After 22 adventures with O.A.T., Bob finally had the opportunity to host a Trip Experience Leader in his hometown, thanks to a company-sponsored training.
By Bob Brady, 22-time traveler from Braintree, MA
As a Sir Edmund Hillary Club 22-time OAT traveler, I’ve enjoyed memorable adventures courtesy of the outstanding efforts of Trip Experience Leaders. Not only have they delivered on the promises contained in the published daily itineraries but also in fulfilling individual interests outside of a particular program. A highlight of each tour is the Farewell Dinner. There we reminisce about all the wonderful events that had transpired and say our goodbyes to the individual responsible for creating memories that will last a lifetime. Oftentimes, both I and my fellow travel companions would extend invitations to our leaders to reunite with us should he or she ever have the opportunity to travel to the U.S. and be in the vicinity of our hometowns. Residing in the Boston area, I worked for many years in a section of the Massachusetts capital close to O.A.T. headquarters. Given that proximity, I hoped that the odds of a get-together someday might be increased. Finally, after many years of offering those invitations, a reunion happened!
In 2023, I took O.A.T.’s Japan’s Cultural Treasures tour. My interests went beyond the usual sightseeing and cultural experiences offered by the program. I additionally desired to walk in my father’s footsteps that happened during his WWII military service while stationed in occupied Japan. I had with me my dad’s aged paper folio of the historic city’s sites that had been provided to servicemen stationed in Kyoto. It contained sketches of Kyoto’s noted landmarks that my father had visited during his time there. While a few of those places were on the formal itinerary, others were not.
When Bob embarked on O.A.T.’s Japan’s Cultural Treasures adventure in 2023, Fuhito photographed him in the exact areas represented in his father’s drawings.
It was my good fortune to have Fuhito Kato as my trip experience leader. He paid special attention to each group member’s desired objectives while visiting his country. I related to him my “footsteps” story and asked for his guidance in using my free time to explore those destinations not contained in our schedule. Rather than marking out routes on a map to assist me, Fuhito volunteered to personally guide me to those spots during an open portion of our agenda. At each of those sketched places in my father’s Kyoto brochure, Fuhito photographed me in the exact area represented in the drawing. His kind act provided me with an invaluable documentation of that part of my father’s overseas service that I would share with my family upon returning home. I was so moved by Fuhito’s enrichment of my time in Japan that I wrote a piece about it, “Walking in My Father’s 78-Year-Old Footsteps in Kyoto,” that was shared with the O.A.T. community when published in a July, 2023 issue of The Inside Scoop.
Bob reversed roles with Fuhito and led him around Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood.
In saying farewell to Fuhito, I once again voiced my desire for a reunion should he ever find himself journeying to America’s East Coast. Almost a year later, when opening my email box, I found a message with the subject “Fuhito is here in Boston.” He explained that he had arrived for a week of training at O.A.T. headquarters and hoped that his busy schedule would permit us to share some time together. He and other international colleagues were in town to pursue skills relating to the assumption of supervisory responsibilities in their respective countries.
Arranging such a meeting proved difficult as Fuhito’s program was a full one that included time pursuing leadership development skills at the Lewis Family Foundation’s Kensington, New Hampshire Alnoba facility. After a few failed attempts at setting a date and time to meet, we decided that the best opportunity to reunite would be in the afternoon following the program’s Friday morning conclusion. Time was of the essence as Fuhito would be flying out of Boston in the early evening.
Boston’s famed Hood Milk Bottle holds special memories for Bob.
I arrived at O.A.T.’s Congress Street Seaport District location that I’d visited in the past for a number of the company’s travel programs. Fuhito met me in the lobby where we celebrated our reunion. He was attired in a kimono, his usual mode of traditional dress both here and at home. We chose to walk a bit in the surrounding area and I identified some converted warehouses of Boston’s former Leather District where I spent summers performing factory work to help fund my college tuition. A little over a city block from O.A.T.’s facility were two structures relating to my professional career. Adjacent to the Tea Party Ship and Museum on the Fort Point Channel is the 32-story Federal Reserve Bank of Boston where I was employed for over three decades. Also near the museum is the 40-foot-tall wooden replica of a Hood Milk Bottle that serves as an ice cream stand and snack bar. I had taken many a lunch break there. Reversing Fuhito’s picture-taking role from my “footsteps” explorations in Kyoto, I now photographed him by those landmarks for us to share as reunion keepsakes.
The green beer Bob enjoyed in Japan would also look right at home in Boston!
We settled in at a lunch spot and spent our remaining time comparing notes and reminiscing about our mutual experiences in Japan. In addition to recalling the many historic sights and informative encounters in the Land of the Rising Sun, I reminded him of two unique “learning and discovery” moments that he’d provided. I had my first ice cream cone wrapped in a thin layer of edible gold leaf at a factory that manufactured the gilding material. Tradition indicated that consuming such a blend promoted a youthful and long life. On another warm day, Fuhito scheduled a break at a location that included among its offerings matcha-infused green beer. The emerald-colored beverage not only quenched my thirst but also added to my long list of exposures to exotic food and drink during my many OAT adventures.
When our all too short time together concluded, we made a pact. Should either of us find ourselves traveling to the other’s country in the future, we will plan to reunite once again!
While we can’t guarantee a hometown reunion, you’ll get an insider’s view of Japanese customs and traditions from a Trip Experience Leader like Fuhito during Japan’s Cultural Treasures.
