Thursday July 29th 1999
My father carried this in his wallet for as long as I can remember. Today, as we boarded the plane, he held it in his hand. I woke up full of energy ready to begin my journey into the past. To get there I would have to fly. Most importantly, I would need my father to join me—he was the key to unlocking everything. I had always imagined the places in Norway he had talked about when I was a child. With the help of a few pictures from his childhood and the stories he’d shared, I was sure I knew what things were going to look like when we arrived and I hoped there would be improvements in the electrical and plumbing departments. Carol and I packed up the car and…