12:49 A.M.
There were many nights where I would drive to St. Pete to pick him up.
We would drive around for hours talking about life in general and his many travels around the world.
He had grown up as a child in Mexico and moved to Florida when he was about 13. His mom died shortly there after from cancer and he bounced from one friend�s house to another, somehow avoiding the horror stories that some kids tell about foster homes.
He graduated high school and ended up with a full-ride scholarship at Eckerd College for international business. He runs his own business now and travels to other countries at LEAST once a month.
He is one man I know who has spent the majority of his life traveling, and relying on the kindness of strangers. He has never had difficulty finding the time to count his blessings. Being in the same room with him is often inspiring.
He takes such beautiful pictures, but paints a more clear picture with his choice of words. His stories always blow me away.
His stories of Mexico were my favorite by far.
He would describe Mexico as such a beautiful country filled with so much to explore.
Endless coastline, beautiful blue waters, and tourist crowded beaches. There was also a side of Mexico he experienced solely because he was a resident.
He would talk of the sure joy of kicking back on a hot summers day and eating REAL MEXICAN FOOD� Now we�re not talking Taco Bell. The food was quality eating and found in the local hole in the wall joints that tourists just didn�t know about.
I remember Krisco said that the only local Mexican restaurant that came close to being genuine was the small restaurant on Highland by the middle school. The same Mexican restaurant that offered dirt cheap tacos on Taco Tuesday�
As I listened to his stories I realized that my travels usually lacked much meaning and were pale in comparison.
I remember one time, I spoke of Canada, I told him how perfect the trip was and how cheep it was. He laughed�
He spoke of a place where you could REALLY feel rich because of the currency exchange rate.
You could get a taxi ride, and end up paying a few THOUSAND pesos.
Yes, a few thousand. (Apparently a couple thousand pesos were equal to just a few American dollars)
"Kelly, You don't have to be rich to travel." He said that it is those trips that you don�t plan that end up being the best. You just pick up and go. You decide what your agenda is only after you have spent some time in the area to discover why it is truly unique and special�
His stories inspired me to travel in my spare time and I am glad I followed his advice.
You only live once�
Live young while you still can. Live and don�t worry so much about what COULD happen. Just make sure that you MAKE something happen.
Live while you are still young, while you are still young enough to be forgiven for your lack of grace. Live while you are young enough to possess grace and still be forgiven by those who are jeallous of you. Don't live Vicariously through others. Go out and experience it for yourself. Don�t take advice from me, just go out and do something, do ANYTHING. JUST DO IT! Someday you will understand.
Once you reach your forties you will be thankful that you lived.
You don�t want to be the one looking back thinking, �damn, I wish I woulda��
I haven't heard from Krisco in well over a year, but someday I will make it to Mexico. This summer I am going to travel even if it�s just for a few days�.
One more month and then, BLAMO!! Chicago, here I come�.
