Travel comes with the job for adventurer.

Byline: Been there by The Register-Guard

TRAVELER: Jobs with a summer camp program for the children of U.S. government employees living abroad have taken Grant Blume, 22, of Eugene, to Russia and Italy. He was at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow this summer and at a Navy base in Gaeta, Italy, during the summer of 1999.

The son of Dan and Gail Blume, he graduated from South Eugene's International High School in 1997. He earned bachelor's degrees in business administration and geography at the University of Oregon. He's currently working in Eugene while he tries to find a career that would allow him to travel frequently.

Blume made his first trip outside the United States as a high school freshman serving as a baby sitter for a month for University of Oregon faculty members on a sabbatical in Mexico.

"I lived with them in Mexico and traveled with them and saw the sights," Blume said. "So that kind of sparked my interest in traveling. And then being in the International High School, I got a really good background in the whole world, I guess you could say.

"I ended up going to the University of Oregon and, after my sophomore year, I got in with a program called Camp Adventure. Camp Adventure started at the U of O back in the early '80s but because of Measure 5 - when the U of O cut their leisure studies program - Camp Adventure moved to the University of Northern Iowa. But they still recruit from the UO campus."

The program places American students overseas at U.S. military bases and embassies, working as camp counselors for the American children there, Blume explained.

"It's a really great opportunity," he said. "The program pays for everything: Your plane tickets and your lodging. And they give you a stipend for food and entertainment."

Blume said he was assigned to Italy because he had studied Italian at the University of Oregon. His mother joined him at the end of the summer and they traveled to Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium.

"So that was just really cool to travel with her, because I don't think she ever would have thought that she would be backpacking through Europe like a young person," he said. "But I know she had a really good time. We still talk about it."

When Blume flew home from Italy, he was bumped off a flight. The airline gave him a $600 credit as compensation, and that was the way he paid for his next European trip. He spent two weeks in Ireland, staying in youth hostels.

"I'd really like to go to Cuba," he said when asked where he would like to travel next. "My roommate went to Cuba last year, and now that I've seen Russia post- communism, I'd like to see a place that still has communism in place. I think that would be so interesting."

FAVORITE DESTINATION: "Far and away, it was Ireland," Blume said. "I went there when I was a junior at the U of O, during spring break.

"Serendipitously, it worked out that I arrived on a Thursday night and Friday night was St. Patrick's Day. So I was in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day.

"I went by myself and didn't really know what I was doing, but I made some friends at the hostel and we got up and went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. I had taken a geography class about Ireland before I went, and I remember my professor saying that, I want to say, like a quarter of the entire country of Ireland goes to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day.

"And it's true, because it's just insane there, and you see so many different people. Ireland is actually a pretty diverse place. There are a lot of foreign nationals there. And so just a very diverse crowd, and the parade was wild.

"And then everyone is drinking Guinness all day long. I didn't really see any fights or anything that you would maybe associate with people consuming a lot of alcohol in the United States. Everyone was just really benevolent and friendly and interested that I was an American. And so I just roamed around - I think it was 14 hours that day."

Blume said he spent two weeks traveling around the entire island.

"It was really nice being by myself because after taking that class, there were some really specific things I wanted to see and do there. I researched my family's genealogy in the national archive. I spent two or three days doing that.

"It's amazing there, because you can research down to the plots of land. And so I found out where - I think he's my great-great-great-great, four 'greats' there - grandfather had plots of land in northwestern Ireland, and I actually was able to pinpoint where those were."

FAVORITE WEEKEND DESTINATION: "I really like to explore all the little campgrounds up the McKenzie River, like past Cougar Reservoir," Blume said. "Not really specifically a certain one, but I just like to go up there with some friends and find a spot along the river. And, usually, our group is the only one in the campground. So it's kind of nice just to hike around, and put your feet in the river, and hang out."

MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE: "Probably because I was just in Russia this past summer: I worked as a camp counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and on the weekends the other counselors and I would go travel throughout Russia and explore different places.

"One weekend, we went to this little town called Vladimir," Blume said. "We got in real late and we went to this restaurant that was just a hole in the wall in our hotel and we ordered dinner, which was disgusting.

"The waitress came over and started talking to us, because everyone in Russia likes to practice their English.

"I went up to the bar to get myself a drink, and this huge Russian man who was maybe, like, 45 years old, kind of slapped my back and pushed this shot of cognac (Chechen brandy, actually) in front of me. And he started to talk to me in Russian, because he'd already had a few drinks, I think. I understood nothing, but luckily there was another young guy who came up and started translating.

"Long story short, this Russian man, who ended up being from the War Ministry of the Kremlin, and I became really good friends that night. He was on a buying trip to buy uniforms for the Russian military. And so, I guess, he had a lot of money to blow.

"We ended up drinking $300 worth of cognac - he and I and one of my friends. We just kept toasting to international brotherhood.

"And he kept telling me, through the translator, how the Cold War wasn't anyone's fault - just all this sentiment that was really kind of funny to hear.

"After each shot of Cognac, we had to eat a slice of lemon with the rind on it," Blume said. "The Russian man said that would stop any hangover. But that was not true, and I was so ill the next day.

"It was the most memorable experience that evening, but then probably one of the worst days of my life that next morning."

TRAVEL NIGHTMARE: Blume said the scariest episode occurred while he was traveling with his mother in Italy.

"My mom had never been out of the country and I had spent the whole summer in Italy, and I spoke some Italian so I was pretty accustomed to the area. So I was really responsible for her. I took her around to show her the sights and I would order for us in restaurants.

"We were in Sienna," Blume said, "and we had to catch our train to Florence, and we didn't have much time. In Italy, you buy a little bus ticket at like a convenience store. And then you get on the bus and validate the ticket and ride the bus to the train station. So you never give the driver any fares.

"I'd never seen anyone check the bus tickets and we really didn't have time to get a bus ticket. I told my mom, 'It will be fine. We'll just get on the bus, ride it to the station and get off and go.'

She was really worried that we didn't have tickets. But I was like, 'Naw, I've been doing this all summer. I'm sure it's not going to be a problem.'

"So we get on and two stops later, two inspectors get on. And I thought I was going to throw up, because they lock the doors and they go through and they check everyone's ticket.

"They were older men and pretty intimidating," Blume said. "They pass by us twice, but both times I just pretend that I'm looking for my ticket. And I just said, 'I don't have it' in Italian, and, `Just a minute, please.'

"Then my mom and I got off at the stop for the train station and the inspector got off, too, with us. He told me in Italian that we were going to jail. And I just instantly thought that I was going to be so busted if I had to call my dad and tell him that Mom and I were in jail.

"I said, 'We're tourists. Can you forgive us for this?'

"And he said, 'I write tickets and send tourists to jail as well.'

"I was all flustered and I was shaking and I couldn't talk. I think my mom started crying. I didn't know what to do. He had already written us out a ticket and radioed for a police car.

"I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry. Mi dispiace.' I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sir.' And he finally just looked at me and went, 'Phfft,' (a sound of disgust) and ripped up the ticket and just yelled at us to get out of his country. So then we ran for the train and I think for the rest of the day were just in shock."

ADVICE: "I've read the advice that other people have given for this column, and kind of on the bigger picture - and I think this goes for anyone, if you're going to Club Med or if you're going to backpack through Russia - is to read books on the country that you're going to.

"And not just travel books. Because I feel a lot of young people go backpack through Europe and all they have with them is their tour book. And that has some info, but I think the experience is so much more valuable if you understand the geography of where you are. It just makes it a better experience, I think."

We welcome profile suggestions. If you or someone you know has intriguing travel tales to tell, write Been There, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440; phone Jim Boyd at 338-2363 or [phone], Ext. 2363; or e-mail the nomination to jboyd@guardnet. com. Include the nominee's name and phone number, your name and phone number, and why you think he or she would be interesting to feature.

CAPTION(S):

Grant Blume takes a break while hiking along the coast near Portrush, Ireland. Been there / Grant Blume