These are the stories and images from the trips that have inspired me over many decades. Most all of these adventures were with my husband Peter although I have included a few notable business trips. Together, we have traveled to about 40 countries.
Our travels mostly began in 1973. We sold everything we owned, except for Peter's 1968 Volkswagon convertible, which we stored with his parents, and fled to Europe after our wedding in June for a summer of adventure. Forgoing wedding gifts, we solicited donations to our travel fund. After meeting Peter's relatives in Germany, we met up with Peter's childhood friend whose family emigrated to the U.S. from Sweden. He had also just married and needed to introduce his American wife to his relatives in Sweden. We met up in Germany, rented a car, and headed to Yugoslavia where we planned on camping for several weeks — traveling through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy before arriving at a park on the Mediterranean in Porec, Yugoslavia.
We have visited some countries many times, notably Germany, since most of Peter's relatives live there. We love to visit Thailand — five trips so far. We have also been to Paris and its environs, as well as Provence, many times over the years. Peter attended the Paris Air Show several times, and I tried to accompany him when my schedule permitted. We also rented an apartment in Aix-en-Provence for a month in 2013 to immerse ourselves in the French culture.
Our vacations were interspersed with Peter's exotic business trips — including a visit to Beijing in the 1980s before there were any Western hotels. My business travel was mostly in North America with a few trips to Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
