OSTC March 2022 Member Highlight!
Jenny Sheu
It's time for another Member Highlight! Each month we feature a OSTC member to get to know one another better! Member highlights are nominated and voted on by the OSTC board, then highlighted in that month's newsletter. That member will get the same set of Q&As! Read on for Jenny's answers:
How did you get exposed to travel and adventuring, what brought you to our club?
My first experience with travel was a life changing one for me and my family.
At only 6 years of age, my family and I left Taiwan, my place of birth. I am also of Japanese descent. In my closet is a very pretty doll-sized, pink, chiffon dress with a satin sash that reminds me of that momentous day. In the middle of the night, I left carrying only a small backpack, wearing this very dress. I have very vivid memories of that day, perhaps because of the tensions present. We left all our belonging behind, truly, for a more stable environment. Recently, hearing about the devastation in the Ukraine is heart-breaking. It reminds me of this day.
We moved to Vancouver, Canada, which we loved! It fostered my love of nature, travel and adventure. I could see Whistler Ski resort daily from my parent’s four-story Victorian home! This beautiful, bustling, modern city is a melting pot of ethnicities. It exposed me to many different cultures, festivals and delicious foods!
I am filled with gratitude for my extraordinary family and having had many blessings in my life. They gave me this great passion for travel and adventure. My grandfather was an incredible leader, entrepreneur and built Wen Wu temple, a destination tourism site. My Aunt, who has since passed away at 94 years of age, is a great inspiration to me. She was the first female Dentist in the country. She was an exceptional person with a tremendous passion for travel! She travelled extensively around the world. She told me she went to Russia, at a time when there wasn’t tourism, to see for herself what it was about. She took a taxi to see St. Petersburg! My family imparted to me a curiosity to see the amazing, wondrous things of this world, a thirst for experiences and knowledge.
Becoming a Rehab therapist, impressed upon me - NOT to wait to travel! I have seen many patients who have had strokes, shoulder/ knee surgery and other conditions near retirement. Many times, it left them with the inability to travel or to truly move freely to enjoy the experience. Many patients tell me they regretted not taking the time to travel sooner! So for this reason, every few years – I travel!
What is your favorite OSTC memory?
I actually took up skiing -only three years ago!
My nieces, who were 9 years old, were very impressed when I first went skiing with them on a family trip! They were so impressed their Aunt could ski “sooo” fast!. Basically, it was just a very small ski resort in California overrun with little kids. No, I knew I did not know how to ski. Wanting to learn to ski, I googled and up popped The Orlando Ski Club.
I signed up that month for Crested Butte, Colorado. Spur of the moment! Days before the trip, I had trepidation. What if this was a Harley Davidson biker group - for which I had an image of me joining them in the Jacuzzi? Seriously, I had a fantastic time and made many friends! Everyone in the Club was very friendly to me. There was always people to meet up with at lunch or with whom to ski daily. I took in the majestic scenery around me and counted my blessing each day that I was there! I think my specially was falling rather than skiing then. I don’t know how I bent my ski poles into “C”shapes. On one fall, I did five somersault and possibly cartwheels; wherein, I definitely saw the clouds overhead between my skis! Someone called my falls “yard sale”! I don’t worry about falls. The most important thing is to get right back up. In life, I have learned, it is not what happens to you that matters, so much as your attitude and behavior after that.
Now, my ski instructor says to me, “You are Crushing It, baby”! I ski BLUE and easy BLACK runs pretty confidently. I breath in courage, go to my superstar alias, Heidi Klum and channel Lindsey Vonn and GO FOR IT!!
Where is your favorite place to travel to and if you could create your own trip, what would it be?
I have a passion to see the Ancient Wonders of world. I have travelled to many countries already such as France, England, Peru, Japan and Egypt.
One of the most wondrous things I have ever seen with my eyes is Egypt. There is so much breathtaking art, architecture, history, food and experiences there. One indelible memory I have was sailing the Nile River. For only 20 dollars, I hired a felucca, an ancient wooden sail boat which historically has sailed along the Nile, determining the fortunes of Egypt. The felucca has a history dating back to five thousand years ago. My Nubian guide, wearing his lofty traditional robe took me up and down the Nile on this mesmerizing experience. It was a humbling experience, sailing in an ancient craft, with a man from his ancient tribe, seeing the purple gold lights of the sunset reflecting off the water, while haunting melodies of the call to prayer of the Mosques echoed off the waters. At dusk, there were herders bringing their camels, donkeys and sheep to the edges of the Nile – as in ancient times. My Nubian guide, who barely spoke a word of English, communicated to me effortlessly with his kindness and gestures. He taught me to sail his precious boat calmly through the waters.
Travelling has left me with a thirst to seek more adventure. It leaves me with a sense of wonder, an appreciation for other people’s culture, their way of life and that we are the same humanity.
Hobbies, talents and interests outside of traveling:
Cycling, kayak, tennis, compete in Ballroom dancing, hiking, Played volleyball and ultimate Frisbee.
Enjoy roasting marshmallows in my fire pit. Love dogs, beaches, Cooking. Opera.
Fun fact no one knows about you:
I enjoy mowing the lawn in my Husqvarna riding mower – sometimes in a bikini! Giggles!
