I let this anniversary go by until Ken reminded me. Forty years ago last Thursday was 2 September 1981. I left New York for my first-ever trip to Paris to spend a school year learning French at the Alliance Française. The transportation was arranged by the college that sponsored the year abroad program. Students from all over the US were on their own to get to the flight, Icelandic Air Flight 204 out of JFK, an overnight flight with a re-fueling stop in Reykjavik, Iceland. The final destination was Luxembourg. Then we took a train to Paris.
The flight cost US $470 round-trip back then. I thought it was a fortune. It was my first international flight, and probably my third or fourth flight ever. I took a train from home (upstate New York) to Grand Central in Manhattan and got a ride to JFK from a friend who lived in Brooklyn. The flight took off after dark and it was an hour or so late. The plane was likely a Douglas DC-8, based on the airline's fleet composition on Wikipedia. Icelandic Air was absorbed into the Icelandair group right around the time of our flight.
This trip was the biggest adventure of my young life up to that point. And, more significantly, when our train arrived at the Gare du Nord in Paris that night forty years ago, we students were met on the platform by the program's resident director, Ken B., who would later become my husband.
Lovely memories. Amazing journey.
ReplyDeleteCongrats with this anniversary, guys!
ReplyDeleteI am not amazed that you kept the boarding pass. I am amazed you could find it. A nice reminisce including when you met Ken. Ken and France went on to become your life. I am given to wonder if adding Paris to Gare du Nord is superfluous. Happy anniversary.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet, a great how did you meet tale
ReplyDeleteOh, what a sweet story! I think this is the first time I've read about how you two met. That flight was magical in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I love this post! Life changing event, but you had no idea at the time. Meeting someone at a train station or airport evokes happy memories. Glad you kept the boarding pass. Smoking allowed even.
ReplyDeleteMy first flight ended in London's Gatwick airport. It was a charter out of Wilmington, Del in 1961. We stopped in Gander, Newfoundland and Shannon, Ireland for fuel.
What a great meeting story! I knew you met in Paris but not the details. My first international flight was from Florida to Australia.
ReplyDeleteWalt,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story! I love these stories about how couples met, often by serendipity. One little thing different and the whole course of your life changed. Isn't amazing at how fast forty years went by? What a wonderful life we've all had.
Ron
That’s amazing! What a wonderful story! How fateful!
ReplyDeleteForty years! I've known you and Ken for 40 years :) But, with a hug gap in there, until I realized that blog photos I had been using for a couple of years for my classes (Chartres windows, of Ken's, and galette des rois photos of yours!) were from blog posts written by you two. That coincidence always blows my mind.
ReplyDeleteThat year, I traveled around Europe for a month, before going back to Paris to start the study abroad experience. My first time traveling abroad, too. I flew direct from NY (Kennedy) into London-- the day that the big air traffic controllers strike began! I took a ferry over to France. What an experience it all was... changed my life, too.
I'm so glad to know you and Ken!
Judy
*huge, not hug LOL
ReplyDeleteA momentous day! I hadn't heard that story. Congratulations to you both.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations the pair of you.... Ruby Anniversary....
ReplyDeleteAlright, it was just a first meeting.... but those are the things that change your life!
Keep on truckin' you two.... keep right on truckin'
What a glorious story! Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeletejane, thank you!
ReplyDeletejan, thanks!
andrew, a place for everything, and everything in its place. Or not. I keep almost everything. It's a little scary.
travel, little did we know...
kiwi, the only memories I have of the actual flight are waiting in the boarding lounge at JFK, and walking around in the gift shop at the Reykjavik airport.
evelyn, smoking was allowed on flights into the 1990s. I remember smoking on several flights to France over the years! I've long since given it up. Smoking, not flying.
bettyann, that must have been a long flight!
ron, no kidding. Time does fly when we're having fun!
lynn, that trip changed the direction of my life in many ways.
judy, I know! Crazy, eh? I do remember that some students, like you, got to Paris on their own and weren't part of the school-arranged flight. But there were a lot of us on that plane!
chris, that surprises me! I always tell people that we met on the platform at the Gare du Nord.
tim, thanks! Truck we will!
michael, :)
chm, and they still aren't here, but this comment is. I must have received a dozen emails yesterday that you left that comment, but it never showed up. I've got no idea what's up.