In Bahia, Brazil, Peuge sits down with Valerea, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran and accountant turned full-time world traveler who has visited over 50 countries across six continents and is already planning her seventh. From Turkey at age 11 to Christ the Redeemer at nearly 71 with a replaced knee, Valerea makes one thing clear: travel is a decision, not a circumstance.
Valerea has been to over 50 countries across six continents and she is just getting started. The Dallas-based Air Force veteran started traveling internationally at 11 years old when her father was stationed in Turkey, followed in his footsteps by joining the Air Force herself, and has not stopped moving since she retired after 35 years of government service. In Salvador, Brazil for a group trip, she sits down with Peuge to talk about what draws her back to places rooted in African heritage, why she came back to Brazil a second time, and what she tells people who think travel is not for them. Next stop: Australia. After that, Antarctica.