<b>ABBYY Finereader OCR Conversion (unedited)</b> After that, we swent to Wimpys and had a delicious hamburger, We saw the tower of London on a boat. We then went to a reataraunt where the Bustard was bo hot, I had about fifteen Cokes after I had just a little of that stuff. After I cooled off, 1 got to walk around the outside of Buckingham Palace, We didn't get to see the changing of the guards, but we did see the guards,they were always there. We w&amp;lkdd around Hyde Park for a long tine by the lake, and at the end, there was something that looked like a e castle. I*a stllll not sure what it was. Then w« went back to our hctel.We would still be there if «e didn't find our passports. We lost them some-where, but we didn't know when. We were sure they were at Victoria Station* but it was closed ob Sunday. Dad went to Victoria Station, the Passport office, and the office downstairs. Then we found them, right where we left them, in our suitcases, in the rooa in our hotel. Then we Flnnsly left for good.

We finnally landed in Washington B.C. at Dullis International Airport, We got off the plane and went to see our old house. It was still 202 Suaaers Drive and looked the saae except it was painted.

We went to see all the other things in Washington like the White House,the Capital, The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, The Jefforson Memorial, The Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, The Kennedy Center, Mount Vernon, and Arlington National Cemetery.

From there, we hopped on a plane and landed at Tampa International Airpott. We set up house at 4077, Dana Shores Drive.

When I get there, I started school in second grade. I went to Bay-crest Blementery School for second grade, I lived up the street frost Roderick Smith then. I lived on a canal at the end, so when the tide came in, we got it all the water. Sometimes, the tide would be especielly high and the water would clew onto our yard.

I left Baycrest Elementry School and went to the Academy of the Holy Names in third grade. As you've probably guessed, I still go to this school

In fourthgrade, I started to play the piano, and I still do. I also started to play the drums, but I don't play them anymore,though. In fourth grade, I joined my first soccer team. I didn't score any goals that year, and our team stunk, but it waex pretty fun.

After fourth grade, I went to summer camp for the first time and flew on a plane by myself for the first time when I was 10, It was a wild-nerness camp in North Carolina. Ths next year, in Fifth gradw, dad had to be station3d in YaldoeAta, Georgia. It's Just a small town neer the border of Florida and Georgia. He was stationed there bo investigate crimes in that area for the time he was there for one and a half years, visiting home once in a while until he finnally came back for good. After fifth grade, I went to a different summer camp. It was in North Carolina, It was called damp Chosatonga for boys.

In sixth grade,dad came back from Valdosta for good. He's still her • today. Nothing special happened in sixth grade, except that we got a pool. The people finished it while I waa gone at camp for the third and last tiae. When I got back from camp,the pobl Mas done.

It was also time for esventh grade to etart(FUN). I'm still in seventh grade,obviously. This year, I won a district Plano compltition but didn't a win the stats competition.

Ths highlight of ay life isn't exaetly writing this thing, but I think I'll remember most the two years that I lived in Vlentiene, Laos.

They weren't exactly the most exciting and fun years of ay life, but certalntly the most memorable. I hope you enjoyed my trip around the world,it'e too bad you weren't there, but some people I wish were.

<b>ABBYY Finereader OCR Conversion (unedited)</b> Mom and dad saw acw of their friends for the last time and. we left Laos and Thailand for the last tine. We left on a plane and landed in Now Deh-li India. We didn't stay there very long, even though now, I haven't got straight why. Anyway, we went to Beirut. We weren't supposed to get off the plane there, but we did. Ve also got right back on. You would to if there were aamed tanka cireuling your plane#

Ve left right away and landed in Europe. Frankfurt, Germany, to be s exact* We landed in the largest airport in the world* We had something to eat there, and we xented a car and drove to Brussels* Belgium* On the way, we stopped at a restaraunt where 1 played my very first pinball machine*

I played it accident illy because 1 pressed a red button and it started up, Z never did find out what my score was. It was a pretty nice drive around wx Germenyi , too. I would like to see it again, but I have know idea of what there was there, or where it was* It's probably sot there any more. When we got to Brussels, we went into an apartment that was in a small . neighborhood with a briok road. It was there that we saw TV for the first time in about three years. It'a to bad I couldn't understand it* Even though It wasn't understandable, I could understand what was happening.

It was a game show with a huge robor and a person. The person was sitting on a platform, and there wae a Mg blob of suds that were edging their way up to the platform. The person on the platform was telling fehe huge xn robot whem to go to get to her. The lady had to get the robot to her before the smds got to her. In Brussels, we also saw the hospital where Diane was bom, ws saw the street that Diane was named after, and other main attractions. Then we got on a plane and saw a miniature set up of Holland that was called Madurodam* There was a setup of an airport, and of a hotel that there was in Koilsand. The airport was neat,enev though the planes didn't take off or anything, they just drove around looking neet. There was also a setup of the highway that we came to This place from . There were oars and busses that wentunder a bridge and turned around, but I wasn't supposed to Kmnow that. After Maduxadam, we went to Ostend, Belgium and almost missed the boat across the English Channel,

The reason we almost missed it was because dad was trying to find the company that he was supposed to turn the car into, But he didn't find it x until the time the boat was supposed to leave, Ve did get afcthe boat on time and went across the English Channel and landed in Dover, EnglaW, Ve were at the Cliffs of Dover, We didn't stay in Dover long and we left on a train for London. Ve were in London for three days* While we were there, ve saw all the famous sights. We went to the world famous, Harrods department store. Ve bought the England famous, Lego blocks. I bought a set that built a double decker bus, a gas station, and a box of traffic signs* My sister bought a set of a horse and a rldsr. I also bought some iron knights and cowboys and Indians,. Ve saw Big Ben* Ve went to Plccadlly Circus and saw sons people called the H&amp;xeKrishna. They were playing symbols about thesis* of a life saver. They had some little stuffed animals that Diane wanted to buy, but they weren't selling them.

<b>ABBYY Finereader OCR Conversion (unedited)</b> for everything different. Then, on Chrietnae week, nhe reoieved both of the order* that she ordered. That gave us a double Christars. It austhave* been preety good because I actually reaeaber soae of the things that I got that year, but I won’t bore you with what I got.

The Slaa Intercontinental Hotel was the sight of a Jams Bond aovie in Thailand, I don't know what the naae of the aovid was* but it was there and that asde the hotel faaous, I think that when we got hose aoviee, we got that aovie, but ia not sure. We always got hoae aovie? in Laos. There was a big aovie scredn in the living rooa where we always saw soviet fro* dads office. They were aostly shows of TV series like I Dress of Jeannie,, and Thrillseekers, Once, we got an X-rated aovie without knowing it until the aovie was over. Diane and I weren't alloud to see It.

While we were in Chlng-al and the bosbs were going off, we were feed lug the elephants bananas. Diane did it all but I was afraid to because I flgtred that if the elephants could eat the baananas whole, they could eat m whole. The elephants were the kind that aoved things to heavy for sen to aove. They aoved big logs with their trunks and people were on their backs, directing tbea where to go,

I liked school in Laos., because it was so easy! Our report cards had nothing bu t Is and Os on thee. I never got anything below an S because it was the easiest school I*d ever been to. I wish school was that easy heae. If it awas, I would probably be in 8th grade now because I would have been proaoted by now. But there axe always the doofs who couldn't pass sacond grade. The youngest Aaaurault never got past second grade and had to be aoved back into ay first grade class* I kind of doubt that he ever got pas first grade, Hes probably in fifth or sixth grade now , whean he should be in eighth grade,

I never picked up any interesting hobbies in Laos because there was never any tlae to do anything and it was so hot,that whenever I wanted to go outside, I would have to coae right back In or else have a heatstroke..

I never did get any heatstroke in Laos. It was always raising there to dro wn out the heat, Soaetlaes it would rain for a few days before stopping* t Once, we got a theraoaeter to tell what the teaperture was and it only went up Jro 120 degree a, and it got to be 140 dsgreesonee, and the thing brokeI

The reason we left Laos in the first place was because of a sequence of events. First off, Saigon fall in April, 1975* Then, everyone in Laos knew that Laos would go next, so everyone left. We didn't start to leave A until a few days after everyone elae left because we were waiting for the tlae the goveraaent told us to leave. We left early anjrw&amp;y because things were getting really hot, Web would have been evacuated In a few dayebut we left anyway. Sows one had shot all four of our tires an our car and they were all flat. We had to leave Laos now, so we got new tires and had to leave Laos on a truck ferrp because we alssed the car ferry. We crossed thv’ river for the last tlae. We landed ife Thailand, and drove up to the Sian Intercontinental Hotel where we stayed there for about two weeks when we saw soae of our best friends far the last tlae, I saw Johnny Fullst for the last tlae, Diane saw Sandy Dixon for the last tine. We never aaw her again, but Diane got a call fro* her once while Sandy was visiting Taapa..

<b>ABBYY Finereader OCR Conversion (unedited)</b> and that was on a motorcycle that dad rented for the time we were there.There were a bunch of painting* of Buddah on the ceiling. The monu~ ment was the most expensive thing in town hut it wasn*t the biggest by far because there waa a school that was bigger. The only school in town was obviously the biggest school in town, it was called the American School of Vientiane. (Vientiane ia the capital of Laos and thata where we lived.) This is where I went to school for first grade end for kindergarten. The teachers there were pretty nice , but what do you expect for a Kindergarten and first grade teacher? For kindergarten, 1 had Mrs. Ban-niville and Mrs. Fuhrur. For first grade, I had Mrs.Iff Cola nan. 1 haven't an idea alive what happened to then. I think Mrs. Coleman died but I'a not sure about the other two* I had a friend there who aovsd to Chicago but he*» the only person in ay class that X know what happened too. Mrs* Colemene son wanted to bacons an astraunaut and go to the soon but I'a not sure what happened to his. There waa ssneons who was a senior in high school who aoved to Taapa to go to collage at USF. He wouldnt have emen known she lived here except that she accidentely saw aoa ooae outside . to get the nail one day. She has graduated from college now and I don't know where she is new. Those are the only people I know what happend too. The rest of the people I know are ecattered all around the country.
While I lived in Laos, I traveled to other countries a lot. I want to Thailand a lot for different reasons! Diane always went there because eh* had to get~glasses while we were there and frequently crossed the river. Diane was lucky because she got to take a field trip to the royal capital of Laos, Luang-Pra-bang, She waa only in fifth fccade add got to go on a field trip to a different city to a motel that had a pool.

I traveled a lot too. X went to Malaysia, Singapore, and Korea. We didn't really have much tiae to travel while we were there because a lob of more iaport ant things happened. School waa alaost year round and summer lisa wasn't much because I only was in Laos for one summer away frota school. Dad traveled a lot too. Once he had to travel in a car across Lacs and got lost 160 miles out of the way,

I think the funniest thing about Laos is when sometimes, it was so hot, that whom it got to be around 120 degrees, the lao people would go down the street naked and no one would think anything about lft. I never did it because I didn’t believe that it wasn't against the law. Another funny thing was that once while we were in Chingp mi, some crazy general dropped a few bombs on Laos and on went one through the toilet seat of sons british people. It went off too, but no one was hurt. It would have hurt if someone sat down on it after the bomb fell in it. (OH)

What I thought was the most entertaining while I was in Laos was a show of people who would have sword fights and club fights. The show also had dancing ladies and Sumo wrastiling(Not related). That show went on in Thailand and mom andDiane saw once before we did and then dsd and I saw before we left. It was a pretty good show too. The psopls were dressed in wisrd cloths liks helmets that looked like bullheads.

I didn't realise it at the time, but there was a big choc late chip crisis. S very one knew that the price of choc late would go up very soon so everyone went out and bought choclate chips before the next expssnslve bmi€ht an awful lot that lasted us the rest of the

Ons thing I didn't expect waa the Christmas that we had there. Mom mads ons order of things for Christmas. Then she got a message that the order that aha orderd wouldn't come, eo she mads another order, this time

<b>ABBYY Finereader OCR Conversion (unedited)</b> Fro® there, ve vent North and west where we started to notice the gradual dwindeling of live oak trees to the point where they were only shrubs. Vs stayed In Tsxas for three days trying to get out, Tsxss was very boring. You'd be bored too if all you could sss was psoplss ranches and oil wells as far as the eye could see*

On the way west, we saw the sore fasous landmarks of the nation like the Grand Canyon in Arisooa. He couldn't go down to the bottom because if we left the casper where it was* the snow that was cosing would crack the pilpes* We went to La* Yegaa and my sots played the five cent slot sachine for hours, She never won the Jackpot though.

Our last stop in Nevada was tombstone* Tombstone was a city with tombstones withn funny things written os thss* Ve went up to the Bookies and wanted to stay, but there was a big snow stem coming and if we stayed, we would be blown away, so we left*

After that,we finnaly arrived at California. It was there that we finnaly got asms decent weather, California was the stats that 1 rememberd the nost.I saw the Golden Gats Bridge in San Fransisco. It was really great because we went over it in the morning when there was a lot of fog that was moving fast and was very dense. It was so dense that when we got out of the oar and looked at the water, we were nearly knockedover by the fog because it was very dense and moving very fast,

Ve went to Anebelm next and stayed there for a while. There was'nt anything exciting in Aneheim so we went to Los Angelas so mom could see an old friend from college. Nothing such happened there at the time, so we went to Santa Barbra where it was pretty pretty. Vs were driving along the cliffs where there were a lot of wild flowers growing on the cliffs. Non wanted to pick some and almost fell off the cliffs Into the red tide in the ocean below.

In San Fransisco, we sold the oapsr and left the country for Hawaii. Ve happened to have lnded at night when nothing at all was happening. Ve omly walked around the airport for about twenty minutee and hopped back on the plane &lt;m a trip to Guam where thdxe was nothing to do but sweat it out in the 120 degree weather. After our brief stay in Guam* we left there for Sangkok, Thailand. Ve stayed in the classy Slam Intercontinental Hotel, for one night. Then we crossed the Mekong Biter on a private plane* Ve landed in a tropical mudhole,

Laos. Our house was on Salafcaton B-13* I thought We were rich with a maid until I found.out that everyone on the dirt road had one* Ve had neighbors traa all sides* The only interesting neighbors were a Russian ffcmily across the street from us. There mas a little kid who was always spying on us. Our other neighbors sere the Salankies, who moved out before us to Fort Bliss, Texas. After they left, a famoly named the Amauraults moved in. Vs moved out bsfors they did and I don't knowwhat became of them. Across the street were the Tuokess.

Next door there was a farm with chickens and roosters that woke us up In the moxtilhg.

There wasn't anything that was was very big except for two buildings* One was the national monument. I only went inside it once