Greetings from Alaska… And Other Places.

A year ago we were all watching and reading about the changes in the “second world.”  We saw the collapse of Eastern Europe dictatorships.  As we sat around ur radio on New Year’s Day and listened to the annual broadcast from Vienna to Eastern Europe, we really could hope for a just and peaceful world.

There is a Chinese Curse “may you live in interesting times.”  We decided to experience some of those times first hand, turning a curse into a blessing.  We cashed in ur frequent flyer miles, got a list of campgrounds and set off to visit Prague for their spring elections, and Berlin just before the currency union.  We wanted to experience this as a family and see it through each other’s eyes:  Kevin, the wide eyed enthusiast: Brian, blossoming as he reaches for adulthood:  Rich who thinks he’s a cynic but is really a romantic: and Suzi, the more level headed and most objective of us.  We all came out of the experience moved.

Later in the summer we traveled through Alaska with Rich’s Mom and Aunt Janice.  We cruised up the inside passage and visited, among other places Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Fairbanks.  It is always a joy to share the places you love with people you love.  It rekindles our passion for Alaska.

The family is planning one more trip before Christmas.  We are all going to Vladivostok in the Soviet Far East between Dec 14 and 23.  We are part of an Alaska Peace Delegation which is “Opening” the closed city for exchanges across the Pacific.  The chance to spend a week living with Russian families will be good for the kids.

We each have our own interests as well as our family passion for travel.

• Kevin is in ACE, which stands for Art, Choral Exploration, a study of the relationship between visual and performing arts, with lots of chance for performance.  Kevin is also interested in computers.
• Brian is getting ready for High School Graduation.  He is interested in technical theater and is involved with school productions.  Brian is also very active in “Natural Helpers” (a peer counseling group) and the state’s first teen search and rescue goup.
• Suzi is continuing her interest in watercolor painting and is working on transcribing and editing her mother’s letters from the Second World War.  Suzi is also active in school committees.
• Rich is still a radio crazy.  He has done consulting for other stations and has made two trips to the Arctic is his work.  He is Chairman of the Sitka Economic Development Commission.

We pray that there will be no Christmas bloodshed anywhere in the world this year and that we really can look forward to a more peaceful and humane world.  Things don’t look as bright as last year because of the insane need world leaders have to project power instead of reflecting simple human values.  We continue to pray that the hopeful dreams of last Christmas will become real for everyone.

Brian McClear, Kevin McClear, Rich and Suzi

Note: This year we had two Christmas letters, one sent by snail mail before going to Vladivostok and one by email following the trip on Russian Christmas.