Tim Trabon

Twenty-five Years Ago...

“What I remember the most is just the tremendous expanse of this jungle. It was staggering to me to fly over it for countless hours and never see the end of it. And I can tell you that there were many moments I was either lonely or felt really far away from home, and the sunsets down here were the most spectacular sunsets I had ever seen anywhere. And as the sun set in the evening, I would see just this expansive glory. It seemed to encompass half the sky, and it seemed to fulfill some emotional need in me that kept me going into the next day. ” – Tim Trabon

Now...

“Being back with Jean-Michel, Falco and Murphy, it wells up a lot of emotions because the Amazon expedition was such an important aspect of my life 25 years ago—it defined who I am today.” - Tim Trabon

When I told my 92-year-old mother that Jean-Michel visited me, the first thing she said was, ‘I hope he’s not asking you to go back to the Amazon.’ Which is precisely what he had asked me. My mother has a long relationship with Jean-Michel, so she said this in jest. When Jean-Michel asked if I’d like to go back to the Amazon and rejoin some of my crewmates from the expedition in 1982, I told him that I’d be delighted to go and asked if I could bring along my sons. In 1982, I was single and I saw some outrageously beautiful scenery, and I recall at the time thinking that there was a certain loneliness associated with experiencing things like this by yourself. And I hoped that someday in the future I would be able to return with people I loved and share that experience with them. So to be able to take two of my sons back there and see the raw beauty and wildness of the Amazon, I just got a huge kick out of that. - Tim Trabon

What my sons will remember the most is traveling 1,000 miles on a river. This expedition also showed them that there are all kinds of opportunities in life and to not be afraid to take chances now and again. The camaraderie of the crew, the scenes they witnessed, all those things contributed to an experience they’ll certainly never forget. - Tim Trabon

I was taken aback by the number of settlements that seem to have cropped up everywhere along the river. But what I remembered the most about the Amazon 25 years ago were the spectacular sunsets. And yeah, they’re still there and they’re still as awesome as I remember them. And it was great to share that with my sons. - Tim Trabon

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Photo courtesy of Tim Trabon

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