Last week we wished bon voyage to our family friends Kate, Sage, Jim and Jenifer Elderkin-Wickline as they prepared for their return to New Zealand. This week we continue our worldly adventures with another local traveler.

Nikki Brooks has spent a large portion of her adult life away from the Boothbay region. Her first trip abroad was to Paris with her father at age 16. It was all she needed. Since then Nikki has visited, traveled through and worked in China, Russia, Chile and Peru. Also, after she finished college she and a friend backpacked through Europe. I believe its fair to say that Nikki enjoys new adventures. She has visited many countries around the world.

In between travels, Nikki does visit home here in Maine where she often helps out with her mom, Lora, at “Heads of the Harbor” on Union Street. That's where I caught up with her during a recent visit to the “aging bald men hair cut special!” I don't have much to work with but what's left gets the royal treatment, which takes all of five minutes. No perms for this old guy.

Now, when Nikki travels, it is generally for work. She has taught English in many of the countries she has visited. Her last job was in China. As she is helping Lora with hair, she is also taking online courses to further her certification so she can teach ESL (English as a Second Language) in international schools. Which means that she could land almost anywhere, but is leaning toward a return to somewhere in South America. She speaks Spanish and has had good experiences in the past there. I think Chile is high on her list.

What struck me when I chatted with Nikki was her sincere interest in new experiences. She told me she really enjoys getting to see other parts of the world, meeting new people and experiencing unknown cultures. I found it quite fascinating actually. She really enjoys the art of new discovery, and she genuinely enjoys her work with children. It is good to know that Nikki, and people like her, can represent our country and help others learn English. It seems there is plenty of interest. I would like to learn English from Nikki.