{"id":5153,"date":"2021-08-26T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takeflyte.org\/?p=5153"},"modified":"2021-08-17T14:14:23","modified_gmt":"2021-08-17T14:14:23","slug":"donor-profile-doug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/takeflyte.org\/donor-profile-doug\/","title":{"rendered":"Donor Spotlight: Doug Mann"},"content":{"rendered":"
FLYTE is more than a non-profit organization. It is a community built by supporters and donors who want to empower students to change their lives \u2013 and the world \u2013 through travel.<\/em><\/p>\n Passing down the love of travel from one generation to the next is a special experience. Doug has been fortunate not only to inherit this from his parents, but also pass it along to his own children and now help FLYTE empower the next generation of youth through travel. We are especially grateful for Doug’s generosity and support!<\/em><\/p>\n Travel is in my blood.\u00a0 My parents loved to travel and it rubbed off on me.\u00a0 I was born in Italy where my dad was working and we lived in Europe until I was 7.\u00a0 Most of the rest of my childhood through college was in the Boston area but we still traveled periodically.\u00a0 A couple of years after I got my engineering degree I decided to start working overseas.\u00a0 I’ve worked in Berlin and Wiesbaden, Germany as well as Okinawa and Misawa, Japan for the last 30 years.\u00a0 My work in the early years required frequent travel throughout Europe and Asia.\u00a0 I met my wife in Chiang Mai, Thailand during one of my vacations in the mid-90’s.\u00a0 We’ve now spent the last two decades raising our family in Northern Japan.<\/p>\n Travel is frequently on my mind.\u00a0 I’ve traveled to over 50 countries and territories thus far. \u00a0People often ask what my favorite country is.\u00a0 That’s impossible to answer.\u00a0 I like many places for different reasons.\u00a0 Every place is unique with different cultures, food, architecture, scenery, etc.\u00a0 However, Thailand has been my most frequent destination with at least annual visits since 1992.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Our kids have been fortunate to experience the world growing up.\u00a0 They’ve spent most of their lives in Japan and attended American schools.\u00a0 Educational and school sports trips have taken them throughout Japan, to Korea, and to Hong Kong.\u00a0 Annual family vacations to Thailand, the US and elsewhere also gave them broad exposure to the world.\u00a0 The first time living in the US for both is to attend college.\u00a0 Our daughter is just finishing up her undergraduate degree in California.\u00a0 During her sophomore year she did an around the world trip in conjunction with doing a summer physics program in Cyprus.\u00a0 \u00a0Our son will soon be starting college in Boston.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Photography is also a passion in conjunction with traveling.\u00a0 My PhotoMann alter ego was born in 1996 when I created the first iteration of photomann.com<\/a>.\u00a0 It’s grown over the years and currently has images from over 20 countries.\u00a0 Lately I’ve been more proactive in posting most of my new images to Facebook.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Traveling is a way of life.\u00a0 Much of my life has revolved around traveling.\u00a0 I love exploring the world.\u00a0 I’ve traveled solo, with family and friends.\u00a0 I’m always open to going to new places.\u00a0 I have been very fortunate to have had a rewarding career that has allowed my family and I to travel throughout the world.\u00a0 As I approach an early retirement, I look forward to having more time to explore it more.<\/p>\n I have so many great memories from traveling around the globe.\u00a0 The best memories are from trips with family and friends.\u00a0 I really enjoy exploring and sharing new travel experiences with them.\u00a0\u00a0Once I decide on a destination, I often invite family and friends\u00a0to join me.\u00a0 I’ve organized group and family trips to numerous destinations including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bhutan, Tibet, Egypt & Jordan, New Zealand, Rio De Janeiro, Peru, etc.\u00a0 However, if no one is free to join me… I head off on a solo trip.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/h2>\n
Tell us about yourself.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How has travel impacted your life?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What’s your favorite travel memory?<\/strong><\/h2>\n