The greatest perk of my position with an international airline was lots of free travel.
On May 18, 1980, I had just arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, and was searching for late-night cafe meal. There was only one other patron still dining, and when he heard my American accent he bolted over to my table.
His excitement over just-reported news of an erupting volcano in Washington state was manic. He was certain I wouldn’t know the area since it was so “remote!” But when I exclaimed that Mount St. Helens was practically in my backyard, he became even more animated.
His enthusiasm had merit because, as a geologist, his dissertation had been on the Ring of Fire with special emphasis on volcanos of America’s West Coast. What are the chances??
