I finally boarded my lonely flight and as usual, was put into business class. As a non-revenue passenger, I was not allowed to travel First Class over the water, but I had no complaints, especially since International Business Class was the same as Domestic First Class. Flying to Europe always takes place in such a way that I’d lose a whole night’s sleep, so I’d always try to eat, then sleep as much as possible on the flight. However, I was seated next to a young man who was the band manager for Fleetwood Mac (yet, another Forrest Gump moment).
The young man’s name was Jason, and he was business-minded and very talkative. His ultimate destination was Amsterdam, where he planned to meet up with his fiancée. She was one of Europe’s top models (don’t remember her name), and they had been engaged for over a year. They had planned to get married as soon as he got in to town. He was too excited to sleep, so I obliged him by chatting.
He then talked on and on about the band, and where they had toured, etc. We talked for the entire flight. At one point he wanted to know what I was doing, and I told him about the trade mission. I also mentioned that it was my 3rd son’s birthday. He was turning 17. How I missed being with him on this day! I also mentioned how he had a set of drums and was taking lessons. Without another word, Jason produced 5, 8” x 11” Glossies of Mac Fleetwood. They had been autographed by Mac, but Jason added: “To Joe. Happy Birthday.” It was just the beginning of the trip, but I was wishing it were the end already so I could rush these to him, and give him a great big kiss!!! Oh well, it would be a nice surprise for him when we got home.
As I was explaining to Jason what I was going to do in Eastern Europe, a great sense of purpose came over me as I spoke. I had felt this ever since I had uttered the words: “I want to go to Poland!” This was a pilgrimage, or quest. In my mind I was on this mission to help tear down the Berlin Wall, and bring in Western Investors to help stabilize the Eastern European economy in order to make the world safe for democracy. I knew this was why I was on this trade mission. I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish this, but I knew exactly how important this was – to me – and to the people we would be meeting.
The flight was over before I knew it, and before I got to sleep. Jason and I were sad to say good-bye, because we had become good friends on that 7-hour flight. We knew almost everything about each other, and we knew we would never see each other again. But we did ultimately part. I stepped out of the plane in the awful realization that I had no idea where I was going, except that it was suppose to be on Pan Am’s flight to Berlin – wherever that was.
Finding my way through Customs, the maze of concourses, escalators, and gates was no easy feat in my exhausted physical state. However, since Frankfurt was still an occupied country (occupied by the Allied forces from WWII), I was not required to stand in a long customs lines, but was waived on through when I flashed my American Passport. Germans along with other Europeans, were stuck standing in lines to get into their own country.
I was able to get direction to my flight because the Pan Am ground personnel spoke great English and more than made up for my poor Swiss-German. I had attended high school in Zurich Switzerland in my Junior year -- the American High School of Zurich -- and picked up some Swiss German – enough to get around, and as it turned out – enough to make my way around Poland (specifically, Gdansk).
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