Tony Bilby

Tony Bilby grew up in Europe and Germany.  As a child, he spent much of his time with his grandmother and grandfather, affectionately known as Oma and Opa, who were non-English speaking Germans living in Denzlingen, outside of Freiburg, and Munich. As a proud Bavarian, Tony’s grandfather was known to wear his traditional lederhosen as a young man.  His grandmother, Oma, was from the Black Forest. This varied German background led Tony to speak a hybrid of various dialects, something between High German, Black Forest, and Bavarian.

Spending time with his German grandparents, his German mother, and his American father exposed him to the valuable elements of cultural interaction. By expanding his mind and broadening his horizons, Tony Bilby was able to develop strong communicative abilities, a good foundation for his later career in consultative sales.  Interestingly, if his father hadn’t traveled to Germany as a student and visited his mother’s impoverished ghetto after World War II, he might not even be here today.  Tony’s international background allowed him to travel around the world.  To this day, he has traveled far and wide, from Greece and Turkey, to Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States.  Exploring more of Asia remains on his list of travels to come.

The benefits of travel are well known.  One of the most important lessons taught through travel is perspective and the ability to witness how the majority of the world lives compared to those in modern countries.  Travel can bring a humility and a deep appreciation for life and living itself.  Travel exposes everyone to vastly different cultures, scarcity or abundance of resources, as well as political stability and upheaval. It can demonstrate the universality of love, suffering, human survival under harsh and challenging environments, happiness, and the commonality of the human condition.

Tony Bilby’s favorite trips included traveling through Turkey (Istanbul, Izmir, and Kashmir) with its incredible people, buildings and landscapes. He also enjoyed various islands throughout the Mediterranean.  In Europe, Tony enjoyed the incredible experience making the trip from Gibraltar to Tangiers in the northern tip of Africa.  He was also able to visit Cyprus, off the coast of Israel, which was a life changing and impactful experience.

Today Tony’s travels revolve around business trips for his company, VegaTech Commercial Group. He still takes advantage of the opportunities he has by immersing himself in the culture of the areas he finds himself in. He tries to visit historic sites; castles, palaces, churches, and more.  Tony enjoys eating the food and participating in the culture of the moment.  He fondly remembers spending time in the bazaars of Turkey, listening to the people, and haggling with street vendors.