Written by A month ago I wrapped up my work on my latest management assignment, and transitioned from a position that was the most travel intensive I’ve ever held. Ironically, all this business travel came at a time when I was also making numerous vacation trips with the family (visiting Katie in Orlando, taking Andy on a senior trip to Europe, going with Cathy to see our exchange students in Tokyo, etc.), so the airports all fade together at this point.
All told, I made four trips to Japan, three to Taiwan, one to South Korea, one to Singapore, four to Germany, one to Austria, one to Sweden, and one to France. I also visited New York City, New Orleans, Mobile, Atlanta, Orlando, and Las Vegas. This does not include the transfer stops and layovers at Denmark, England, Neatherlands, and Tokyo so many times that Narita feels like a second home to me.
Some highlights were showing Tokyo to Cathy, and Paris to my son Andy. Cathy and I also had fun taking in shows on Broadway and in Las Vegas, and experiencing the last pre-Katrina New Orleans Mardi Gras (including The Preservation Hall Jazz Band). Also, catching up with our exchange students in Japan numerous times really makes them seem like family, and they were always such gracious hosts and tour guides. At one point our student Kishiyo joined me on my return trip to Seattle, to visit with our family again.
Other cool memories were staying in the Imperial Hotel where Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimagio honeymooned, and in Taipei adjacent to Taipei 101, the tallest builidng in the world. I missed Brad Pitt by a day at the Repongi Hyatt in Tokyo , but my collegues who arrived a day earlier caught up with him in the business lounge, as he was promoting the opening of Helen of Troy. I also got upgraded to a super fancy $4000 per night suite (or should I say ‘sweet’) in Taipei -one Nicholas Cage had just stayed in- after they ran out of stadard Business-class rooms.
I managed to vist all the world’s Disney Theme parks in one year, in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, and Tokyo. (before they opened the new one in Hong Kong.)
Here are some of my favorite photos from these journeys..
TOKYO CITY VIEWS:
TOKYO STUDIO GHIBLI
TOKYO DISNEYLAND
SINGAPORE
TAIWAN
GERMANY
FRANCE
DISNEYLAND PARIS
SWEDEN
AUSTRIA
LAS VEGAS
NEW YORK
NEW ORLEANS AND THE GULF COAST
ORLANDO AND DISNEY WORLD
SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA
from your cousin Anne:
What an amazing flurry of experiences!
from your sister, Sharon
Where the hell am I?
Re: from your sister, Sharon
All right Sis… I just added a picture I took while waiting in line for the Big Dipper in Santa Cruz. You are in that one. You also snapped one of my favorites…the one where the rest of us are all standing on the beach….the curse of being the photographer.
Re: from your sister, Sharon
What a guy!
It wears me out to hear about all the places you’ve been, but I’m glad you have so many pictures of your travels. Kudos to you for organizing and sharing them! I hope that by the time my kids have grown I will want to travel that much.
Keep up the great websites and blogs!
Sis