Where It All Started
Trip Start
Unknown
1
7
Trip End
Ongoing
West Hempstead, New York
Wednesday, June 17, 1970
I have many fond memories of growing up in the hamlet of West Hempstead. This is where I spent the first 23 years of my life. It is also where, thanks to my parents, I probably picked up the traveling bug. We enjoyed many a family vacation, the most extensive of which was spending five weeks driving across country. Seeing the Wild West, I knew the urban setting of New York was not all that I would hope for.
Many years later after graduating College with a B.E.E. and never taking a job in that field, an opportunity arose. So, I loaded up the Grand Prix and I headed out for Beverly....no not really...I headed out for Colorado by way of OKC (Oklahoma City).
Why Colorado and how did this strange turn of events happen. Colorado, because as my Mom tells
it " When we took our trip out West, the place you seemed to like the most was Colorado and you said "One day I am going to live in Colorado"". As I was waiting to take my So You Want To Be An Air Traffic Controller exam, there was a question on where you would like to work. I had put New York down (what was I thinking?) and as they reviewed the form, I had an epiphany. If I was going to do this, why not make a big change, so I erased it and put Anywhere in Colorado. I did so without realizing that I had predicted this very thing years ago on a family vacation.
Air Traffic Controller, I thought I might be. What better way to utilize my engineering degree? I passed the entrance exam and then had to go to Oklahoma City and pass a three month program. I remember surprising my parents with I am going to Oklahoma and if I make it, I will be moving to Colorado for the job. With all my worldly possessions in my 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix, I left for Oklahoma on June 27, 1982. I remember the tears in my Mom's eyes as I drove away, truly leaving the nest for the first time. I think it was because she was sad to see me leave, at least that is the story I am going with. What lies in store...read the next entry and find out.
