4 minute read
Let’s Go
GLORIA LANDRY WIGGINS / WORLD TRAVELER
by Olivia Savoie
Gloria Landry Wiggins was born in 1927 and raised in Delcambre, Louisiana. After graduating from high school in 1944, she attended and graduated from SLI (presently the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). There, she met her husband, Pervis Wiggins, just after he returned from serving in World War II. They wed in 1949.
The small-town girl left home for a while, living in Covington, Paradis, and Rayville, Louisiana. After several years passed and four children came onto the scene, she and her husband hoped to return to her hometown.
There, Gloria welcomed a fifth child, taught home economics, and faced the greatest challenge of her life—raising her children alone, after her husband passed away in 1970.
From an early age, Gloria had the itch to travel. But, having a big family and a teaching career kept her firmly planted in Acadiana for many years. That is, until she retired in 1983.
Beginning in her 50s, she began to travel and travel extensively. Even in her 90s, she has yet to slow down altogether. According to Gloria, “I don’t think it is ever too late to travel. Travel as long as you are able.”
Ever since retirement, Gloria has been off to see the world. She started with daytrips to nearby towns, which she enjoyed, saying, “There are so many wonderful places not far from home to travel to.”
She also orchestrated family trips at beach-front condos in both Mississippi and Florida, inviting her children and their family along. Soon, she ventured farther and farther.
“First I went to different states, then on cruises,” she says. Over the years, she has been on about 20 cruises and has visited 44 states—many on multiple occasions in order to visit different sites. She has also found herself in 18 European countries, eight providences of Canada, and numerous islands.
Most often, Gloria traveled with friends. One great travel companion was her friend Grace Guidry, among many others. When asked if she ever dreamed she would possibly visit so many places, Gloria laughs and says, “It just happened! When someone would call and say, ‘Let’s go,’ I was ready.”
Gloria can’t choose a very favorite trip but feels that she especially loved mountain or beach views. She says, “All of my trips were memorable and educational. I particularly loved the Mediterranean and Scandinavian cruises.”
During the Mediterranean cruise, she visited France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, and Portugal. During the Scandinavian Cruise, she visited Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. She says, “I was surprised to go to Russia. I just never thought I’d go.”
Other exceptionally memorable experiences occurred in France. Gloria fell in love with the French people and has returned after her initial visit. When the town of Sunset, Louisiana participated in a sister-city program with a small town in France, she journeyed with some friends from Sunset to enjoy the cultural exchange.
There, they all stayed in the homes of locals, which Gloria loved. “You got to know the people, and they were so good and did so much for us.”
Another time, Gloria headed to France again with a friend from Acadiana who had family in France. Again, she stayed in the homes of French people. Gloria recommends staying with locals whenever you have an opportunity to do so.
Surprisingly, this world-traveler can’t recall a single bad experience abroad. She says, “Everywhere I went, the people were good. I found people all over were very kind.” Gloria believes that traveling taught her one critical lesson: that people everywhere are wonderful— despite pre-conceived notions or what one might hear otherwise. “People are people all over the world,” she says. “Traveling opened up my eyes to different peoples, cultures, and beliefs.”
Gloria finds great joy in sharing her travel tales, reminiscing over photographs, or reviewing a litany of her travels in her life story book, which she completed in 2018 with the help of Raconteur Story Writing Services. Gloria says, “Looking back at my book helps me remember the years I went somewhere and who came with me.”
Gloria is joyful, vibrant, and adventurous as ever. If a small-town girl like her can make it around the globe, anyone courageous and willing can. She advises that everyone get out and “travel as much as you can.”
Acadiana native, Olivia Spallino Savoie, interviews locals in their homes, writes their life stories, and works with her team to create lasting family heirlooms in the form of published life story books. The books Raconteur produce typically range from 50 to 150 pages and contain precious memories from early years to the present day. Olivia loves to walk down memory lane with each storyteller and create a keepsake that will be cherished for generations to come.
