It has been quite a challenge for finally working out this incredible East Asia journey to Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taipei...
Yes, after husband Pieter's actual trip on March 20, 1987 till April 10, 1987!
But it meant so much to him and due to his age, I wanted to get this out of the way before anything else!
Archiving things!
Pieter, being a world renown mushroom expert, got chosen for joining a group of 10, to visit Universities and lecturing and making field trips on behalf of the Mushroom Industry.
His employer Campbell Soup did fully cover his expenses.
How much I would have loved to join him but we had absolutely no funds for doing so.
Paying for daughter Liz who studied at the Royal Academy of Arts and Design in Den Bosch, The Netherlands and also paying off the mortgage of our home at a hefty 9% rate for the time. As well as paying off my Ford Escort...
We also opted to fund the biggest part of Mom & Dad's FIRST flight to the USA...
So I did fly in opposite directions, to The Netherlands, when Pieter started his trip with a flight to Seattle, Washington.
This also proved to become our LONGEST time apart as Pieter had to go to Europe for about a week, right after Taipei.
In–between we had Mom & Dad for 3 weeks staying with us in the USA and I did most of the sight seeing with them as Pieter only had the weekends available.
I flew back with Mom & Dad to The Netherlands, as I had to do consulting work in Germany for 2 weeks...
All this while Pieter went to Australia and New Zealand for Campbell Soup.
We did have a very close blissful relationship via phone...
PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
Fostering International Friendship... founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower
CITIZEN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
Advancing International Communication
HONORARY CHAIRMEN
People to People International
At that time it was President Ronald Reagan...
AIR SCHEDULE
People to People Mushroom Production Delegation to East Asia
ACCOMMODATIONS
Bear in mind that at that time we had no digital cameras yet and thus photos are not dated with information from area taken etc.
Due to our very turbulent life style at the time and an upcoming move from Georgia to Pennsylvania we never found the time for exchanging thoughts and viewing together his slides from this mega trip.
Also one box with slides etc. ??? got lost in that move... Making the puzzle only harder.
But last year I managed to scan all available slides and now I also managed to scan some photos that Pieter had developed from his trip.
So in some upcoming posts you will get to see some of his incredible journey.
I also will try to visit some of your blogs...