akkamaan

In March-April1981, before I was graduating my Swedish Forest Engineer education, my class had to make a14 days long international forestry study trip. Part of may class decide to visit Canada. Landed ed in Calgary, the 27th of March, day before my birthday, next 5 days with bus through Banff, north to Hinton and Edmonton. Thursday night the 2nd of April, we ended in Vancouver BC. Friday night the 3rd of April, we all went to see the Vancouver Canucks play the regular final home game against the local rival Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Gretzky was making his 2nd season for Oilers, and Thomas Gradin and Lars Lindgren was Swedes playing in the Canucks. Oilers won that game comfortably with 7-2. Our forestry studies was on hold over that weekend, and on Sunday, we all rented a couple of cars, to make a short day trip into mainland USA. We ended up in Bellingham WA, and for an hour or so we ate a lunch at a Mexican fast food place, Taco Bell or maybe it was Del Taco, I can't recall that name now....Bellingham WA was my very first experience of an US city. Monday Morning we entered the Ferry from Tsawwassen to Nanaimo Vancouver Island. After spending the day in Victoria at the University, we met our hosts for a 5 day school bus journey around the south part of the island. At night we left Victoria, it was getting dark, and when going through the Sooke area, I could see some lights across the sound, and I was in awe about that fact I could see the United States across the water. From the travel map, I learned that the lights was from the city of Port Angeles WA. After Bellingham WA, Port Angeles WA was my second city experience of USA. Honolulu was next weekend to become my 3 US city experience. After "divorcing" my ex 1999, I by a coincident online, I met my current wife Tess. When I started dating her online, I learned she was born in Bellingham WA, and raised in Port Angeles WA. So far this would be enough to make an amazing story, but there is more to come.