Oh... And One More Thing Or Two Before The Holidays!

 

Well here we are as the holiday season is kicking off and I'm racing around more than usual because... I started to run behind schedule through no fault of my own and now have to speed walk to keep up with how fast the days are going... leading up to the new year... on top of that I have to report forJury Duty in a few days and that's likely to add a few new ingredients to an already hectic start to the festivities... When the jury thing came in the mail I thought to myself... "This is really bad timing"... but I had to remind myself of something I say to myself quite often... "There is no such thing as the right time... there is only time and how you spend it!"... So again I'll do whatever it takes to make everything work.

I need to back up for a bit to the last segment of "Tying Up Loose Ends" I omitted something on purpose... I don't know why really but I could not find the right words before... I had a wonderful job working with a magnificent colleague and we worked fabulously together and clicked on every level possible.... we even went on a Club Med vacation together once. If you have ever seen the opening scene where they introduce Grace Kelly and her character in the movie "Rear Window"  the script read like this...

What a day I've had. 

- Are you tired? - Not a bit. 

I was all morning in a meeting, 

Then I had to dash to the Waldorf for a quick drink with Madam Dufrene, 

Who's just over from Paris with some spy reports. 

Then l had to go to "21" and have lunch with the Harper's Bazaar people. 

That's when I ordered dinner. 

Then I had two fall showings 20 blocks apart. 

Then I had to have a cocktail with Leland and Slim Hayward. 

We're trying to get his new show. 

Then I had to dash back and change. 

Well that's what my life was like for a few years... it really was the best and most rewarding professional experience outside of the entertainment industry I've ever had... I think the reason it was such a great fit was it incorporated much of the entertainment industry constantly... is the suspense killing you... I produced and choreographed fashion shows for a major fashion magazine.

We really worked our tails off... sometimes to the tune of 12-14 hours a day leading up to these shows and traveling around the country and the world...It was really intense work sometimes... and for me very fulfilling and mostly  it was the satisfaction of working with someone so closely with a bond of mutual trust and respect... Part of what I loved most was having most of November and December and June and July off... we worked like crazy people eight months out of the year and had almost four months off to enjoy life and recharge our batteries... So why did I quit... the truth is I didn't... in a perfect world I would still be doing this... but it was a part of life from a bygone era... these shows were incredibly expensive to produce... the partial list includes... travel, models, music technicians, lights and staging... and on and on and on... and  my colleague and I were earning phenomenal wages & benefits... and as the magazine and fashion industry changed and as retailers and designers did not want to co-op the expense anymore for something that did not always return the investment... From here I went to the wardrobe department of a prime time drama... my entire job was buying the belts, bags, hats, gloves, scarves, stockings, shoes, sunglasses and any other fashion accessory for the woman to wear with their costumes... the exception being jewelry and furs. I was armed with credit cards and shopped the finest stores on Wilshire Blvd. and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills... I worked with personal shoppers in the stores and bought choices for light tests and fittings with the costumes and returned was not used in the show... another job that was a phenomenal  amount of work and sometimes stress...

I left the show when the person I was working directly under retired a couple of years before the show went off the air...

Between Pan Am and the experiences that followed... I learned that nothing lasts forever and you have to keep reinventing yourself and your dreams and go forward. Looking back at everything I've learned to really appreciate the person I became who persisted when things fell apart and showed up with my A-Game and found a new place, even when things didn't go as planned... I had to find a new version of me and new places and experiences to grow and evolve... all of it... the good, bad, laughter and sometimes tears I've realized is worth celebrating... One of the lessons that really took me time to learn was to stop engaging with people and situations that did not bring positive energy and a return for the investment I was putting forth... It really took a lot out of me but sometimes I just had to stop and say to myself... "You are where you are supposed to be... for now... but don't get too comfortable... Better things are coming!"

Probably one of the most important things I have ever learned taking acting workshops was..."Having the presence of mind and focus to react to any circumstance or situation on stage is what makes a great performer"... I realized that it can apply to everyday life as well... and with the stage as in real life... sometimes you have to unlearn what took time and effort to memorize and relearn for the way it's been rewritten and staged... I don't think most people are very good at this... I'm lucky I guess because I learned early you have to learn to adapt and grow with a character and the story... especially in life.

With all of this and that I've written about this year and the previous years... something I've always meant to impart is the importance (at least to me) of privacy... To me privacy is power, what people don't know about they can't interfere with... but you also have to learn the delicate balance of who you can trust with your plans, love life, family issues, income and your next big move... don't give away secrets easily... someone who I once thought I could trust  proved me wrong... there was a lesson learned there too... always trust your intuition and first impressions... they tell you most everything you need to know about someone.... don't ever let anyone talk you out of them by telling you that you are being too sensitive of judgmental... that's where I made my mistake... but I learned the lesson finally.

So here we are nearly two weeks into December and I have not even started baking some of the goodies I like for the holidays...cards have not been sent (usually done the day after Thanksgiving) the house is dolled up minimally... Shopping thankfully is done... but not wrapping... and I've been mulling over how I want to present myself so as not to get picked as a juror... (so far the two things that have failed are hippy-dippy and ultra-conservative) so I'll just show up as myself and hope for the best... but which self?

This is the time of year as I'm preparing things for the holidays season... I like to ask myself... how did I do this year? What can I improve next year?... one of the things I've come up with this year is... When I was younger not fitting in felt like a flaw... now it feels like freedom... someone so dear to me once said to me on a warm summer night in Spain... "You may not be everyones cup of tea... but you are definitely someone else's double shot of tequila!"

So for what is left of December...I hope the season is good to you. I hope it's full of love, laughter and joy. I hope that everything you've wanted will come to you when you need it, and/or are ready for it... Have a wonderful holiday! We have 2024 to look forward to...Oh and one last thing...don't loose the magic of this moment yearning for another...

The choice is yours!

Tying Up Loose Ends

 

First of all I want to start with something I had meant to finish with in the last segment...

Working for Pan Am gave me one of the greatest gifts and has contributed  largely to who I am... I have a sense of the world and the people in it...

In addition it afforded me the luxury of traveling and making new friends I might have never had the chance to meet and having the adventures that have become treasured memories...  One of the greatest lessons I learned on my round the world fling is that your attitude is what can sometimes make the difference between having an ordeal and an adventure... because things don't always go as planned and sometimes there is no Plan B immediately available, so you have to improvise... with the right frame of mind and attitude. When everything ended with Pan Am a lot of people I knew were in limbo between trapezes (some of them still are)... I was not exactly sure what I was going to do either... but I had to jump and let go... it was really scary at times... but I did it alone, I did it broke and I did it sometimes really exhausted and wanting to cry... but I did it and found a new way by starting all over again and writing a new story. I made many mistakes on the way and you can't erase them because otherwise you would loose the wisdom and experience you found because of those mistakes...

So today I'm tying up some of the loose ends from the past to share with you here... because I think I've already shared most of the fun interesting things from my past and starting next month my writing here is going to focus almost exclusively on the present and the future... unless I think of something that is relevant to revisit.

A few people (who know me) have reached out to me via comments or e-mail and asked why I have written about my experiences about this, that and the other thing... and frankly I made a decision not to share every detail of my life because it was either too painful, personal or frankly boring in my opinion... I'm not going to write about people and situations that I hated...

OK so that being said there are are a few things that in my opinion did not have enough substance to them to warrant an entire blog...but... some of the things that I've done that I liked... if not loved doing was... 

I was a life guard...

and not only did it give me a great tan... but I worked with fun people and from that I ended up coaching for the Special Olympics once... and I was a lifeguard at the Los Angeles Olympics  for water events

I've been asked probably a million times why trained athletes would need a paid lifeguard at these events... it's necessary for insurance purposes. Luckily nothing of any consequence happened... and I got paid rather well and had a pass for all the other events when I was not working.

I also worked as a fashion model...

That lead to television commercial work... (this and a daytime drama I was in for a year lead to  being recognized in supermarkets, cabs and my dry cleaner asking for my head shot for his wall of fame)... that lead to stunt double work (that I've discussed previously... and the vocal and music work I still do.

Somewhere in all of this after Pan Am I worked briefly for Calvin Klein...I have nothing nice to say about any of the people or the experiences here... so I'm going to move on to... I had a few other misbegotten career moves... and it was either not a good fit with the profession or people so I think it's all best left unsaid... and that's why I never wrote about some of this previously.

But I did have a rather exciting side gig for several years... I worked as a courier for an auction house and eventually a museum...and transported  valuable art and objects around the world... because many of the things that I carried were valued at over $1,000,000.00 I was required to carry a gun so I was given a permit after training on how to use it. (I'm eternally grateful and lucky that I've never had to use it)... if something was deemed priceless and deemed irreplaceable I had to travel with an armed (undercover) guard and fly on a cargo aircraft... It was better on the upper deck of a 747 because there were windows.. but there is a bathroom and a small galley to keep the food you carried on and decent seats... and usually the cockpit crew came back and visited on long flights.

It was a little nerve racking until you got whatever you were carrying to it's destination... but one of the benefits of this that I remember best was being given an after hours tour of The Louvre and going to the places not open to the public (the basement of The Louvre museum is amazing)

If I had to share my absolute favorite job it would be something that I got paid to do what I loved doing best... When I was on the US Ski Team... I was a member of The Ski Patrol and taught skiing when I was trying to qualify for a spot on the Olympic team... I did not make the cut twice due to a legal issue once (maybe technicality is a better word) and my performance and ranking  the second time... But I've never enjoyed not being a success at something more than I I did  during my brief skiing career.

So I landed on my feet... sometimes I fell down again... you just have to dust your self off and get up and try again... eventually you might hit the jackpot.

So I'm still writing the story of my life with the main character (me) dreaming my dreams and planning my plans and not wasting one minute thinking about what the other story endings could be if I had taken another path. It's important to celebrate not only how far you came but who you have become and who you could have become and fought not to be... One of the things that I've learned going back and thinking about all this and sharing with you is that I learned that the things about myself that I thought were flaws or weaknesses were just me and  who I am... and I like them.

Next time... I'll start a new chapter here with the things and people that are good for you, good to you and good for your soul and who and what I want along for the next part of the journey.

 

I'll start with... Don't allow waiting for anyone or anything to become a habit...Live your dreams and take risks... Life is happening now... Don't look back unless there is something there to help you navigate the road ahead...

See you next time.

Up, Up And Away

 

I hope you enjoyed the recounting of my first round the world adventures in my last four segments here... I thought it only fitting to continue with one more airline blog before moving on. I wrote previously about the aviation industry and gave a brief history  here in Come Fly With Me but I really only scratched the surface and regretted when I wrote it that I did not go into better detail... well here is a chance to right a wrong.

I said in one of the previous entries that the Pan Am round the world experience helped me land a job that I never really wanted.. but like most other things in my life I'm happy that it happened because I was exactly where I was supposed to be even if I didn't think so at the time... let me explain briefly. I grew up in a time that we were lead to believe if we worked hard in school and got good grades and graduated from college that we could have a rewarding professional life and meaningful career... well when I got out of school there were not many lucrative choices with a bachelors degree... sadly the best job I could get with a decent salary and benefits was as a flight attendant... at every turn someone was telling me to go back to school and get a masters degree (that came later)... but for now I landed the trolly dolly job that actually required a four year college degree and proficiency at a second language.

I'll try not to repeat too much of what I outlined in the other entry... Before the internet  airlines would run newspaper ads recruiting stewardesses for interviews in major cites served by the airline. By the time I was job searching... you mailed a letter to the carrier asking for a preliminary employment application that you completed by outlining your education, and employment history with three recommendations and two photographs, one head shot  and a full body shot. Luckily for me I had some inside scoop on the process and what the company was looking for. The photograph was to show that you were attractive (but not too attractive just at or slightly below Hollywood standards) with straight white teeth and a clear complexion... and that your height and weight are in proportion. If memory serves a letter arrived a few weeks later that detailed a date and time for an initial interview; you selected a first and second choice and mailed it back and a confirmation letter arrived in about a week with details about the upcoming interview. My interview took place in the companies offices at the Los Angeles International Airport.

I was told by someone with the airline to cut my hair so it did not go past my collar and cut my sideburns to mid ear or shorter. (I didn't have a mustache... they could not extend past your lips) So with my new clean-cut look and a navy blue suit and sky blue shirt and contrasting neck tie (I actually looked like a flight attendant) as I was told this would garner some points. I had a small coaching session before the interview with a flight attendant with the airline. Men in the position were a relatively new phenomenon and I learned they were specifically looking for men to fill several positions at about six bases... I was told to act cool, calm and friendly and to keep that  in mind at all times during the interview process... in addition good eye contact (but not serial killer eye contact) and excellent posture and deportment while sitting, standing, and walking... they were all noted. As was a well modulated voice (luckily I had years of vocal training at this point)

So the morning after a good nights sleep... Off I went to my scheduled appointment  At Los Angeles International Airport with instructions of where to go and who my meeting was scheduled with. 

The first interview was in a large conference room with about 60 or so other people... there was an hour introduction detailing the airlines history, the job outline and requirements and then we each had to stand and introduce our self briefly and explain why we wanted to work for the airline ( I had been briefed on this part in detail.. and was warned not to come off as arrogant, or overly intelligent)... so I  said I had just graduated college the year before and felt the airline and experiences it offered would round out my education while I figured out my life goals  and whether or not I should enroll in a post-graduate program.

We were then broken down into six groups of 10 people and we interacted with the other people in our group and talked more about ourselves while a representative took notes... this concluded the first interview (or so we were lead to believe) we were told thank you for our interest and we would be hearing form the airline by mail in the next week to 10 days... but about six of us were told very discretely to report back after a lunch break at 1:00 pm to continue and not to tell anyone else that we had been hand selected. So after lunch six of us were left ( I was told by my friend with the airline the morning weeded out anyone overweight or not deemed attractive enough by the company)... the afternoon was  several  different group discussions (I think briefly discussing the Round the World Flight 1 experience got a lot of points because I noticed some frenzied note taking while I talked)... and some tests designed to weed out anyone crazy, lazy or too hight strung... When we finally were released that day we were thanked again and said we would be hearing from the airline one way or another about our continued evaluation for the job.

A week later a letter arrived with instructions on how to list for a non-revenue flight to New York to meet at company headquarters for the final interview

... that consisted of drug and alcohol  testing as well as employment paperwork and the schedule for a four week training program that started in a month. Of the six people that I initially interviewed with only two of us made it this far and unfortunately she failed the drug test and was released a week after the final interview.

A letter arrived for me with another travel voucher and what I needed to bring with me for training and that we would be assigned our home base at training and would not be returning back to where we were now and to make all necessary arrangements... it was really the first time all this started to sink in for me... I was starting a new chapter of a new life with new people... or so I thought.

I gave notice on my apartment in West Los Angeles and shipped most of my worldly possessions Including my car back to Hawaii. Most of my friends were not entirely enthusiastic about my career choice but a few who were  said what a great experience and  wished they were coming with me... and so I packed my bags and headed for training in Miami...

I wore my interview suit for the flight and was delighted that they put me in First Class (it was relatively empty) and the flight crew knew where I was going and gave me some insight and pointers... Eventually finding my way to the Miami Airways Motel in Miami Springs Florida, my new home for the next  month...There were about 200 people at the training facility with new classes starting each week... we were told from the start there was a six month probationary period for full-time employment and that a final test at the end of the course sealed your fate... if you didn't pass... you were out... So all of us took it seriously and had courses and lectures starting early in the morning and finishing about 3:00 in the afternoon. We usually spent the time studying at the swimming pool and socializing.The same pool we learned all the water safety landing  procedures...

The classes consisted of classroom lectures, grooming instructions and simulated hands on learning experience...

I could spend a month writing about what was covered so I'l summarize with...Pre-flight, In-Flight and Pre-Landing and disembarking announcements...In-Flight Service Standards ranging from the proper way to serve and clear meals and beverages and timing, knowledge of wine pairings and proper tables cloth and napkin folds and presentation (I still use the napkin fold when I have a dinner party)

Knowledge of meal and beverage service based on flight length and class guidelines... Service included.

• Breakfast
• Brunch
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Nighttime Dinner (abbreviated dinner service)
• Lighter Side (First Class customs who prefer an alternative to the 7 course service)
• Second Service (an additional meal offered on long flights)
• Snacks
• Tidbits (Clipper and First Class snacks served with beverage service)
• Chefs Selection (An alternate entree created by local chefs  for First Class)
• World Class Cuisine (Distinctive menus for World Pass members ordered at least 24 hours prior to departure)
• Standby Meals (Additional meals added to flights just prior to departure)

On Long Haul Flights in First Class there was a Caviar and Hors D'Oeurve cart, a Salad. Bread and Wine cart, a Roast Beef Carving cart, a Cheese, Fruit and Wine cart, a Dessert, Coffee and Liqueur cart, a Second Service Coffee cart... also in First a Continental Breakfast cart, and Afternoon Snack cart, Afternoon Tea Service cart,

I could go on and on but I'll just add there were procedures to follow for offering hot and cold towels, serving and carving roast beef, soup, pasta... in addition to the cooking times for the varied foods as well guidelines for In-Flight Entertainment and Duty Free Service.

But the main function of the cabin crew is safety so...

We learned Standard Safety Practices that included...

Pre-Flight Safety Briefings and performance of the Safety Demonstration, Cockpit procedures, Smoking Regulations (it was a long time ago), Seating, Jump Seats, Cabin Coverage,Passengers with special needs, Oxygen Bottles, suspected food poisoning, Health Regulations, Airline Marketing Programs including In-Flight Surveys... and Non-Routine Operations that covered Charter Flights, Diversions, City Evacuations, Delays, Cancellations and Misconnects and Inoperative Equipment that covered everything from the entire aircraft to doors, slide, lights, heat and air conditioning and jump seats and passenger seating.

Then there is how to handle passengers ranging from wheelchairs, stretchers, pets, unaccompanied minors, adults with infants, passengers in transit with out a visa, deportees, couriers, military personnel, non-revenue passengers, tour groups, travel agents, inaugural flight guests... Then there are VIP's... that range from frequent flyers, well known personalties, and high ranking government officials... then there are titled passengers... From King & Queen  all the way through religious officials and clergy (I don't think this is an issue anymore... but it was then)

Then you learn how to handle problems ranging from displeased passengers, abusive passengers, illegal activity, passenger intoxication, Voluntary upgrade, involuntary downgrade, cockpit pass holders, meal shortages, spoiled food, damaged or soiled clothing.

Now we move on to First Aid and Medical Issues from suspected infectious disease, report of passenger illness... all the way from childbirth, heart attack and stroke and everything in-between of any life threatening situations of shock, burns , heavy bleeding... up to death.

A great deal of time is spent learning about and dealing with an Emergency...

• Loss of cabin pressure
• Turbulence
• Oxygen masks and oxygen deficiency 
• Evacuations (on land or water)
• Life vests and rafts (possible punctured slides)
• Smoke in cabin
• Fire
• Blocked exits
• Bomb threats and procedures (on the ground and in-flight)
• Incidence of aircraft accident

There are procedures for the pre and post-flight paperwork, customs, uniform maintenance, per diem, check cashing... but the big thing before computers was bidding for your flights... It was kind of a drama... I'm not going to go into too much detail, but you got a packet once a month at your base to bid for your flight schedule for the next month... it depended where you were based, and your seniority.

The final week of training we got our uniforms and were encouraged to wear them and a set of silver wings...

We learned what our home base would be (someone whispered something in my ear during the final interview and that's why I put everything I owned on the boat to Honolulu) HNL was my base until Pan Am sold the western routes from Hawaii to Asia and the South Pacific and Australia (my flights during my tenure up to this point)  to United Airlines and the base closed. We graduated with about 30 in our class I was one of 9 men.

Everything you learned in training (and more) was documented in the In-Flight Service Handbook... that you had to take on every flight and were responsible for keeping up to date during and time off or leave of absence...

After our 6 month probationary period was over we were given gold wings... I still have them!

After the Honolulu base closed I was based briefly in London at Heathrow...

I learned a long time ago that change offers a chance to sometimes start over with a new place with new people and experiences... all in all for something I was really never interested in doing... I did it quite well and became and In-Flight Purser and saw the world and made some life long memories and friends... I learned to see the world from a new angle... in the air and on the ground...

Pan Am was having severe financial issues and was desperate to try to reorganize their operations and offered many of the senior employees an early-out package for early retirement to try to cut down higher payroll and expenses with new employees...

From the moment we started training we were told we were elite members of one of the best teams in the world..and we were...they were generous with unpaid leaves of absence so I could pursue other things... and when it ended I looked at it as a chance to pursue a new beginning... I started by moving to the Caribbean and staying with friends and teaching scuba diving and bartending... eventually I went back to graduate school  and have been having new beginnings and happy landings ever since. I took so much with me in terms of knowledge, skills and experience that I'm forever grateful for my high flying adventures.

Oh and one more thing... Every time I fly I think about Pan Am... no one now compares... British Air comes close though...

Thanks for reading... see you next time!

Around The World- The Last Five Legs

 

First of all before we start I just want to thank everyone for reading... especially the readers who joined me on 8, September 2015 for my first of many entries... and the rest of you who found me somewhere along the way... If you have not read some of the past entries I hope you will take a look at the archives when you have a chance.

I realized when I started outlining this "Round The World" itinerary that I could have devoted an entire blog to each city and experience...in the interest of time and length I'm going to be recapping this part of the voyage a bit more concisely. 

As I said before... none of us wanted to leave Beirut... and we got our wish for an extra day because of mechanical problems with the aircraft... when we finally left we flew on to Istanbul on the relatively short 2 hour flight to the then Istanbul Ataturk Airport (ISL) now Istanbul International Airport...and proceeded to Customs and Immigration with our Passports and Visas. 

This is a part of the trip that I was highly enthusiastic  about... It was at a time before it was built up to how it is now... The Bosphorus Bridge was not even built and you had to take a ferry to get around... I found this very exciting... truth be told the bridge makes getting around much easier..

It took us about ninety minutes to get the the Bosphorus Hilton... it was not this fancy when we were guests there... the building behind the now grand entrance is largely the same...

You may have noticed a slight pattern in our accommodations up to this point... Juan Trippe the founder of Pan Am was the founder of The Intercontinental Hotel Group in 1946... he built wonderful resort hotels in Pan Am base cities (the one in Istanbul was not open during this trip)... in1998 Intercontinental became part of UK Intercontinental Group in 2003 it became IHG and they still operate about 200 glorious luxury hotels.

Back to the trip... I fantasized about buying a rug, spices and other equally exotic and dazzling things I saw in the markets and bazaars... suffice to say I bought a woven leather bag and a straw hat... (I did get the rug on a subsequent visit)

In our two days here...in addition to shopping sight seeing and eating... we did take a river cruise tour... I learned on this trip one of the best ways to see a new place is from the water... I still do this whenever it's available.

This is the last YouTube clip... but I feel lucky to have found them to include... it really gives you a feel for what it was actually like..Istanbul 60's You Tube

Onward to Frankfurt (FRA)...on our roughly 3 hour flight... If you've been to the International Airport in Frankfurt... it was in it's infancy stage of being built on our trip... 

Since our stay was short (under 90 days) we did not need a Visa... customs seemed to go much more efficiently  (about 30 minutes)... all of us who started this together became very close (and I noted we kept in touch) a few new people joined us along the way but no one was very interested or inclined to join in our camaraderie... and sadly here is where we said "Auf Wiedersehen" to the honeymooners...Michael and Susan who wanted to spend part of their honeymoon in Paris... and we assured them as much as we hated them to go we understood completely.

I was not prepared to enjoy Frankfurt as much as I did... we had a break in the weather and it was actually quite balmy and pleasant... I actually got to put on a sweater instead of tying it around my shoulders or waist.... The Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt is wonderful and at the time relatively new... (We met up in the bar to plan our 2 days ahead.

We took a one hour boat tour on The Main river...

We shopped a little... but we found our niche when we got to...

We did a food tour of Kleinmarkethalle... and took a cooking lesson... this like the many of the other  food markets around the world needs at least a full day...

Above all else I highly encourage you to have a Frankfurter while you are in Frankfurt... you won't be sorry (I promise)

All of us largely over served ourselves in every way way possible... so the boisterous plans we made for the remaining day... we largely nursed hangovers and indigestion quietly in our rooms... I got may hair shampooed and blown out and a manicure and pedicure at the hotel salon and spa... it was about the peak amount of effort I could put in that day... but I looked fabulous at the airport the next morning.

It was about an hour and a half flight to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR)... I did not get a single baggage tag on this trip... I'm proud to say I hand carried... up to this point... a habit I still continue if I can...

... we were back to Clipper Clubs 

and Pan Am Coaches to wisk us off to...

The Parklane Hotel in Mayfair... almost everyone in our group had already been to London... and I was happy to play tour guide... we did the normal things

 

But the other benefactor who was largely responsible for financing this trip... hosted a small but elegant cocktail party in his home not far from the hotel... it went on until quite late...

The next day we moved out of the hotel and stayed here (our other home away from home) for an extra week... but we did go back to the airport to say Bon Voyage and thank you to everyone who made this trip one of the most memorable of our life.

I'm pretty sure anyone who was lucky enough to have taken this trip will say... "We had the best group and crew ever..." (but we actually did)

We had a blast in London before heading back... New York (JFK) was the last layover... we only spent  a day and a night.

So... I finally had to check a bag from London to New York (back to school shopping)... Customs was easy... we rode in the van with another Flight 1 crew and checked into The Intercontinental Barclay Hotel...

Meanwhile after a two city respite from the heat... we were in The Big Apple during record breaking heat... oppressive feeling is an understatement... but considering where we had been and what we had experienced... I think it's the last time I've ever really complained about the heat and humidity.... meanwhile we did a little shopping mainly because it was air conditioned... and I still had a tiny bit of room in my nearly full new suitcase...

We went to The Sign Of The Dove pre-theatre...

And later to an exuberant nude improve... you guessed it... "Oh Calcutta"...

Back to JFK and about a 6 hour flight to LAX... and back to life as a student at UCLA... I was pretty tight lipped about what I did that summer... I just said... "spent some time with family and friends."

I've really never discussed this trip in this much detail before... I hope you enjoyed it at least half as much as I did relieving it. This trip was the beginning of me understanding that travel and the experiences and memories you accumulate are all part of the best education you can get... that's why I went as far as I could and did as much as possible... one of final things I'll share is someone not part of our group said to me in Bangkok... "if it excites you and scares you a little at the same time... you probably should do it"... I've carried those words with me to this very day! Lastly... this trip was the beginning of me finally starting to discover who I am... sometimes you have to go all the way around the world to find the best answers...

Thanks for reading... Please join me again next month!