“When I was going to high school in Anahuac, the person I really admired was my world history teacher, Mr. Broussard. He made learning about history so much fun.

“He used to have these little sayings like, ‘Now we’re going to slide into Greece.’ Or, ‘It’s time to roam over to Rome.’ Those are some of the things I took with me into my teaching career.

“He was a World War II veteran. He lost his leg in the war, but never talked about it. He was just an engaging teacher, and a really nice man. I never got to tell him how much he impacted my life and my decision to go into history.

“I’ve always loved anything to do with history. It’s probably because there’s so much of it in my family. I’m a fifth-generation Texan. My great-great-great-great-grandfather fought at the Battle of San Jacinto with Sam Houston. Our ancestral history goes back to the ‘Old Three Hundred’ — the original settlers in Texas. Where our family ranch house is located is part of the original Mexican land grant.

“My mother had the wanderlust that I do, wanting to travel and see things. Anything with a historical background, I’m all for it.

“I’ve been to a lot of places in the states. I’ve been to Vicksburg. I’ve been to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. I’ve been to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

“In Europe, I’ve been to the Bastille, which is now just a monument in France. I’ve been to Normandy and done the beaches. That was unbelievable, because I especially love World War II history. I’ve been to Greece, and saw the Acropolis and Parthenon, and Olympia, where the first Olympics were held. I’ve been to Machu Picchu in Peru. There are no words for it, knowing that you’re going up to this ruin that’s hundreds and hundreds of years old. So many other places. And as a teacher, I would use pictures that I took to go along with stories in my classes.

“I just love to travel. With COVID, and other issues in our family, it’s not been possible as much. But I have a bucket list of places I still want to see. One day, I’m going to make it happen. I’m definitely ready to get back out there.”

— Melanie Rayner

Related:

• Retired teacher: ‘It was always about my students’

The post ‘I’ve always loved anything to do with history’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“My husband always worked a full-time job, and I would sit at home with the kids. He would come home from work tired, and I was always tired. It was like this ongoing hamster wheel of a life.

“There was no vacation time. No fun stuff. No savings account. We were barely scraping by. We really wanted to travel. But we realized that sitting still, we would never be able to have money for any type of vacation. Every penny went to the electricity bill, fixing up the house, or something.

“Then one day while he was working for a satellite company in Kentucky, he found an old school bus on the side of the road for $2,300. We moved into it 10 years ago, and we’ve never looked back. We’ve been to 48 states. One of our daughters, who is 8 years old now, was born on the bus.

“Right now we’re traveling with two other families that also have buses. A few years ago, we were in a caravan with eight buses. We went through about 20 states and met so many cool, interesting people.

“It’s just a different lifestyle, where you feel so free. If we were still sitting in one place, there are so many things we never would have seen or experienced. I feel like we found a way out of the rat race. Like a simpler, freer way to live.”

— Jen Mobley

More bus life:
• Converted school buses are called skoolies. The Facebook group, Skoolie Planet, is for those living on a bus or considering buying one to convert into a home on wheels.

• In addition to working odd jobs while on the road, Jen and her husband create and sell tie-dye apparel, soaps, jewelry and other items through Shakedown Soapworks.

• Originally from Maryland, the only states they have not traveled to yet are Vermont and Alaska. “My favorite place is probably Oregon, up there in the Pacific Northwest. You feel like you’re in a Hobbit movie.”

The post School bus travelers: ‘simpler, freer way to live’ appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“My parents got divorced when I was about 4 years old. My dad moved to Northwest Houston, but I got to see him a lot. We’d do the weekend thing, and he came to all my games and events.

“When I got my first house, he’d come around all the time. Wanted to know if I was OK. I’m an only child, so my mom and dad always watched out for me.

“Over time, my dad’s health got really bad. He started having eye problems. They told him he had diabetes. He developed kidney issues, so he went on dialysis. We ended up moving in together, and got some help in taking care of him. His vision kept getting worse until he totally lost his sight. It was very frustrating because he was used to being independent.

“One thing he always enjoyed was traveling. Even after losing his sight, he’d want me to drop him off at the bus station downtown. I’d walk him in and make sure he got assistance. He’d go to Dallas. He’d go to Shreveport. He’d visit my cousins in Tyler. He loved being on the road and going to visit people.

“One Christmas about five years ago, I was thinking about something to do. My dad had always wanted to go to New York City. Southwest Airlines had a special, so I set it up. We went to the Statue of Liberty. We went to Times Square. And we went to hear Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall. He was super surprised. It was a great all-around trip.

“The one trip I regret not taking with him was to Mount Rushmore. He wanted to go but I was working a lot then, and I told myself, ‘You’ve got time.’ But my dad died in July 2020.

“My mom is still alive and well. We have something called date night. We’ll go out to eat, or one of us will cook, or I’ll bring some food. We’ll watch a movie or TV show, then I’ll go home. Mom likes to tell people, ‘I get my son on Tuesdays. No matter what.’

“A lot of people wish they would have spent more time with their parents. After they’re gone, they regret not having changed their schedules to make it happen.

“I’ve kept one of my dad’s voicemails. He’s telling me, ‘Hey, I hope you had a great day.’ And that he loves me. I listen to it every once in a while. It’s nice to hear that voice. It helps keep his memory alive.”

— David Battise

David continues traveling on his own and with friends. “I’ve met a lot of cool people that I’m close with to this day, almost like family. Some people see all my trip photos on Facebook and say, ‘Hey, do you ever work? I want your job.’ I decided that life’s too short. You’re never sure when you’re going to leave this place. So if you want to go somewhere, you need to take the time to do it.”

The post Only son savors time with his parents appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m from Louisiana, north of New Orleans. My husband works in the plants as a crane and forklift operator, welder and whatever else they need him to do.

“He’s been traveling for work for years. When I was still teaching, I would go with him occasionally during the summertime. But since I retired, we’ve traveled together quite a bit. We’ve been to Wyoming, Salt Lake City, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia — just all over. And I’m enjoying it tremendously. While he works, I like to read, people watch, bike ride, and just whatever else I decide to do.

“I was raised in a large family with seven children, and we were all close in age. So I was always around a lot of people. But now, there’s nobody around that I know. So it’s my time now. That’s a very big difference. I have a lot of quiet time to think and do just about anything. Before, you had to kind of go along with the crowd, whether that was brothers and sisters, or 25 kids in the classroom and 50 teachers in the school system. You kind of had to compromise. But now, out here, I don’t have to compromise at all. I can do whatever I want.”

And what is it that you want?
“I don’t really know yet. I’m still looking.”

— Elizabeth Rick

Related:

• Kindergarten teacher dropout enjoys retirement

The post She’s on the road again — and loving it appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Where I grew up in Wisconsin, we used to have these little stores called Ben Franklin. One time, my mom had to go into town to pick up something, and I went with her. When we walked into the store, I saw this little, crappy skateboard. I was 7 or 8 years old, and I had never seen one before. I remember thinking, I want to try that. It cost about $10, and I had enough to buy the thing. I started playing on it between snowfalls. When we moved down here in 1979, I really got into it. I met a kid, and he was skateboarding. He showed me what a real skateboard was. It was all downhill from there. I have a lot of great memories being on a skateboard. I never got very good at it, but I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s just fun. I don’t know how else to explain it.

“I’ve always liked doing stuff outdoors. I’ve done scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking, motocross on two-wheelers and four-wheelers. I’ve never been a stay-inside, video-game kind of guy. Get me outside. Get me in nature. That’s where I’m most comfortable. That’s where I’m happiest.”

— Tony Wo

Tony, 53, travels the sidewalks and streets of Baytown on his electric Boosted board. Using a hand-help remote control, he goes up to 16 miles per hour in intermediate mode. Check out one of his adventures.

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“I’m from West Africa. I was born in Cameroon. I’m here for my education. Back in Africa, I always strived for a higher opportunity. I always seek to acquire knowledge and learn new things. Traveling is another way of learning. It’s a kind of adventure, getting to meet new people and learn a different culture. Education is my treasure, and I value it so much. It’s something that I can take with me everywhere.

“I have a sister and a brother. My mother is dead. But that’s in the past. I look forward to the future because there is nothing you can do about the past. I don’t think about any tough times. I don’t want to focus on something that will make me depressed. I just welcome every day as it comes. I live my life according to the three E’s: empathy, energy and enthusiasm. Overall, I just want to be happy. You need to enjoy this bright and beautiful day. Every second is a new adventure.”

— Constantine, 25

The post Education is his ‘treasure’ and key to his future appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m from Saint Lucia in the West Indies. I’ve traveled within the Caribbean, but never to another big continent before coming here two years ago. I probably wouldn’t have done it by myself, but I have family here. It’s me and my older sister. We came together.

“I was looking for a different experience, a chance to explore the world a little. Somebody told me once that you need to travel in order to have really lived. Because you get to see different things, you hear different things and you meet different people. That’s what I’m trying to do. I have only one life to live, so I’m trying to live it to the fullest that I can.

“I’m 27, but I feel as if I’m 19. Especially when I’m around younger people here at the college, I feel really young as well. I try to take life one step at a time, and I try to enjoy all the experiences. Because you never know what will happen. You see young people with different problems in life, some of them even passing away. So I try to enjoy my life while I’m here.”

— Nadege St. Marie

The post Her goal: make the most of life while she’s here appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“My husband and I are heavy industrial carpenters. We travel for work. We’re kind of like gypsies. We sold our house and got a fifth wheel. Our kids are scattered now, so we have nothing to tie us down. We just decided to travel the country, one job at a time.

“It’s much easier now that we’re not going from motel room to motel room. I don’t have to pack everything every time we go. I just have to take a few things off the wall and put the TV on the bed so it doesn’t fly out the window.

“Being a woman in what’s typically considered a man’s field of work has its challenges. I have to prove myself. I’ve heard the snickering and stuff when I come on the job. But they won’t be laughing at the end of the day because I’m going to hang in there with everyone else. I will push myself.

“There are days I’ve come home, just wore the slap out. But I’m going to keep going. I’m going to prove that I can do the job. I’m not going to give them any reason to doubt me or talk about me behind my back. I’m going to have the necessary tools to do the job. And I’m going to work just as hard as anybody out there.”

— Anne Stewart

Related:

• Painful condition caused her to consider suicide

The post Woman carpenter proves she can do the job appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I started traveling in my 20s. I was just fascinated with it, and I wanted to go overseas. So when an opportunity came up to work as a federal civilian with the Army Corps of Engineers in Kuwait, I jumped at it. I did personnel coordination.

“When that project ended, they asked me to go to Mosul, Iraq, as an executive assistant for the command staff. I did that for four years. After exhaustion set in, I went home, reconnected with friends and traveled. I’m single, and I don’t have any kids. So all my money goes to travel.

“Then, after about six months, I got called again. This time they asked me to go to Afghanistan. I really didn’t want to. But I loved my job, and it was a way to be able to travel more. So I went to Kandahar, and I was there two years.

“I finally had to separate from federal service when my father became ill. That’s why I’m home now. I’m hoping to start a job in Baytown soon, and then start saving again to go on more trips.”

— Sarah White

Related:

• From the cups to the talk, she’s hooked on tea

The post Corps of Engineers jobs support her desire to travel appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“We’re best friends. We spend a lot of time together. Our favorite trip was to New York City. It was just two Texas girls in the big city. We had a really good time. We’ve also taken trips to Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Tennessee. It’s fun to drive, look at the scenery, laugh and have experiences together. One of us will go before the other, so we’re trying to get in as many trips as we can. We’re trying to enjoy life while it’s here. Life is short, so it’s important to live it up now, and to love each other and enjoy each other.”

“We’ve had a lot of tragedy in our lives, a lot of losses with family and friends. That’s why we get out and try to breathe and look and enjoy. Enjoy life while you can. Enjoy your children while you can.”

“And enjoy your parents while you can. My grandma passed away not too long ago. We loved doing things with her, too, while she was here. It was all three of us there for a while. We had such a great time together.”

— Janell Phillips and Jean Thompson

The post Mother, daughter enjoying life together appeared first on The Baytown Project.