Backpacking through Europe in 1994

Day 59 • November 4, 1994
Århus, Denmark

My Birthday!!!

Thirty years ago I turned 23 in Ärhus, Denmark, with my dear, life-long friend to this day, Pernille!

Look how young we were Pernille!!!

Pernille and I grew close like a brother and sister in Australia in 1988 and I fell in love with her beautiful spirit the first day we met. We grew especially close during our three-week “Tour Around Australia” with all of our Rotary Exchange Student brothers and sisters in 1989!

It is crazy to think after meeting “Down Under” and celebrating my 17th birthday with her and our other exchange student friends in Grafton, New South Wales, in 1988, I would be almost on the “Top of the World” up in the Scandinavian country of Denmark six years later.

And what is even crazier is I REALLY FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD NOW as I write this story on my 53rd birthday from my home IN KEARNEY, NEBRASKA, surrounded by cornfields and cows as far as the eye can see, SO PEACEFUL!, reliving all of these memories with you while still being connected with Pernille and all my friends in Europe in 2024!

From being a confused 22-year-old kid running away from my tiny hometown of Kearney in the middle of Nebraska (population 25,000 in 1994, surrounded by cornfields and cows as far as the eye could see - ugh, this used to drive me crazy! SO BORING! I thought then), and my terrible mental demons, to feeling truly free and alive as I “conquered” Europe with my camera while Facing and Conquering those internal demons during this 100-day quest, all the way to the feeling I have now in sharing this epic journey of mine with you through my journal and pictures and amazing, mind-blowing technology we take for granted today that DID NOT EVEN EXIST 30 years ago - - - I am so grateful to have you right now sharing this with me!

Thank you for investing your time to be a part of my experience with me by reading my story!

And Thank You Pernille for welcoming me into your home in Denmark in 1994. Thank You for celebrating my 23rd Birthday with me and ensuring it was one I never forgot. Thank You for introducing me to your sister and parents. And Thank You for continuing to be a part of my life today! I know we will see each other again soon!!

My Photographs from today in ÅRHUS, DENMARK

DAY 59 / 11-04-94
ÅRHUS, DENMARK

23! Who would’ve thought that one year ago, when I was at the Backlot, that I’d be celebrating my Birthday in Denmark. Well, now it has happened.

It was one of the calmest I’ve had in the last couple of years. But altogether pretty good. The highlight of the day, without a doubt, was a call from Skratch.

But let me start at the beginning. After waking up at 11, we walked through town. We stopped at a camera store. I am almost out of empty canisters. But they recycle them here, so I had to buy some – damn expensive. At home they’re like 50 cents – here they’re $1.50! I guess it it’s good they recycle but I wish I could’ve gotten a couple more. They recycle everything here. In fact, aluminum cans are illegal, everything is in glass bottles and recycling bins are on almost every corner.

Anyway, we got some Danish pastries that were fantastic. Pernille had class from 2-4, and I went with her and found the library. It was great to read the newspapers and once again know what is going on in the world. That is probably one of the worst things about this trip – being out of touch with current events.

When we got home we prepared dinner – tacos. Two friends came over, one who had lived in Australia.

Then Skratch called. Originally I had called him and left a message with my number. It was so awesome – we talked for 20 minutes. I really can’t wait to get home. He was surprised when I told him I was going to stay in Kearney when I return, at least until he graduates.

Diner was good, albeit a little ironic: Mexican food and French wine in Denmark.

After dinner we drank more wine and Pernille played the piano and we sang songs all night.

I was asleep by midnight, definitely the earliest since my early teenage years.

My Birthday Card from Mom and Dad - although I wouldn’t get it for another few weeks when I got to a friend’s place in Finland.

We’re happy to hear that all is going well and this is a great experience for you. We all miss you and look forward to seeing you at Christmas! Take care, Love Dad & Mom too XXOO
Great news about coming home for Xmas!! We’ll get started checking for you! Made us all happy!!! Am sure you’ll be ready!! Hugs & Kisses & Lots of Love!

My Birthday Card from My sister tracy
age 20, in her Junior year at Texas Christian University (TcU)
in Ft. Worth, Texas

Enjoy your birthday in Europe!! I bet you’re having REAL adventures and mystery, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dear Todd,

I hope you’re having a wonderfully exciting time and seeing & doing lots. I’m so jealous! Mom says you’re doing good. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to take every advantage possible. But be safe!

Things are going well here. I’m really busy with school & work & giving tours & going to meetings. I’m trying to have lots of fun though too! I’m going out with a guy next weekend - yes a real date. Pretty exciting. Rob & I do lots together but he doesn’t want any romance (with me anyway) but I’m dealing with that alright. Guys mess with my head too much. I’m giving up on them (yea right)

Julie called me yesterday. She's doing great. Her’s her new address and number if you get the chance to see her.

I had to send your credit card bills to Mom because I didn’t have enough money - what did you put on there??!!

Take Care. Please send a postcard.

Love you Lots,

Tracy

My Birthday Card from My sister Tammy
(age 13, A Freshman at Kearney High School)

T-Dog,
Happy 23rd!! Sorry you won’t get this on your birthday, but it’s better late than never.

So, how are you doing? I’m good. Today (Nov. 6th) we left Oklahoma around 9:30 & I got sick. I had a bag, but it leaked. It was disgusting. It was running all over my hands. But then I felt better.

Friday it rained but we went shopping. Saturday morning it rained, but we went shopping. That afternoon Dad and I went to the UNK football game while Mom & Tracy went shopping.

[A-ha! It is now 2024 and I am re-reading these cards for the first time in 30 years!

Clearly, I would bet anything the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) had a football game against Central Oklahoma and that’s what led to the trip to go down and visit Tracy in Ft. Worth, so Dad could watch his beloved Lopers play on the way home.

I would also bet anything Mom asked/encouraged Tracy and Tammy to write birthday cards to me during this weekend!]

UNK won by one point. It was a fun game.

[This would have thrilled my Dad and made the rest of the drive home from Oklahoma to Nebraska much more enjoyable than if they had lost the game!!]

So, how are all of your friends?

Good, I hope. Tell them all “hi” for me. Does Jeff know yet that you are coming? He’ll be very happy to see you.

I’ve already gotten you a Christmas present. Have you gotten me one yet?

Did you know that today you have been gone for two months? Wow, it’s gone by fast, even though I’ve missed you lots.

Well, better go. Hope you had a GREAT b-day. Miss you tons.

Love always,

Tams

* Smile :-) *

Happy Thanksgiving too!!

So as I close out my Birthday chapter of this story, I want to emphasize again that my Mom had NO FRIGGIN’ CLUE WHERE IN THE WORLD I WAS (other than somewhere in Scandinavia). I know now even without children of my own, that this must have been crushingly painful for her.

I am SO SORRY Mom, I know this must have caused you immense pain!!!

You had given me your blessing to go be free, go be free of the pain inside of me, go do whatever I needed to to cleanse my soul of the demons that had been tormenting me a few months earlier in the Spring.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, from me RIGHT NOW in 2024 as I write this, for letting me be free, free to escape the mental cage I had created for myself in Kearney, and all the pain that went with it, free to follow my gut and my intuition and my higher spirit and go soar free like an eagle on this wild and crazy adventure!!!!!!!!

Okay, so my plan was to eventually get to Rota, Spain, way down on the very southern tip of Spain, to visit one of my closest friends since grade school, Jeff.

Jeff and I had spent more nights together when young teenage boys in the 80’s than I could count. One weekend at my house, the next at his. We would order a pizza from Dominos, and actually TIME IT to see if it would get to us in 30 minutes or less, and take it down the the basement and see what movies were on HBO or Cinemax, and if nothing good was on, we would put in the VHS tape of the movie “Red Dawn” and watch it for the hundredth time, and after that make some popcorn and then play Atari - Jeff had some great games like Space Invaders and Defender, and we would play that until the sun was just about to come up, and then run off to his room before his parents woke up at 6.

Jeff’s dad, John, was also my High School Guidance Counselor at Kearney High School, so I had and still have a very fatherly relationship with him. Plus, looking back now, I'm positive he knew what we were doing and he wasn’t fooled a bit.

After High School, Jeff joined the United States Marine Corps. In 1994 he was stationed at the US Naval Base in Rota, Spain, and so I was headed there at some point.

I didn’t know when I was going to get there, but at least I knew it would be a SAFE and SECURE destination!

In fact, once I got to the Naval Base, I would technically be on US soil again!!! So I was EXTREMELY excited to get there, and VERY excited to see Jeff again!!!

And when I did get there, these birthday cards would be waiting for me, because my Mom, God Rest and Bless her soul, not knowing where in the world I was except somewhere in Scandinavia, sent them to Jeff at the military base in Rota, Spain.

But before that I got there, I still had FIVE countries - Norway, Finland, Germany, Italy and Spain, and THOUSANDS of kilometers on trains still ahead of me!!

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