Judy Bearden Love

I graduated from North Texas in 1964 and was hired to come to ABQ to set up Journalism, yearbook, newspaper, etc. for a new high school to open that Fall. Frank was head basketball coach and, eventually, administrator. Having done graduate work at George Washington in D.C. and lots of other places, I finally earned an MA at UNM in 1975.
We married in 1967 and took a 2 1/2 month trip around the world. After working 25 and 27 years, we decided that was enough (in public education that was enough) and decided to travel and volunteer...much more fun. We have visited over 160 countries (our last 4 trips all in Muslin countries) and leave in March to sail around Australia and Tasmania, 37 days, then up to the Komodo Islands. Then 32 African countries, safaris in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, in Nov. '13 in and out of game camps in 4 passenger planes in Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Cuba in June/July '14. To Rome 11/3/14, then sail home on Prinsendam.
We have been greatly blessed.

It is amazing how little I remember.

Actually, about 180... from Albania to Zanzibar and many, many in between. Early on, we decided that travel is what we enjoyed most; so we put it ahead of many other things.. like having a big expensive wedding. Since I was already 23 and far away from good friends, we opted for a honeymoon trip around the world instead. We had real adventures like the ship catching on fire from lightning in the Pearl Sea after Japan and seeeing artillery fire at night from Vietnam. ( It wasn't until many years later that we actually toured Vietnam and Cambodia, then Laos, Nepal ( for hiking in the Lower Anapurnas, flying over Everest was enough) Tibet, Bhutan, etc.)
We've done more than 50 cruises, most adventure types on small ships, like the 4-masted brigantine Star Clipper ( 37 days from Greece to Thailand) through Europe, on the Yangtze both before the High Dam was filled and then after dam was completed, on Mississippi, Amazon, the upper and lower Volga, the Dneiper, to Antarctica, and later this month through all the Great Lakes and their locks from Toronto to Duluth, MN.on the Yorktown, l07 passengers, including speakers. WE are joining al alumni group from Stanford U.
In November we are on safari in Botswana and Zambia, our fourth in Africa, I think, Eastern Kenya, Kenya and Tanzania, South Africa and Tanzania.
We like Africa, mostly because of the animals and antiquities. We managed to go into Libya the year before Gadhaffi was overthrown. We went in with a British group to see ruins at AlKhums and Leptis Magna, far more impressive then those in Tunisia which we had marveled over years before.
We are WWII buffs, so we have all through the South Pacific, from Hawaii to Wake and Midway, Guam Saipan, Tinian, through Solomons, Gilberts, Iwo Jima, as far South as Iron Bottom Sound and Papau New Guinea.
Many of the countries we visited have changed names since then... can we count them twice. Like Ceylon to Sri Lanka or Aden to Yemen? or Burma to Myanmar?
We love Mongolia, having taken the train from Beijing through Mongolia with original intent to go to Lake Baikal in Siberia, largest accumulation of fresh water in the world. From Siberia we came back to Ulanbataar, then flew 450 miles SW into the Gobi Desert and stayed in gers as they prefer to call them instead of yerts. The planes were so small and overcrowded that the younger of us sat on spare tires behind the regular seats.
It sounds terrible, but we are having trouble finding new places to go. In Mar-April '13 we went back to the Amazon, this time stopping in Suriman, formerly French Guiana, to visit the French prisons on Devil's Island. Remember Papillon?

... get adequate sleep. The only rest I get is on beach vacations, when I can sleep uninterrupted in the sun.

I seldom see but a few... the most since the 2006 Reunion ( our 45th?) was at the Davis Ranch party in April. It was wonderful.
Harriett had hosted Sherry, the Margarets, Pat, Sandy, and I for a week end slumber party. Returned from Edom, Harriett planned for us to sample and evaluate 12 red wines. I don't recall anything after about the seventh! But, what fun we did have.
Harriett spent 3 days here in Aug. 14 on her way home from CO. Great fun!

Rafted Colorado, hiking 9 miles into Grand Canyon on the Kaibab Trail, meeting a 28-foot raft with two flex points, spending 9 days on the river, listening to fabulous stories and mysteries as far as Lake Mead.
Cuba in June '14. Leave for Rome on 11/3/14, then 17 days sailing home on Prinsendam, Holland America's only small ship.

I taught Film History for namy years, and I have seen in real life so many places I've seen on the screen.

Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

My husband and I are filming a commercial next week... for an insurance plan for seniors (darn!)
Two weeks ago a crew filmed a commercial for the NM State Fair in our home. It is to be aired starting today 7/15.
Again, this year they used a miniature pig which had appeared with great popularity last year with a gum-Chomping Hispanic gal named Lynette. This year they go to visit Lynette's grandmother ( in our home) The actress plays both parts.
Even though they issue us a 1 million$ insurance policy for liability and damage, they called late the night before assuring us that the pig would be in her darrier except when she was filming. Can't wait to see it.
However, it does both me for them to think my home looks llike someone's grandmother's.
In the TV series "Breaking Bad" the drug kingpin Gus Frink's home was next door to our home. We got paid only for letting them run cables through our side yard.
ABout 30 years or so ago I worked in the film "Convoy", which convinced that night filming around a burning church was no fun.

One is enough.... when you can go anywhere you want and let someone else do the cleaning, upkeep, etc...

Yes

Appreciate my friends a lot more than I did then. I was so fortunate to have grown up with so many of you.

Over 180. just added Burma, Laos, French Guiana, Bhutan, Nepal and Cuba in the last couple of years.
Added Botswana and Zambia ( and back to Zimbabwe) in 2014 on safari, flying in and out of tented camps, as far south in the Okavango Delta. The planes just sort of slow down and you hope you can toss your luggage and climb in. Some days we think we are getting too old for these types of things
Not really a birthday trip, but because we hadn't been there, we just got home from the Polar Ice Cap, cruising from Amsterdam as far North as you can go. We got to 84 degrees N. Pole is at 90 degrees, remember; stopping at two small research station in Svalbard Islands. Yes, Polar bears were roaming around; scientists carry rifles when outdoors.