I think it was a week ago, when I out of the blue got a Facebook invitation from Don. No more than two weeks ago. I smiled. It was quite some time since I have heard from Don. We had been communicating intensily up until the pandemic hit the world. Then sparsely, though he wrote me to say, he was happy to be holed up at his farm. Not having to travel and meet people all the time. I thought when I received this invitation, that that was a sign to write him a long letter. We hardly ever talked about exploration, always about life, relations, upbringing, kids. Suddenly, out of the blue, I saw all these people on Facebook saying he had moved on to higher exploration. Everyone like me, posting a photo together with the great man, to say:

I met him!

Knowing he came from humble backgrounds, he certainly had a good life. And I feel such gratitude for the communication we had together. He never ever brought up his accomplishments, which only those who really have done nothing, do. But for those who are growing up now and don´t know about his great accomplishments, in 1960, Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard descended to 10,911 meters (35,797 ft) in the Pacific Ocean aboard the bathyscaphe USS Trieste. A famous real first!

Happy travels Don!