Where in the world is Rina SanDiego?

Who did I want to be when I grew up? Hands down, Carmen Sandiego.

Well, apart, from Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy, I was so enamored by the mystery of Ms. Sandiego. She was all over the place, traveling the world, wreaking havoc. I was so empowered by her character and the way she conquered geography, the most sought after challenges as she pulled you right in with her charm and adventures.

I think about how small the world was for me as a child, but when I started to travel solo on my own as an adult, my world grew both smaller and wider- if that makes sense. Here I was in foreign cities with not a compass, but an iPhone (and some applications I downloaded) that I used to help me navigate around and find local treasures. Ah, GPS programs. I bet I use it daily.

There is still so much to discover and learn and stumble upon in the world and the technologies available to each and everyone of us brings us closer to each other as well as our hopes and desires. The world is my video game, simulation, mystery to solve, playground. And I am so grateful to be living in this era, despite being easily traceable with my mobile device— I can’t completely disappear like Ms. Sandiego.

But one day, I’ll meet her down the road, wherever in the world she is.