Reminiscing about my Trip to Europe - 1983
I went to Europe with my sister SusieQ, and our mother in 1983 - talk about a fun trip of a lifetime - I would so love to go back with you guys. If I win the Powerball we are all going - that would be so great!

There are so many stories, some I can share, some I can't.  For instance, when we were planning to go, I was sure I would not have enough money.  In the early 80s I didn't realize you could save money, too funny.  I worked as a temporary Secretary and made around $10 or $12 an hour.  I had my Ford Pinto (the wagon not the blow up car, lol), and I was living with a girlfriend of mine.  We lived on the edge of Hartford, Connecticut on a street called Highland off Farmington Avenue and one street up from Prospect Ave.
 
I don't remember what I was paying for rent. But I moved from that apartment to Huntington Street the edge of the north end of Hartford. I paid $100 a month for that place. I had one room in a 7 or 9 bedroom house with 2 baths and a formal dining room and kitchen that you could use with a comfortable living room and a large color console TV.

It really was a fancy place to store my junk - until I came back from Europe. I had my own apartment back in the late 70s on Forrest Street right next to Hawthorn Street that has the original Hawthorn house that I could see from my apartment. It was pretty cool. I loved that neighborhood - close to Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stow Houses.

So I took on a second job working nights doing secretarial work. I worked for the CT. Lottery commission before the "Postal" event at the Wethersfield office. I also worked at a travel agency and a law firm. The law firm was the best. I could come and go as I liked for my evening hours. I usually worked from 5:30 PM until about 10 PM. I was typing from voice transcribed tapes. I had to type everything they needed done on those tapes. They used those tapes to remind themselves of everything. I learned a lot about the legal profession. They were a company that worked for insurance companies. They were working on lawsuits. So I typed up all their forms, letters, legal documents, etc.

I got friendly with all the people in the law office. One of the lawyers and I used to joke around. They had a bottle of Champagne in their refrigerator. It sat there all the time I worked there before I went to Europe. So asked him what the bottle of Champaign was for. He said sometimes they celebrate events, so they kept a bottle handy.

The last night I worked before going to Europe, they gave me the bottle. That was so cool. This is my favorite drink. I feel that every time I drink, I like to believe I am celebrating something.

And then we got into a very large plane and flew over the Atlantic Ocean headed for Paris, France. First country, first City. We wound up in Brussels instead. The students were picket or something the airport in Paris. We took a hot bus from Brussels to Paris. Which took the rest of the day and we had to be taken to the Airport since that was our original destination. They could not drop us off in Paris. 

I had exchanged some money before we left to Francs which came in handy since we needed cash for cab fare.  I don't think he was happy that I had Francs, since we were American he was expecting dollars.  Sorry.  My mother was surprised, but happy because by the time we got in it was late and it was one less thing to think about.

At the airport they had great information offices and they got us a great hotel on the right bank. I believe it was on Rue Avenue at a hotel with the similar name. Not sure it is still there today. We would go down around the corner and get our afternoon tea. By the time we left they had the tea tray ready for us, which we took to our room and brought back later. They were so friendly and beautiful.

Then we went to so many wonderful sights. The Eiffel town is all that you image it to be. We didn't go up, there was a line. But see it from different locations was really special. We walked down the Champs Elysees in a parade of people and we stopped to enjoy a cafe to watch the parade of people. Another experience worth the memory and feeling.

We walked to Mont Mart, took a tour of the Opera house, walked across this really cool bridge - a lot of bridges, saw the mini-Statue of Liberty and took a drive out to Versailles. We would have wine in the afternoon with cheese. Tried the bread, fruit tarts, chocolate deserts and so much more. Goose liver called pate was one of my favorites and their yogurt was beyond unbelievable. French food is all that they say about it. We went to a little cafe where the writers and artist of the day would hand out, and discuss their ideas. 

After a week in Paris we headed for Germany, Austria, Italy, the French Riviera (olala), Spain, back to Paris and then over the Chanel to London for a week or so. We spent 6 or 7 weeks in Europe. The most amazing thing that happened when I got back was the experience of going to the bank.

For you see for the past 6 or 7 weeks, we had been doing money exchange of travelers checks. My job during the trip became figuring out the exchange rate from US dollars, getting us around within the towns and cities we stayed in. Two of my best skills involving numbers and directions.

So, I figured out the exchange rate. Go to the bank or information centers that cashed our checks for their currency and in those days there was no euro currency as one. Each country had their own currency and far different exchange rates. Paris was 7 francs to 1 us dollar. Germany was 2 marks for every us dollar. Italy was the hardest to figure out it was like 13000 lira to 1 us dollar. England was just the opposite and the only country where the US dollar was lower than the British pound. I believe it was like 1 British pound to 1.60 US dollar. 

So when I walked into the US bank, with my paychecks that I had earned before I left, but had not cashed before I left, I had no clue what to do. In those days they sent the checks to my house, there was no direct deposit to my checking account. So I'm standing at the bank teller window with the check and no idea what to do next. I explained to the teller where I had been and that I was used to exchanging currency. So I have a paycheck, but I don't know what do to next. She was kind enough to explain that I needed to fill out a deposit slip, etc.

It was a cultural shock when I came home. Everything was so different. It's so hard to believe that you can forget your whole way of life in about 7 weeks when you go to other countries. That is exactly what it was like. I didn't go to work the first week I was home. I did line up a job for the next week. I had two paychecks, so I could live for a week until I got my next paycheck. 

I went back to working my day job and my night job, so that I could replenish my savings account, plus it was fun working for the lawyers and it was no problem with my social life - cause I usually got off early on Friday night and I didn't have to work Saturday or Sunday. I partied heartily at places like - 36 Lewis street, The Russian Lady, Brown Thompson and so many other great places. If there was a bar, I partied there - give a should out to Miss Piggy's (wish I could buy it - what fun). I wasn't a big drinker for the most part, but once in a while I have a few more than usual.

Like the time I waited for a date at the Russian Lady. There was this guy who was from New Hampshire who had a hot dog truck in the summer and wintered in New Hampshire. He would make decent money in Hartford on the streets as a hotdog cart entrepreneur and a few of his friends. Then they would head to New Hampshire in the winter, with the wood fires, hunting and fishing. They had the best of both worlds. He introduced me to a liquor called Frangelico (check spelling). Yum. I haven't had it in years. Eventually, my date showed up and I drank some more needless to say I got a little tipsy. Good think Ryan's Deli was in the Civic Center in those days. We went across the street and had breakfast which they served all day long. Breakfast is my favorite food.

Well that's one of the stories I have from my European trip in 1983. I was 27 and hot. The clothes were so radical. I wore a red dress that had a Spanish theme that was so pretty. Red is definitely one of my colors. Then I had an all white shorts outfit that had short sleeves. I had another pair of peddle pushers that were cobalt blue and shiny. I wore all of these with sneakers as they were the shoes of the day for walking. I see that the younger generation today has opted for flip-flops or slippers as "comfortable" shoes.

This has very little to do with Meta Given, but I wanted to expand on a post that I made on Facebook so I am putting it here for the time being.