Connections Beyond Borders, My life of Movement and Momentum!

By Glen Maylone

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Some of my readers know that I’ve been around a little bit — maybe by most people’s standards, a lot.

When I started this blog, I was writing it for me.

For years I lived in the world of long days, early mornings, inbox alarms, and government missions that carried weight. (Not that they always made sense)

When I chose to step away and begin the transition toward retirement — or semi-retirement, however I want to frame it that day — I finally found a little space to breathe.

And in the quiet, the writing started.

I thought maybe I could share a few lessons, help others who are wrestling with life transitions, and reflect honestly on what matters and what doesn’t.

Somewhere along the way, I started telling stories — about what is going on in my life now, what I’ve lived through, and what I think still lies ahead.

Then I noticed something surprising:

People from all over the world were reading it.

Not a lot of people.

But from everywhere.

Germany.

Canada.

Portugal.

India.

Brazil.

A few from the Caribbean and South America.

Even one or two from Pakistan.

And that sparked something in me. (Which can be dangerous.)

Because truth be told, my adult life has been shaped by movement and connection.

Living at the Crossroads of History

In the 1980s, I served as a soldier stationed in Germany.

It was a world living in the shadow of the Cold War.

The Berlin Wall was still a scar on the landscape — a reminder of what fear can build and what war can leave behind.

I witnessed history firsthand: the wall’s collapse in 1989, the tense days leading into Desert Storm, and the complicated human realities that are never captured in textbooks.

I remember that night the wall came down.

The disbelief.

The energy.

People cheering, crying, handing around fragments of concrete as if they were holy relics.

I watched a divided people reunite.

And in that moment, the world felt small, hopeful, and more human than politics ever allow it to be.

The Road Beneath My Boots

I traveled Europe by train, car, and motorcycle — not as a tourist checking boxes, but as someone trying to understand the place.

Twisting alone through the Alps, crossing between East and West, sitting in smoke-filled train cars half-awake and drinking sometimes wonderful, and at times terrible coffee with strangers who became brief friends — those moments taught me more about humanity than any classroom ever could.

Cities became familiar chapters:

• Rotterdam’s cobblestones

• Frankfurt’s skyline

• Paris complicated heartbeat

I saw old and new sit side by side, tradition next to reinvention, history brushing shoulders with modern life.

Those travels were lessons — in resilience, adaptation, humility, and respect.

Beyond Europe

Life later took me not only all over this place we call the United States, but also deeper into Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America.

Mexico’s markets and food.

The turquoise water and complex history of the Caribbean.

The breathtaking ranges, rivers, and cultures of South America — every place offered new perspective.

Traveling by motorcycle or car slowed me down enough to see real life up close.

Even flying in or stepping off a cruise ship long enough to share a meal, explore a town center, or sit at a bar talking with locals has taught me something important.

The thread that ran through all of it was simple:

People everywhere carry the same human stories — hope for family, pride in their culture, sorrow over loss, laughter over shared meals, and dreams for the future.

Different languages.

Different histories.

Same humanity.

Why I Appreciate the Readers From Abroad

To those who stop by from outside the United States — especially Germany, Canada, Portugal, and anywhere else — I want you to know I genuinely appreciate your presence.

It reminds me that borders exist on maps, not in hearts.

And if you’re new here, know this:

your story matters just as much as mine.

This space isn’t meant to be a lecture hall.

It’s meant to be a shared table. (so, bring some beers darn it)!

If something here reminds you of home, or of your own journey, I’d love to hear it.

What Travel Taught Me

A few truths that earned their place in my life through the miles:

Language is a bridge.

Even five shared words can open doors.

Shared experiences build trust.

Meals, laughter, getting lost, finding help — those moments stick.

Respect the local way.

Traditions matter, and humility goes further than charm. (And what we grew up with isn’t always the best or only way.)

Travel with an open mind.

Challenge your assumptions; they’re rarely perfect.

Be a guest, not a critic.

Be an ambassador, not an agent for change.

And above all:

listen. Every stranger is a walking library if you give them space to speak.

Staying Connected

Even decades later, I keep in touch with friends I met in Europe and the Americas.

Technology makes it easier — but shared experience is what built the bridge.

Sometimes those messages are small: “Hey, how are you?” “How are the kids?” “Did you make it back home safely?”

Other times, they stretch long and deep.

Either way, they remind me that home isn’t just a country.

It’s the network of hands that reached out to you when you were far away.

Borders Don’t Define Us

Countries have lines.

Governments maintain them.

Maps display them.

But humanity outgrows them.

Travel — and time — taught me that identity is layered and complicated, and that real connection comes from the stories we choose to share.

Here on this site, I want to keep telling mine — and hearing yours.

To Wherever You Are

Whether you’re reading this from Europe, the islands, the Middle East, the Far East, down under, across the Americas, or right down the road from me — thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for being curious.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Let’s keep building bridges made out of shared stories.

And let’s keep proving, in our own quiet ways, that the world is smaller — and kinder — than the news ever admits.

I wrote this thinking how truly blessed I am!

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