The minute the kids were old enough to fend for themselves, Joe and I started exploring the world. When I worked for the schools, summer was the only time I could travel. After many discussions, planning, and plotting, Joe and I would take off for a few weeks at a time. We visited and biked through many countries. Joe kept a world map in his office, posted on a bulletin board that covers most of one wall. He put pins in all the places he and I explored together.
We visited Australia (Ella and Clayton were living there at the time), the Galapagos, Stornoway, Scotland (for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Norge - graves of Joe’s relatives), biking across Europe, tours in South America, a trip to South Africa to meet up with grandson Jordan – who was on his own multi-year global journey, Scandinavia (biking with the Chaum’s), Easter Island, the three Guianas, safaris in Kenya and Tanganyika, and Israel (for visits with our close friends, Florence and Herb Schneider), a cruise around Cuba and many other adventures.
One of the most exciting places we biked in was China. This was back in the ‘80s before there was much western tourism in that area.
There were plenty of trials and tribulations on the trips abroad – getting separated from our traveling friends but finally meeting up with them at the planned stop for the night; flat tires - mostly with Jerry Chaum’s bike; slipping off the bike into a ditch (Benita Chaum); getting lost in France while biking ( Joe and I) and getting help from strangers who spoke little English; biking way past endurance in France while looking for David Chaum’s camping spot; getting tools stolen from my bike. But it was all worth the many joyful memories: biking through magnificent countryside, meeting nice people along the way, dining in interesting places, spending nights in out-of-the-way places – there were so many places that Joe and I would love to have revisited but that was never possible.
