So Long J.B.

By Dr. Bobby Soileau

Our tours are dependent on good bus drivers. They can often make the difference in the quality of a tour because of their ability to maneuver a large vehicle.

J.B. has been our driver since we arrived in South Africa last week. Today when we left for Cape Town we said goodbye to J.B. He has been a great driver getting us into many places most couldn’t.

It reminds me of one of my favorite Mike Danna moments. It was in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil in 2010 and it turns out our bus driver had been drinking before taking us to Cuiaba. Here is the link to Mike’s story https://mikedanna.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/brazilian-federal-police-arrest-class-xi-tour-bus-driver/.

He was so excited to tell the story and get the perfect photo to match it. He ran to me to tell me he had a photo of the driver in jail with his hands held up. He was as excited as a five year old getting ice cream.

The story capsulizes Mike’s ability. While I was worried about the class missing out on a tour stop that afternoon, Mike had a different mindset. After we got a new bus driver Mike was sitting behind me writing the story. He was laughing constantly because he got to add a “catch phrase” he always wanted to write.

He had a gift, and I’m so glad many of our class members have added so much to this year’s trip blog.

Once again, enjoy Mike’s ability to tell a story in Brazil.

Dr. Bobby Soileau is the Director of the LSU Ag Leadership program.