This was it.. #sts132 #nasatweetup

So just this once i will blog in English.. Just to be able to have others read this as well.

Today was a weird day.. it was the day where 3 weeks of anticipation and 29 years of waiting all came together!
I was 11 years old when i see Space Shuttle Atlantis clearing the tower on National Television. It was at that time i KNEW i would see something like that. My father noticed my enthusiasm and said to me son, i will double all your savings in order for you to work and save money to get up there one time to see such a thing.
He did.. i saved and he doubled.. as all things in life things turn different then you anticipate..

I became older and as young and wild idiot i lived my life doing what young people do. At the time i was 24 and re-connecting with life as it should be my father died suddenly…

Some dreams surface in situations like that and all of a sudden the space shuttle program came up again. I never knew it would be that difficult to arrange such a thing.. you find the love of your life, get a house.. get kids and and life simply slips by without notice.

Then there was the message the shuttle program was going to be taken out of commission.. away the dream went…

Until 3 weeks ago! … the tweetup from NASA.. and my god i could come!!!!

Standing here today with all this in memory i looked at the launch and i was with my father side by side.. watching.. amazed to wjere they go.. amazed by the beauty of the Shuttle  and amazed that so many years passed by.. i cried 🙂 ..

I feel blessed for being able to be here.. my wife supporting me (as it took quite some money to get here!!!!) and being able to see this closes an era in my life..

Thank you NASA for building this amazing stuff in the first place… thank you for creating something that connected me to my father many years ago and still does today!

Thx!! anyone on twitter for the amazing feedback.. makes us feel even more special!

Look at this thing…

Menno
ps thx @arvid and @Laetia  for your awesome companionship!

2 thoughts on “This was it.. #sts132 #nasatweetup

  1. Lieve Menno,
    Wat een indrukwekkend stuk!!
    Wees blij dat je Bri zo achter je hebt staan en dat je jouw droom (en die van je vader) hebt kunnen verwezenlijken!!
    Zo'n ervaring is onvervangbaar en als je dat met deze gedachten kan meemaken, is dat zo ongelooflijk speciaal!!
    Geniet van de mooie herinneringen!

    Groetjes, Linda

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