1960s
ALUMNI STORIES Ellen Alexandra Lothe, Norway & Jayshree A Mehta, India | Alumni 1967 1967
1971
2011
1968
In the summer of 1968, bus #58 departed from Delaware with 43 teenagers from all over the world for a month-long journey across the USA. It was a very particular group: AFS students who were completing their experience in the USA. It was also a very particular summer and year: the Vietnam War, the hippie, antiwar and civil right movements were reshaping US society. It was the year Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated, massive anti-establishment protests, riots and uprisings exploded in major cities around the world... and the Beatles were still together.
2018
An exceptional relationship, forged between Jayshree A Mehta and Ellen, has grown steadily stronger by the years, and they have shared their lives since the very beginning.
Fifty years later, 14 of those AFSers reunited in Costa Rica to celebrate life and to renew the bonds of friendship we formed that summer. The idea of a reunion came to our dear Eugene Ragghianti from Australia. He did an immense detective work during the two years prior to the 50th anniversary: sending snail mails to all our old addresses. Can you imagine what hard work it was for him to find us all! Most of us had moved – several times, even – some of us had changed our surnames, and of course some of us had passed away. Some could not be found despite all efforts. Little by little, we who had been “found” by Eugene joined in as assistant detectives. Jayshree was the detective who “found me” and I was put on Eugene´s growing list of Bus#58-participants. The efforts of this team culminated in our 50th anniversary reunion in Costa Rica in July 2018, with Guillermo Chaquero Barcón and Ana Lorena Montero Lefevbre as hosts. 13 of us managed to participate; with 4 spouses we were 17 in total. On the last day of their reunion, they were honored with the visit of Daniel Obst, AFS International President, and at that moment a selfie became absolutely necessary.
The time together was indeed precious and reinforced those amazing AFS bonds forged many years ago. - Sheila, from South Africa currently in New Zealand
Page 02 | AFS India Newsletter August 2023
