The first one is the passport I carried to Zimbabwe in 1972. It was issued in Nov 1971, good for five years. I remember flying to Kenya and waiting a week in Nairobi for my work permit to enter Rhodesia. Returning to the States in Dec 1974, I spent a week in the UK, visiting Howard Hall (a friend in Manchester), going to a carols by candlelight in Westminster Cathedral (which, as it happens) is not Westminster Abbey, and forgetting to tell my parents when I would arrive. I landed in Chicago and called their home in Nappanee, Indiana. Collect, of course. Dad, mom, and Denise promptly got in the car and drove to O'Hare Airport to pick me up. we had supper in a diner beside the turnpike on the way home.
Two years after mine, Lois got her passport (also good for five years) to travel to Europe in 1973. She spent a year in Zaandam, Holland as a Menno Trainee, and visited Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, and other countries in Europe during that year. She also used it three years later to do her SST in Belize. Her passport picture shows Lois as I first met her. A good likeness!
We've travelled a lot since then, coming up on our 41st anniversary. But here's what we looked like when our journey together began, so many years ago.
2 comments:
I didn't recall those details of your travels home. Did you belatedly find out that Westminster Cathedral was not Westminster Abbey? Or did you know in advance?
As for forgetting to tell Mother & Daddy your return arrival...um, no comment.
Given all the travels you and Lois did individually, and during your early years, and then together--no wonder your boys have a bit of a travel bug themselves.
I figured out Westminster as I sat in the cathedral for the carol concert. It was good, but it wasn't the Abbey. I thought that someone at missions office had told Mom and Dad. Of course, this is long before the days of text messages or emails or cell phones ... a collect call did the trick. Mother's first cousin lived in Chicago, and Mom and Dad called them, so they came over to keep me company. A pleasant couple, but this 24-year old young man would have enjoyed just exploring O'Hare until my family came.
V and N have travelled more than Lois and I did already. But when I realise how little we knew of what we were doing, I try not to think of what the boys have done.
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