#MyInfluencers
In 1966, my dad took my mom on their first big trip: LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas. It was a big deal. They even rented a new Cadillac to drive the PCH.
Dad told me the stories the other night as we walked in our NJ neighborhood where I grew up and my parents still live. Dad was animated, smiling, recounting the crazy things they did and the penny slot machines my mom played.
At home, he broke out the memorabilia, pictured here, including a fabulous (and perfectly intact) Caesars Palace room service menu. A bottle of coffee was $.50, their “famous strawberry cheesecake” was $1.50, and a petit filet with single lobster tail was $12, wildly expensive for the time.
Watching and listening to them, now 80 and 82, talk and laugh about how much fun they had, it dawned on me – yet again – just how lucky I am. Their shared memories were steeped in love, gratitude, adventure and a sense of real joy.
If an influencer is thought of as a person who builds a reputation for their knowledge on a subject, who inspires and guides other people’s actions, then I've had two extraordinary influencers in my life, long before the internet came along. They’ve sparked a curiosity in me, a desire to travel and learn from people and experiences, and to always appreciate it all.