderlust. One was, "10,000 Miles North" about a couple who drove an old military vehicle from the tip of South America to the Arctic. The other, "The River Ran East" told the story of a trip from the Andes down the Amazon River. I read them in Jr. High and was hooked.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jeff! Those two books sound awesome! We are definitely both bitten with wanderlust, and I have enjoyed your adventures through your words and photos. Happy summer and travel adventures to you!
DeleteMuch better than a flying rug, not sure better than an actual genie though. Then you could travel anywhere in an instant with one of those lol
ReplyDeleteAllowing you to open your eyes to the world and getting you out there to see it sure made it a great pull off her shelf.
It was a great pull off my grandmother's shelf, Pat! I often wonder what set you off on a path filled with such an unlimited imagination!
DeleteI'm a homebody, but I can appreciate your goals. I'm glad you've been able to go on such adventures.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa! Two of my closest friends in life have been homebodies. They tried a couple of trips and decided there was no place like home. They enjoyed my trips vicariously, and I enjoyed their sense of place and time and the beauty and comfort of their homes. I knew someone in Westport, Newfoundland who survived the torpedo sinking of three ships he was on during WWII in the South Pacific. When he made it home alive to Westport, he swore he would never travel again. The world is stuffed with interesting people. Enjoy a great June at home!
DeleteWow, what a meaningful find!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne! I'll bet we all have something in our lives that inspired a passion.
DeleteHow could I have forgotten Halliburton and the impact he had on me! I, too, read all his books as a kid and dreamed of following in his footsteps. I've not been to many of the places I read about his his books, but I definitely have had the travel bug and have gotten to a lot of places. All those books on backpacking and woodcraft I read as a kid had an impact, too!
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised to learn that you read Richard Halliburton's books, Rebecca! You explore some of the most beautiful places in our world, especially in the southwest. A travel bug is my favorite bug, other bugs not so much! 😂 Happy travels!
DeleteWhat adventures you have had. Now I want to read about Haliburton and his books. Thanks for introducing him and (and your) adventures to me.
ReplyDeleteYou bet, JQ! You've had different adventures from me, and they definitely required courage. I haven't an entrepreneurial bone in my body, so trying to build a blooming business like you did would never happen for me. Here's to the adventures that appeal to us! 🥂
DeleteWell they did not impact my writing per se I remember being very interested "real" stories of aliens and other kind of creatures when I was almost done with Elementary School.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ones that scared me was Mothman which was a fabled creature thatsupposedly haunted West Virginia or something.
I actually created a minor antagonist for a fantasy WIP based on this creature. Calling him Moth-Demon
-Adam
NEKORANDOM.COM
I've been very interested in "real" stories of aliens too, Adam, but creatures like Mothman are too scary for me. I had a series of vivid dreams when I was 15 or 16 about being taken on a spaceship to another planet under a different sun. My rational mind says they were dreams, but my emotions say they were real. It was a bizarre experience. I hope you, wife, and kiddos are doing well!
DeleteLouise, you are the luckiest person on the planet. Look at all those marvelous books and photos and journeys you took via the books' pages. Seriously, what adventures you had through books. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Victoria! There is nothing like curling up with a good book! I still live to travel. All the best with your inspiring book! ❤️
DeleteThank you for sharing these wonderful adventures! I love to travel, and I love how reading can transport you to other places when you're home. I have also always wanted to visit Petra! I hope you make it there someday!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you make it to Petra, too, Jess. And yes, I love how reading can transport you to other places. One of my favorite quotes comes from George RR Martin's "A Dance with Dragons": “‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,’ said Jojen. ‘The man who never reads lives only one.’” Happy reading and traveling!
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