Nanci Brice

Life's a Journey



"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."  ~St. Augustine

I should have begun this interview with the question, "Where have you NOT travelled to in this remarkable world we live in?" I met with Nanci Brice in her beautifully appointed home that is fashioned in a cool blue. We sat over freshly brewed gourmet coffee and deliciously home-baked lemon pound cake on a sunny and warm Hilton Head afternoon, discussing her many travels abroad. Nanci lost count of how many places she has visited and called me later to remind me of several other locations. She has been to most corners of our planet.

Nanci is warm, effervescent and a beautiful, petite woman. Her lovely, soft Scottish lilt easily identifies her country of origin. She is a great networker with a fascinating background as the assistant to the director for the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. Her tenure included working during the onset of the AIDS epidemic and working closely on the study of cancer treatments. After that, she loved being a docent at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  Her husband is a retired engineer who worked in shipbuilding. They're both from Scotland, and actually grew up in the same town, but didn't officially meet until they saw each other in Canada. The Brices recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

How is it that she left Scotland, you may ask? After WWII, Canada wanted people from Britain because they were part of the Commonwealth, could vote as soon as they got there and, of course, spoke the same language. Nanci's mother had become an invalid when Nanci was three-years-old; therefore, she had to grow up fast. She graduated from high school when she was 15, having entered that level when she was a mere 10-years-old. Her early life had made her strong, so at just 20-years-old she applied for assisted passage to Canada, which was a loan that she paid back within three months. Of course, moving to Canada led her to her husband, her full career and a life of travel.

With an incredible memory for the details of her travels, she reminisces with passion and enthusiasm.  Besides her favorite destination country, France, her most fascinating trip was to China. "The people are so warm and the children's faces so beautiful."  Steeped in ancient history, The Brice's toured China for four weeks. They walked the Great Wall of China, journeyed through fascinating Shanghai, saw the thousands of Terracotta Warriors and were thrilled with the Peking Opera. They thought the Kung Fu school was incredible because children just three-years-old had already started their training. The couple had many, many more experiences that she was able to rattle off the top of her head. She genuinely enjoys recalling their adventures.

Nanci is a student of Lifelong Learning and has an insatiable curiosity for ancient history and human beings. "I love people. As a friend once said to me, 'You've never met a stranger.' I like people because I always find them fascinating." She travels with her husband and says that travel is in her entire family's DNA. Her son lives in England and her daughter has lived in London and Paris. Nanci's siblings live in South Africa and Scotland and she and her husband have many relatives all over the world including Australia and New Zealand.

Nanci's many travels are not of the one-week variety, but are typically experienced in blocks of several weeks during which she and her husband tour numerous locations in relative close proximity. Believing that travel gives one great perspective, Nanci says, "It's given me a better understanding of the world and of people. We're all the same people and we all have similarities. Some are good and some are bad."

A voracious reader, Nanci enjoys books, especially ones written during Victorian times because of the flow of the words. Lately she finds authors from India to be "fantastic." She also likes books on the histories of other countries. "These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves." ~Gilbert Highet (Scottish-American classicist).

Books, travel and communication nourish this world traveler's constant curiosity. The time with her in her home nourished my own wanderlust.
Nanci is planning her next trip to the Netherlands ending in Russia. What a fascinating life.

Up Close:

Greatest indulgence:  Books.  "I have books piled up everywhere, but I keep most of them hidden in cabinets and cupboards."
What inspires her:  "Being with intelligent people - good conversationalists with strong points of view.  That makes for great conversation and discussion."
Everyone should visit:  "Scotland.  But only in July when the sun might shine!"
Best food in the world:  "Of course, Paris, but Lyon is the gastronomic hub of France.  The food there is magnificent."
Best scenery:  Looking down the hills over the River Clyde in Scotland.  "It brings me to tears when I have to leave this beautiful place."
Most romantic place: "The island of Martinique.  Yes, Martinique."