Remember this?
Well, I'm going.
My flight leaves in 8 hours.
Stories and future blog posts to come.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
An Indian Wedding
Over the weekend, I attended my first Indian wedding. Just so we are clear, I mean the kinda Indian from like India--not the Native American kind. Anyways, I flew in to New York on Friday and proceeded to take the airtran, subway, and Long Island Railroad out to the hotel.
The first night's festivities included a huge buffet of all vegetarian food--tacos, pasta, vegetables, etc. Then the party started. Basically, it was a huge dance party all night, complete with an awesome dessert table filled with cheesecake, carrot cake, banana cream pie, chocolate torte, and this amazing lemon cake. It was awesome.
I didn't know the dances at all, but the family of the bride and groom helped teach the newbies. By the middle of the night, I was a dancing fool. It was so cool.
The next day was the ceremony, complete with a fancy procession with more dancing. I also learned that Indians don't take the ceremonies seriously. They'll get up and go to the bathroom or get a drink from the bar, or just start talking. Or they will play scrabble on their iphone, like the guy next to me did.
After the ceremony, it was cocktail hour complete with an open bar and authentic Indian food appetizers. I had samosas, and these good wrap things with green chutney sauce in them. It was yummy. I also didn't think any of the food was too spicy, which surprised some of the people I was talking to at the wedding.
Until this weekend, I had never tried Indian food. It just always looked unappealing, but I was a brave foodie and tried everything. And I honestly loved it all. My favorite was the naan and some of the bean dishes. I don't remember names, I just remember what it all looked like.
I loved how they had so many playful moments within the ceremony and at the reception. And they had more dancing, which was awesome. And the dessert bar was alright. I wasn't a fan of the desserts--they had this one that was like carrot cake that was super sweet, this one that my new friend called milky balls, which was cheese I guess, and mango ice cream.
After this weekend, I wish I had more Indian friends so I can go to more Indian weddings. And maybe next time I get invited to one, I'll even show up in a sari. ;)
Have you ever been to an Indian wedding?
The first night's festivities included a huge buffet of all vegetarian food--tacos, pasta, vegetables, etc. Then the party started. Basically, it was a huge dance party all night, complete with an awesome dessert table filled with cheesecake, carrot cake, banana cream pie, chocolate torte, and this amazing lemon cake. It was awesome.
I didn't know the dances at all, but the family of the bride and groom helped teach the newbies. By the middle of the night, I was a dancing fool. It was so cool.
The next day was the ceremony, complete with a fancy procession with more dancing. I also learned that Indians don't take the ceremonies seriously. They'll get up and go to the bathroom or get a drink from the bar, or just start talking. Or they will play scrabble on their iphone, like the guy next to me did.
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| The ceremony took place outside |
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| It was beautiful |
I, on the other hand, was like all into the ceremony. I think my inner anthropologist came out because I wanted to know the significance of everything that was happening. I even noticed that they skipped some of the parts that were listed in the wedding program.
After the ceremony, it was cocktail hour complete with an open bar and authentic Indian food appetizers. I had samosas, and these good wrap things with green chutney sauce in them. It was yummy. I also didn't think any of the food was too spicy, which surprised some of the people I was talking to at the wedding.
Until this weekend, I had never tried Indian food. It just always looked unappealing, but I was a brave foodie and tried everything. And I honestly loved it all. My favorite was the naan and some of the bean dishes. I don't remember names, I just remember what it all looked like.
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| This is where the bride & groom sat. The purple box is for cards and money. It's tradition to give them an amount of money ending in 1, i.e., $51, $101. It's supposed to bring good luck. |
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| The cake was awesome |
Have you ever been to an Indian wedding?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Advice Needed & Appreciated
The situation: It's about a boy. Obviously. That's pretty much the only time I care about advice. Anyways, said boy, lives in another state. Boy and I have daily phone conversations and have "known" each other for years. I say "known" because we've never actually met face to face. We've had video chats and written letter correspondance, facebook messages and IMs, but never the actual hang out time we've both been craving.
He currently lives at home too, so that has sort of hindered things. But here's the thing. I like him and he likes me. But I hate the distance. I want someone I can see every week and still have the hour long phone conversations. He's not moving here anytime soon, and I'm not moving where he is either. So I guess you could say that we aren't meant to be, and that things will never progress. But that's what I'm confused about.
Some days we have an amazing connection. Some days he brings out the best in me and vice versa. Of course there are other days when we both are stubborn and fight too. It's not all roses and fairy tales. Like last night, I asked him how his night was and he told me he spent it with his family at home. Only, toward the end of the conversation he admitted he went out on a date with the same girl he had met, oh, last week.
I was annoyed for two reasons, which I expressed to him clearly. First off he should have just been honest with me at the beginning of the conversation. How was I supposed to know he went out on a date? I can't always ask an exact question to figure out an answer. Secondly, how can he spend time talking with me everyday and then go out on a date with a girl? He said he did it because he was mad at me because the night before I told him I wasn't going to make a trip out there to see him.
We were discussing Frontier's fall sale, and he asked me to come see him. I told him I felt like we were dysfunctional and that I didn't want to book a trip and then regret coming out there. Basically, if I go see him, I want to be the center of attention. I demand to have it. Because to me, going out of state to see someone and spend time with them is serious. And, I don't want to look like a fool. I want to know he's serious about me and I don't want to have to worry that he's interested in anyone else.
He assured me that if I had told him in the first place that I would go see him, he never would've went out with that girl. He also told me if I come out to see him, it will be all about us. He claims that he cares about me and wants to spend time together. I asked him about where I'd stay. Part of me wants a hotel because then I'd have some down time alone. But then that's more money. He said I could potentially stay with him if his parents go out of town or he was thinking of asking a friend of his from his church if I could stay with her.
Obviously, I'm in the thick of this mess and can't see clearly so that's where you all come in. What should I do?
Pros: I'd finally get an answer to if me and him are even remotely compatible. And I'd get to go to a state with warmer weather.
Cons: I could go out there and realize he's completely not for me. And then what would I do for the rest of the weekend? I don't want to regret anything. I don't want to regret going but I also want a happy ending. I want it to go smoothly and have fun. It's one thing to go out there because I wanted to see something or attend another event and then meeting him would just be icing on the cake. But if I'm being honest with myself--if I went on this trip in October--it wouldn't be because I want to go to Arizona. It'd be for him.
He currently lives at home too, so that has sort of hindered things. But here's the thing. I like him and he likes me. But I hate the distance. I want someone I can see every week and still have the hour long phone conversations. He's not moving here anytime soon, and I'm not moving where he is either. So I guess you could say that we aren't meant to be, and that things will never progress. But that's what I'm confused about.
Some days we have an amazing connection. Some days he brings out the best in me and vice versa. Of course there are other days when we both are stubborn and fight too. It's not all roses and fairy tales. Like last night, I asked him how his night was and he told me he spent it with his family at home. Only, toward the end of the conversation he admitted he went out on a date with the same girl he had met, oh, last week.
I was annoyed for two reasons, which I expressed to him clearly. First off he should have just been honest with me at the beginning of the conversation. How was I supposed to know he went out on a date? I can't always ask an exact question to figure out an answer. Secondly, how can he spend time talking with me everyday and then go out on a date with a girl? He said he did it because he was mad at me because the night before I told him I wasn't going to make a trip out there to see him.
We were discussing Frontier's fall sale, and he asked me to come see him. I told him I felt like we were dysfunctional and that I didn't want to book a trip and then regret coming out there. Basically, if I go see him, I want to be the center of attention. I demand to have it. Because to me, going out of state to see someone and spend time with them is serious. And, I don't want to look like a fool. I want to know he's serious about me and I don't want to have to worry that he's interested in anyone else.
He assured me that if I had told him in the first place that I would go see him, he never would've went out with that girl. He also told me if I come out to see him, it will be all about us. He claims that he cares about me and wants to spend time together. I asked him about where I'd stay. Part of me wants a hotel because then I'd have some down time alone. But then that's more money. He said I could potentially stay with him if his parents go out of town or he was thinking of asking a friend of his from his church if I could stay with her.
Obviously, I'm in the thick of this mess and can't see clearly so that's where you all come in. What should I do?
Pros: I'd finally get an answer to if me and him are even remotely compatible. And I'd get to go to a state with warmer weather.
Cons: I could go out there and realize he's completely not for me. And then what would I do for the rest of the weekend? I don't want to regret anything. I don't want to regret going but I also want a happy ending. I want it to go smoothly and have fun. It's one thing to go out there because I wanted to see something or attend another event and then meeting him would just be icing on the cake. But if I'm being honest with myself--if I went on this trip in October--it wouldn't be because I want to go to Arizona. It'd be for him.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Travel Fridays: The Concrete Jungle
When I traveled to New York for my bff's wedding a couple of weeks ago, I realized that I am such an anxious traveler. Like, I immediately start stressing about what I'm going to do, and how I'm getting there, and what I need a week before the trip. But it always happens the day before the trip or the day of, I randomly take forever to pack. Literally, I have clothes and shoes strewn all around my room. And even once I get to the airport, I mentally check off my "to-do" list. And then I worry about getting through security okay. But once I'm on the plane, I'm fine and then I get excited about wherever I'm going.
Luckily this trip, I didn't have any layovers. I had a redeye flight on Jetblue, which I haven't flown with in a long time. I enjoyed the extra legroom and the low calorie snacks. I was bummed that they charge $7 now for a pillow and a blanket set, but I thought ahead and brought my own anyways. The only thing I did forget was my headphones, but since it was literally nighttime, I slept most of the flight.
My trip was short but sweet. I stayed in Brooklyn, went upstate for the wedding on Saturday, and then went into Manhattan on Sunday by myself. For some reason, it doesn't feel like New York to me unless I see Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, or the Brooklyn Bridge. While in Manhattan, I ate my favorite thai place, walked around Union Square, took the subway to Chinatown where I did a bit of shopping, walked down to Little Italy (by mistake), and then headed uptown to eat lunch at the famous Shake Shack, which had a ridiculously long line that I waited through.
All in all, it was the perfect amount of time to see old friends, enjoy summer in the city, and get away for the weekend. Are you traveling anywhere this summer? I might have to go back to the city in September for another wedding, but besides random trips around Colorado, I won't be flying anywhere else this summer.
Luckily this trip, I didn't have any layovers. I had a redeye flight on Jetblue, which I haven't flown with in a long time. I enjoyed the extra legroom and the low calorie snacks. I was bummed that they charge $7 now for a pillow and a blanket set, but I thought ahead and brought my own anyways. The only thing I did forget was my headphones, but since it was literally nighttime, I slept most of the flight.
My trip was short but sweet. I stayed in Brooklyn, went upstate for the wedding on Saturday, and then went into Manhattan on Sunday by myself. For some reason, it doesn't feel like New York to me unless I see Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, or the Brooklyn Bridge. While in Manhattan, I ate my favorite thai place, walked around Union Square, took the subway to Chinatown where I did a bit of shopping, walked down to Little Italy (by mistake), and then headed uptown to eat lunch at the famous Shake Shack, which had a ridiculously long line that I waited through.
All in all, it was the perfect amount of time to see old friends, enjoy summer in the city, and get away for the weekend. Are you traveling anywhere this summer? I might have to go back to the city in September for another wedding, but besides random trips around Colorado, I won't be flying anywhere else this summer.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Come on and fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away...
Yessssss, it's finally Friday, it's finally the weekend!!!
Since it's such a fun day, I have a fun question to ask you.
If you could go anywhere for a day, where would you go and why?
Personally, I'd want to go to Philly, just because I want a really philly cheesesteak with whiz. (TWSS.)
Have a good weekend!
Since it's such a fun day, I have a fun question to ask you.
If you could go anywhere for a day, where would you go and why?
Personally, I'd want to go to Philly, just because I want a really philly cheesesteak with whiz. (TWSS.)
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The adventures of taking public transportation...
Why I am so grumpy today??? I have no idea. But I do know that lately I've been forgetting things. Like important stuff. Take for example yesterday, when I left work 15 minutes early to catch the AB bus. Now, prior to leaving the office, I checked both the AB and the DD bus schedules, because they literally leave a minute apart. But I swear, from the schedule I looked at, the AB bus would get to my stop 3 minutes earlier, so of course I couldn't wait another 3 minutes and got that bus. Oh and I had ashes on my forehead from going to church and everyone gave me weird looks, but no one said anything. But that's neither here nor there.
So I'm on the bus, madly reading this new book about a hot hockey player who falls in love with a tv show personality who knits, and it's getting to the good part(s). So I may or may not have been paying attention. Anyways, I looked up, saw it wasn't my stop, (my stop was the next one) and continued speed reading. Then I looked up again and pulled the cord to stop. Only, as I did that, I saw the bus I was on, speeding past my stop. Yes, it really did happen. I slightly panicked, but then figured that I could just take the bus one stop in the other direction. Luckily the bus I needed came within 5 minutes. But I still felt so dumb, and pissed off and just like ugh. Because I swore to myself that it went to my stop. Well, when I finally got home, I looked at the schedule online and saw that it in fact, does not, nor ever did, go to my stop. So apparently I'm just an idiot.
Now, I take the bus all the time to and from work, and even around Boulder so I can get out of the office and go spend money on useless stuff at Target or something. So I know what I'm doing. I've taken countless buses on different routes. But again today, I apparently messed up again. I took the bus to my radio show, which I do on my lunch hour every Thursday. That was fine. It was after I was finished that I ran into a problem. Again, I swore that the bus came at like 12:35 or so. So I waited, and waited, and waited. And then I freaked out that I was going to be late going back to the office, and told myself how I could NOT ever take a long lunch and how it's not my fault the bus was late. I even called the bus schedule and the next times it gave me were starting at 1 p.m. "There's no way in hell I'm waiting till 1 to get the bus, forget that," I muttered to myself. Plus, I was super cold because it started to snow and of course I didn't know that because I never pay attention to the weather so I was cold. So, I determinedly started walking.
And then the bus I needed drove by me. Yea, I apparently have that kind of luck. But that just fueled my anger/annoyance, so I power walked all the way to the main road so I could catch a different bus. And then I remembered that I was so hungry and it was already like 1 o'clock and I hadn't eaten lunch yet. And then I decided that I wanted lunch. Specifically broccoli cheddar soup and an apple fuji salad from Panera. So I got off on the right stop, walked quickly to Panera, only to discover that there was a massive line. Seriously people, just eat later, is what I wanted to say. But apparently the line was caused by the registers having a problem or something. Idk, I just ordered it to go, said no to the receipt and stole some butter. When I finally got my lunch, I ran across the street to catch yet another bus to get me back to work, and of course it was just pulling away from the curb. But, this gentleman was nice and stopped for me.
I got on the bus and decided that I wanted food. Right now. So I took out my warm baguette and opened my stolen butter and slathered that baby in yummy goodness. And then I sat there and ate it. Luckily, I did make it back to the office without my boss noticing (at least I hope she didn't). Oh and also, I just checked the bus schedule, and I WAS RIGHT. He was late. Even if it was only by two minutes. SO THERE.
Anyone else have issues with public transportation?
So I'm on the bus, madly reading this new book about a hot hockey player who falls in love with a tv show personality who knits, and it's getting to the good part(s). So I may or may not have been paying attention. Anyways, I looked up, saw it wasn't my stop, (my stop was the next one) and continued speed reading. Then I looked up again and pulled the cord to stop. Only, as I did that, I saw the bus I was on, speeding past my stop. Yes, it really did happen. I slightly panicked, but then figured that I could just take the bus one stop in the other direction. Luckily the bus I needed came within 5 minutes. But I still felt so dumb, and pissed off and just like ugh. Because I swore to myself that it went to my stop. Well, when I finally got home, I looked at the schedule online and saw that it in fact, does not, nor ever did, go to my stop. So apparently I'm just an idiot.
Now, I take the bus all the time to and from work, and even around Boulder so I can get out of the office and go spend money on useless stuff at Target or something. So I know what I'm doing. I've taken countless buses on different routes. But again today, I apparently messed up again. I took the bus to my radio show, which I do on my lunch hour every Thursday. That was fine. It was after I was finished that I ran into a problem. Again, I swore that the bus came at like 12:35 or so. So I waited, and waited, and waited. And then I freaked out that I was going to be late going back to the office, and told myself how I could NOT ever take a long lunch and how it's not my fault the bus was late. I even called the bus schedule and the next times it gave me were starting at 1 p.m. "There's no way in hell I'm waiting till 1 to get the bus, forget that," I muttered to myself. Plus, I was super cold because it started to snow and of course I didn't know that because I never pay attention to the weather so I was cold. So, I determinedly started walking.
And then the bus I needed drove by me. Yea, I apparently have that kind of luck. But that just fueled my anger/annoyance, so I power walked all the way to the main road so I could catch a different bus. And then I remembered that I was so hungry and it was already like 1 o'clock and I hadn't eaten lunch yet. And then I decided that I wanted lunch. Specifically broccoli cheddar soup and an apple fuji salad from Panera. So I got off on the right stop, walked quickly to Panera, only to discover that there was a massive line. Seriously people, just eat later, is what I wanted to say. But apparently the line was caused by the registers having a problem or something. Idk, I just ordered it to go, said no to the receipt and stole some butter. When I finally got my lunch, I ran across the street to catch yet another bus to get me back to work, and of course it was just pulling away from the curb. But, this gentleman was nice and stopped for me.
I got on the bus and decided that I wanted food. Right now. So I took out my warm baguette and opened my stolen butter and slathered that baby in yummy goodness. And then I sat there and ate it. Luckily, I did make it back to the office without my boss noticing (at least I hope she didn't). Oh and also, I just checked the bus schedule, and I WAS RIGHT. He was late. Even if it was only by two minutes. SO THERE.
Anyone else have issues with public transportation?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Vacation is ovah. Like 2009.
What I've been up to:
What have you been up to?
- Hanging out with family
- Beating Lego Batman for Wii
- Sleeping in till 11am everyday
- Taking Hailey to the dog park
- Totally enjoying being single aka I'm anti-guy right now
- Motivated to actually look for a new job
- Planning my trip to NYC this summer
- Training for my first 5k this Saturday
What have you been up to?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Blog Swap: If I lived in Colorado
Hey everyone,
Today I'm swapping posts with the coolest Aussie I know, Kez, from And So I was Thinking... We might be on the opposite ends of the world, but we're both going through the quarter life crisis! Yay! You can check out my entry on her blog. Enjoy!!
Well, hey there! I am so honoured to be a guest blogger for the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap - mouthful, much? My name is Kez and all you need to know about me is that I live in Australia, I'm the biggest dork you'll ever know and my quarter life crisis is rumbling along nicely.
Soooo...Courtney (you know - the awesome chick that owns this blog) has so kindly let me invade her wonderful writings with my crazy ramblings!
As you may know, Courtney is from Colorado. A place I know very little about. The only time I really hear about Colorado is when my parents start sentences with, "When we were in Colorado..." Which of course makes my blood boil, because I am so jealous of their midlife overseas travels and their over the top braggery (don't know if that's a word - too late now). Yes, apparently my mum once caught the eye contact of Carlos Santana while he dined in a cafe in Colorado. She claims she wasn't starstruck, but I know the truth. Her CD and itunes collection tells me so. Random, huh?
I know that there are these things called the Rockies. Are they rocks? Mountains? Rocky mountains? Well, whaddya know! This concerns me because I am clumsy and a bit funny with heights. I might not last longer than a couple of months. You know, because of the whole possibility of me falling off a cliff while hiking or something.
My hubby just reminded me that "South Park is from there". Which brings me to my next point. South Park is awesome. But probably not helpful so much in the way of PR and stuff.
I won't hold that against anyone.
If I went to Colorado (or even lived there), I would make sure to wear Colorado footwear and drive a Holden Colorado (imported from my fine country of Australia). I would also probably attend that university they have that is named after a giant rock. Boulder. Which I find to be a scary metaphor for how I feel about my university at the moment...it's like a boulder chasing me down and threatening to squish me before I make it out the other end...oops, I have a bit of university baggage right now...
So I totally googled celebrities who are from Colorado...quite the list. I would probably hang out with Matt Stone and Trey Parker (yep - back on the whole Southpark thing), but maybe not so much Bill Murray or Roseanne Barr.
I would sit around (probably on a rocky outcrop somewhere) and sing John Denver songs badly, while playing guitar equally as badly. Although I am disappointed that his real name was Henry Deutschendorf Jr (Wikipedia - dashing blogger's dreams for decades). Doesn't have the same ring to it. I only know John Denver songs because my dad used to be a fan. We used to have to endure roadtrips around Australia with everyone in the car singing, "Countrrrryyyy roaaaddds, taaa-aake me hooooome, tooo a place..." at the top of their lungs. I figured, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
So as you can see, my knowledge of Colorado is just really crap. I've probably offended the locals. Perhaps I really do need to get there one day. If only to stop my parents from starting their sentences with, "When we were in Colorado...and you were not..."
Today I'm swapping posts with the coolest Aussie I know, Kez, from And So I was Thinking... We might be on the opposite ends of the world, but we're both going through the quarter life crisis! Yay! You can check out my entry on her blog. Enjoy!!
Well, hey there! I am so honoured to be a guest blogger for the 20 Something Bloggers Blog Swap - mouthful, much? My name is Kez and all you need to know about me is that I live in Australia, I'm the biggest dork you'll ever know and my quarter life crisis is rumbling along nicely.
Soooo...Courtney (you know - the awesome chick that owns this blog) has so kindly let me invade her wonderful writings with my crazy ramblings!
As you may know, Courtney is from Colorado. A place I know very little about. The only time I really hear about Colorado is when my parents start sentences with, "When we were in Colorado..." Which of course makes my blood boil, because I am so jealous of their midlife overseas travels and their over the top braggery (don't know if that's a word - too late now). Yes, apparently my mum once caught the eye contact of Carlos Santana while he dined in a cafe in Colorado. She claims she wasn't starstruck, but I know the truth. Her CD and itunes collection tells me so. Random, huh?
I know that there are these things called the Rockies. Are they rocks? Mountains? Rocky mountains? Well, whaddya know! This concerns me because I am clumsy and a bit funny with heights. I might not last longer than a couple of months. You know, because of the whole possibility of me falling off a cliff while hiking or something.
My hubby just reminded me that "South Park is from there". Which brings me to my next point. South Park is awesome. But probably not helpful so much in the way of PR and stuff.
I won't hold that against anyone.
If I went to Colorado (or even lived there), I would make sure to wear Colorado footwear and drive a Holden Colorado (imported from my fine country of Australia). I would also probably attend that university they have that is named after a giant rock. Boulder. Which I find to be a scary metaphor for how I feel about my university at the moment...it's like a boulder chasing me down and threatening to squish me before I make it out the other end...oops, I have a bit of university baggage right now...
So I totally googled celebrities who are from Colorado...quite the list. I would probably hang out with Matt Stone and Trey Parker (yep - back on the whole Southpark thing), but maybe not so much Bill Murray or Roseanne Barr.
I would sit around (probably on a rocky outcrop somewhere) and sing John Denver songs badly, while playing guitar equally as badly. Although I am disappointed that his real name was Henry Deutschendorf Jr (Wikipedia - dashing blogger's dreams for decades). Doesn't have the same ring to it. I only know John Denver songs because my dad used to be a fan. We used to have to endure roadtrips around Australia with everyone in the car singing, "Countrrrryyyy roaaaddds, taaa-aake me hooooome, tooo a place..." at the top of their lungs. I figured, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
So as you can see, my knowledge of Colorado is just really crap. I've probably offended the locals. Perhaps I really do need to get there one day. If only to stop my parents from starting their sentences with, "When we were in Colorado...and you were not..."
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Home Sweet Home
This weekend I went to the East Coast. I had an early flight on Saturday, and because of the crappy weather we had here--snow and ice--my flight was an hour late leaving because we had to de-ice the plane. I was supposed to catch a connecting flight from Philly to Burlington, but my flight seriously landed at the same time my connecting flight was supposed to leave. Ironically, I was very calm. I've never missed a flight before, but really, there was nothing I could do about it. And I kept thinking about how I was safe, and how it was important to de-ice the plane. When I got off the plane, the gate agent handed me my new ticket, but that flight didn't leave Philly till 8:35pm, and we had landed at 1:35. So...I did the next best thing. I went to the customer service counter and asked if they had an earlier flight. Unfortunately, they didn't have any earlier non-stop flights, but if I was willing, they could put me on a flight from Philly to D.C., and then to Burlington, arriving at 7. I figured, what do I have to lose? And took it.
When I got to the airport, I was so nervous to see Special Agent and his bff. But I forged on, and finally found them. He put my luggage away for me and his bff let me have the front seat. Classy. Then we went to dinner at an Italian place called Three Tomatoes, where we had awesome wine, conversation, and food. I was still nervous but it was okay, nothing was awkward. And it seemed like Special Agent and his bff had put in some effort for the night. They even planned to have a bonfire outside his house with the neighbors. After dinner, we started drinking beer and watched tv. His neighbors tried to start a bonfire, but that failed. I'm not sure why--I was just content drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer and sitting on the couch. Anyways, we headed next door and I met his neighbors and other people. We sat around playing drinking games and watching tv. His neighbors also had the cutest dogs ever. I don't remember what types, but they were all so friendly and loved to sit and cuddle with you. I had a great time, and I remembered why I was able to drink 3-4 beers while I was in college--there's no altitude there--which actually made me feel young again. Plus, the next day when I woke up, I wasn't even hungover! No headaches, just the dry mouth.
I woke up early, and Special Agent drove me to get my rental car. I ended up upgrading to a Subaru. It was decent. I did miss a few turns on my way to New Hampshire, so it took me about 3 hours to get there instead of the 2.5 hours that google quoted me. But I have to say, the scenery was so gorgeous. So picturesque. I even stopped a few times to whip out my camera and take pictures.
I would say the biggest difference between fall in Colorado and fall in Vermont/New Hampshire is the colors of the trees. Our trees are mostly green and yellow. The trees out there are red, orange, even purple, and yellow and green. It was just so so beautiful. And I was so happy to see my bff and her fiancee. They are seriously so adorable, and unlike some couples that I just can't stand to be around, I never ever felt like the third wheel with them. In fact, seeing them, makes me ten times more excited for their wedding next year.
On Sunday, I drove along with my bff and her fiancee, to Mt. Washington. Two other cars of people joined us. We were gonna drive the 8 miles up to the top, but they had closed half of it due to snow and ice. So we didn't end up doing that. We drove to Wildcat Mountain to zip line, but they didn't have any reservations open until 3:30, and we didn't wanna wait. So we drove around so more, and ended up at Diana's Bath, where we hiked about half a mile and took pictures of the waterfall and the trees. It was really great to be outside and stretch my legs, and time just seemed to pass so slowly there. It was quiet and peaceful, and just beautiful. That night we ate lemon chicken and bowtie pasta, and even stopped at a Dairy Queen along the way, where we snacked on french fries. My bff had never been there before, so of course we had to go.
I woke up early on Monday morning, said goodbye to the people who were up, and made it to Vermont in 2 hours. It's amazing how much time I saved on the way back by following the directions. When I got back, I thought maybe I would have time to go apple picking and do breakfast but I honestly was so tired, that I just let it go. I know this entire weekend I was looking forward to picking apples, but it just felt forced. Instead I snuggled with Special Agent, filled him in on my New Hampshire adventures, and said goodbye to his bff, who left us alone. Special Agent and I drove to downtown Burlington, past the University of Vermont (which has a gorgeous campus, btw) and ate at Henry's Diner where the food was cheap but so so good. I had homefries! I know, it's the little things that excite me in life. After breakfast, I returned my car, and Special Agent took me to the airport. I made it back home safe and sound, but I still miss the East Coast. *sigh* Guess I'll just have to go back again next fall.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
When I got to the airport, I was so nervous to see Special Agent and his bff. But I forged on, and finally found them. He put my luggage away for me and his bff let me have the front seat. Classy. Then we went to dinner at an Italian place called Three Tomatoes, where we had awesome wine, conversation, and food. I was still nervous but it was okay, nothing was awkward. And it seemed like Special Agent and his bff had put in some effort for the night. They even planned to have a bonfire outside his house with the neighbors. After dinner, we started drinking beer and watched tv. His neighbors tried to start a bonfire, but that failed. I'm not sure why--I was just content drinking Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer and sitting on the couch. Anyways, we headed next door and I met his neighbors and other people. We sat around playing drinking games and watching tv. His neighbors also had the cutest dogs ever. I don't remember what types, but they were all so friendly and loved to sit and cuddle with you. I had a great time, and I remembered why I was able to drink 3-4 beers while I was in college--there's no altitude there--which actually made me feel young again. Plus, the next day when I woke up, I wasn't even hungover! No headaches, just the dry mouth.
I woke up early, and Special Agent drove me to get my rental car. I ended up upgrading to a Subaru. It was decent. I did miss a few turns on my way to New Hampshire, so it took me about 3 hours to get there instead of the 2.5 hours that google quoted me. But I have to say, the scenery was so gorgeous. So picturesque. I even stopped a few times to whip out my camera and take pictures.
I would say the biggest difference between fall in Colorado and fall in Vermont/New Hampshire is the colors of the trees. Our trees are mostly green and yellow. The trees out there are red, orange, even purple, and yellow and green. It was just so so beautiful. And I was so happy to see my bff and her fiancee. They are seriously so adorable, and unlike some couples that I just can't stand to be around, I never ever felt like the third wheel with them. In fact, seeing them, makes me ten times more excited for their wedding next year.
On Sunday, I drove along with my bff and her fiancee, to Mt. Washington. Two other cars of people joined us. We were gonna drive the 8 miles up to the top, but they had closed half of it due to snow and ice. So we didn't end up doing that. We drove to Wildcat Mountain to zip line, but they didn't have any reservations open until 3:30, and we didn't wanna wait. So we drove around so more, and ended up at Diana's Bath, where we hiked about half a mile and took pictures of the waterfall and the trees. It was really great to be outside and stretch my legs, and time just seemed to pass so slowly there. It was quiet and peaceful, and just beautiful. That night we ate lemon chicken and bowtie pasta, and even stopped at a Dairy Queen along the way, where we snacked on french fries. My bff had never been there before, so of course we had to go.
I woke up early on Monday morning, said goodbye to the people who were up, and made it to Vermont in 2 hours. It's amazing how much time I saved on the way back by following the directions. When I got back, I thought maybe I would have time to go apple picking and do breakfast but I honestly was so tired, that I just let it go. I know this entire weekend I was looking forward to picking apples, but it just felt forced. Instead I snuggled with Special Agent, filled him in on my New Hampshire adventures, and said goodbye to his bff, who left us alone. Special Agent and I drove to downtown Burlington, past the University of Vermont (which has a gorgeous campus, btw) and ate at Henry's Diner where the food was cheap but so so good. I had homefries! I know, it's the little things that excite me in life. After breakfast, I returned my car, and Special Agent took me to the airport. I made it back home safe and sound, but I still miss the East Coast. *sigh* Guess I'll just have to go back again next fall.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Ready for an adventure?
So here's the update regarding this weekend. I feel like in the past 24 hours, I have made some progress. For one thing, I no longer hate Special Agent so much that I want his balls on a silver platter. It's amazing what ignoring his phone calls and threatening voicemails, reading a book, and taking a shower, can do.
Yesterday we didn't talk. We did text, because we're immature like that. Basically he was just acting like a big jerk, at one point he actually texted me that it was no big deal that I'm coming up there, "it's not like it's a romantic weekend. we're just friends." Um, right. Okay. Whatever. Eventually I was just so irritated that I simply stopped answering him. I ignored his texts, and he called twice, leaving a message somewhere along the lines of...
This morning I woke up with a better outlook. I wasn't angry anymore but I also wasn't ready to call him back, especially after what he said yesterday. He called me as I was getting ready for work. Normally I would've answered, but today I put myself first. He left another message.
Thanks to the iNDefatigable mjenks for his suggestion that I split my time between Special Agent and my bff. That's basically what I'm going to do. On Saturday, I'm going to meet his bff, and then we'll all go see the leaves, and go apple picking, and probably break bread together in some form or another. I'll stay with Special Agent. He said I can have his bed; him and his bff will take the couches. I wasn't aware he had more than one couch, but whatever. Then on Sunday morning, I'll wake up really early, have SA drive me to the airport where I'm renting a car. Then I'll drive 2.5 hours to where my bff will be in NH. I will spend the day with her, her fiancee, and his family. I'll stay with them Sunday night. On Monday morning, I'll spend the morning to myself, then drive back to Vermont. Then I'll have brunch with SA alone, say our goodbyes, and then drive myself to the airport where I'll return the rental car, and then hop on a plane to come home.
I am actually excited now, because I'll be getting to do the things that I want to do. Plus, who doesn't love an adventure? It seems like this always happens to me, and everytime I just go off on my own, just like I did earlier with my Seattle trip. Either way I'm gonna survive! Yay! Thanks again to everyone who commented!
Yesterday we didn't talk. We did text, because we're immature like that. Basically he was just acting like a big jerk, at one point he actually texted me that it was no big deal that I'm coming up there, "it's not like it's a romantic weekend. we're just friends." Um, right. Okay. Whatever. Eventually I was just so irritated that I simply stopped answering him. I ignored his texts, and he called twice, leaving a message somewhere along the lines of...
"Hey I hope you call me back, this is getting silly. Sorry you're upset, I didn't realize him coming up would bother you. There's not much I can do about it now. Not to be mean, but snap out of this so we can have a good time because I won't enjoy myself and you won't either. This is shitty we both spent money to not have a good time. It's up to you, it's all based on you, but give me a call if you want. Bye."That mean voicemail just made me even more upset. I went home, grabbed myself some Taco Bell for dinner, read an entire book in bed, and then took a relaxing shower. I didn't even check my phone. I knew what I needed was space and time. Space to calm down, and time to figure out what I want to do. It was a very productive evening to say the least.
This morning I woke up with a better outlook. I wasn't angry anymore but I also wasn't ready to call him back, especially after what he said yesterday. He called me as I was getting ready for work. Normally I would've answered, but today I put myself first. He left another message.
"Hey I'm sorry for yesterday, I was angry. There's a lot of stuff going on at work. I can't blame you for not answering. I can't just ask my best friend not to show up. I haven't seen him in 3 months. I told him how you wanted it to be just you and me and he's already made plans. I don't know what you wanna do but I want you to come, but if you don't want to, then I don't want that. Maybe you can use the tickets as a credit. Tell them that the person you were going to see passed away or something. I was trying to come up with ideas last night. I still want you to come but not if you don't want to because then that would suck and I don't want that. I don't know, please text or call so I can help you out or maybe get things ready. The house is fairly big, there's plenty of room for three people...it's up to you. Bye."First off, I know it was at the end of August that he last saw his bff, because he drunk dialed me. Second, I won't lie about someone dying. Talk about bad karma. After reading everyone's comments and talking with my bff, I did eventually text him back with my plan of attack.
Thanks to the iNDefatigable mjenks for his suggestion that I split my time between Special Agent and my bff. That's basically what I'm going to do. On Saturday, I'm going to meet his bff, and then we'll all go see the leaves, and go apple picking, and probably break bread together in some form or another. I'll stay with Special Agent. He said I can have his bed; him and his bff will take the couches. I wasn't aware he had more than one couch, but whatever. Then on Sunday morning, I'll wake up really early, have SA drive me to the airport where I'm renting a car. Then I'll drive 2.5 hours to where my bff will be in NH. I will spend the day with her, her fiancee, and his family. I'll stay with them Sunday night. On Monday morning, I'll spend the morning to myself, then drive back to Vermont. Then I'll have brunch with SA alone, say our goodbyes, and then drive myself to the airport where I'll return the rental car, and then hop on a plane to come home.
I am actually excited now, because I'll be getting to do the things that I want to do. Plus, who doesn't love an adventure? It seems like this always happens to me, and everytime I just go off on my own, just like I did earlier with my Seattle trip. Either way I'm gonna survive! Yay! Thanks again to everyone who commented!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Crash & Burn....
Seriously, what a mess. Why do I get myself into these situations with boys? You're probably wondering what the heck I'm whining about. My Vermont trip. You know, the one that is THIS WEEKEND? Yeah, that one. Ahem.
Special Agent called me last night as I was on my way home from picking up dinner for my family. His cell phone reception sucks, so I heard every other word. But he dropped a lot of things on me last night, the first one being that his best friend Danny, who happens to be gay, is also coming up this weekend. Apparently Special Agent can't afford to go down to Boston to visit him for his birthday or something, and so Danny is coming up. Which leads me to the next thing he asked me..."He's staying here too, so you can either have the couch while I share a bed with him or we can share the bed and he can take the couch." Um, what? I thought we were just friends. Friends don't share beds together. So I said, "oh, okay. I'll think about it." I mean, what else was I gonna say?
Then he says that it's going to be crappy weather on Sunday, so he thinks right after I get off the plane we should go for a drive and take pictures of the trees and then go apple picking later that day. I was okay with that. "And on Sunday, there's the Broncos game which is gonna be HUGE, so my coworkers want to come over and watch it. That's okay, right?" Seriously? I don't do football. Football to me is like social hour. Only in this case, I won't know a single person there. Wooo this is gonna be fun. NOT.
I told him that we should talk tomorrow (which means today) about all of this. Basically I'm freaking out. I am regretting booking a trip to go see him because he sucks as a host. If any one of my mutual friends or otherwise came out to see me, you damn well know I would clear my entire schedule for them. Sure I might plop in a few friends here and there but the entire weekend would be dedicated to spending time with that person. Which is what I expect of Special Agent. I'm flying allllll the way out there to see HIM for the weekend. Not his bff Danny, not his coworkers. Maybe he's just nervous to have alone time with me and wants people around. I get that. And I honestly might be okay with watching the football game with his coworkers if it was just him and I the entire weekend. But throw in his bff into the mix, and what do we have here? An episode of Three's Company. Or just an awkward weekend.
Clearly I'm not happy, but I am the type of person who always finds some sort of solution. So today when Special Agent texted me asking me if I was still nervous, I was completely honest. I told him I am having doubts about coming this weekend. I called U.S. Airways to see if I could change my flight but my ticket is non-refundable and so no matter what they'd charge me $150. Not a fan of that, so looks like I'm going to Vermont. Yay! *insert sarcasm here*
I asked him why his bff couldn't come up to visit him a different weekend. "I wish you would've told me this last night," he said. "I needed time to think about it. I don't like being put on the spot." "Well, I'll tell him you want me all to yourself but if he's already made arrangements, I'm not going to hell and have him break them." "That's fair," I said.
So now I'm waiting in limbo, waiting to hear if his friend is coming up or not. But here are my options:
What should I do? What would you do? Help!
Special Agent called me last night as I was on my way home from picking up dinner for my family. His cell phone reception sucks, so I heard every other word. But he dropped a lot of things on me last night, the first one being that his best friend Danny, who happens to be gay, is also coming up this weekend. Apparently Special Agent can't afford to go down to Boston to visit him for his birthday or something, and so Danny is coming up. Which leads me to the next thing he asked me..."He's staying here too, so you can either have the couch while I share a bed with him or we can share the bed and he can take the couch." Um, what? I thought we were just friends. Friends don't share beds together. So I said, "oh, okay. I'll think about it." I mean, what else was I gonna say?
Then he says that it's going to be crappy weather on Sunday, so he thinks right after I get off the plane we should go for a drive and take pictures of the trees and then go apple picking later that day. I was okay with that. "And on Sunday, there's the Broncos game which is gonna be HUGE, so my coworkers want to come over and watch it. That's okay, right?" Seriously? I don't do football. Football to me is like social hour. Only in this case, I won't know a single person there. Wooo this is gonna be fun. NOT.
I told him that we should talk tomorrow (which means today) about all of this. Basically I'm freaking out. I am regretting booking a trip to go see him because he sucks as a host. If any one of my mutual friends or otherwise came out to see me, you damn well know I would clear my entire schedule for them. Sure I might plop in a few friends here and there but the entire weekend would be dedicated to spending time with that person. Which is what I expect of Special Agent. I'm flying allllll the way out there to see HIM for the weekend. Not his bff Danny, not his coworkers. Maybe he's just nervous to have alone time with me and wants people around. I get that. And I honestly might be okay with watching the football game with his coworkers if it was just him and I the entire weekend. But throw in his bff into the mix, and what do we have here? An episode of Three's Company. Or just an awkward weekend.
Clearly I'm not happy, but I am the type of person who always finds some sort of solution. So today when Special Agent texted me asking me if I was still nervous, I was completely honest. I told him I am having doubts about coming this weekend. I called U.S. Airways to see if I could change my flight but my ticket is non-refundable and so no matter what they'd charge me $150. Not a fan of that, so looks like I'm going to Vermont. Yay! *insert sarcasm here*
I asked him why his bff couldn't come up to visit him a different weekend. "I wish you would've told me this last night," he said. "I needed time to think about it. I don't like being put on the spot." "Well, I'll tell him you want me all to yourself but if he's already made arrangements, I'm not going to hell and have him break them." "That's fair," I said.
So now I'm waiting in limbo, waiting to hear if his friend is coming up or not. But here are my options:
- Since I'm 25 now and won't get charged those stupid under-the-age-fees, I could rent a car and do whatever I wanted this weekend in Vermont. I would of course "meet up" with Special Agent at some point, but most of the weekend would be spent alone.
- I could stay in a hotel. I'm sure I could get a great rate from Priceline.com like I did for my Seattle trip, and that would make it 10x less awkward because I wouldn't be around boys the entire weekend. Plus, if I didn't want to watch the football game, I could stay in and sleep or read my book.
- I could suck it up and enjoy Danny's company, and suggest to Special Agent that we have some alone time, whether that be going for a walk or to an early breakfast, so that we can have time to catch up.
- I could drive up to New Hampshire where my bff is going to be with her fiancee and spend the weekend with them.
What should I do? What would you do? Help!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
China Stories
The places I visited while I was there were: Dalian, Shanghai, Xi'An, and Beijing. I totally felt like a jetsetter while I was there because we were always moving and doing things and before you knew it, I was off to another city. Oh, and it was interesting to know that while you can take the train to different cities, it's actually cheaper to fly. We flew everywhere, and I didn't mind a bit. Although, that reminds me now that I still need to see if I can get those miles credited to my frequent flyer account.
Dalian is a beautiful city. It's full of young people, and it's by the coast of China, so they have really fresh seafood and beaches. The average age there is 30 and younger, and it's definitely up and coming. My dad's based there for a year. His assignment should be done in December.
At the beachWhile we were in Dalian, we tried many different foods, including this fish, and a hot pot restaurant, where the table turns into a pot and one side of the pot is spicy and the other is mild. And you basically drop in the raw food and watch it cook and then use your chopsticks to fish it out and eat it. It was fun.
This was some fish and the sauce tasted like sweet & sour.
Hot Pot time!Stay tuned for more stories.... I still have tons to share!
Monday, August 10, 2009
A New Perspective
Oh how I love to travel. I was lucky enough to go to Paris for a week last year, and now this year China. China. As in that country on the other side of the world. I still don't think it's quite hit me that I was there for two weeks. I have to say, after about a week there I was sick of Chinese food and ready to come home. But, by the time I knew it, I was coming home. And honestly, I had mixed emotions about that too. On one hand I was happy to come home to fresh air, sunny days, and friends. On the other hand, I felt sad leaving China and kinda disappointed to be home. Maybe that's because home means I won't be around my Dad anymore, and it means back to reality aka working and having real adult responsibilities.
But I'm happy I went. I'm so so thankful that I was able to go, even if my visa came in last minute. I think whenever I travel, I come home with a new perspective. This time I came back with a feeling of comfort that everything will turn out okay, in terms of relationships, jobs, and life in general. I will survive my 20s, even if they suck. I will find another job that actually challenges me. And I will eventually find someone special enough to call my boyfriend.
Another new thing I'm trying to institute in my everyday life is about being in the moment. I'll admit before my trip, I was definitely not in the best of places. I kept looking for direction, for something to talk about, and most of all, was definitely envious of others. So now I'm going to try and just be in the moment. If I'm out with my friends, I want to remember that time we went to the movies and laughed till our sides hurt. Not the time when I was the only single person in the group.
I realize this is going to be hard to keep up, but I want to try. Because I know I'm going to get sucked into the same routines I had before I left, and I don't want that to happen. I want to resist that as much as possible. I figure a new outlook on life is worth a try, right?
But I'm happy I went. I'm so so thankful that I was able to go, even if my visa came in last minute. I think whenever I travel, I come home with a new perspective. This time I came back with a feeling of comfort that everything will turn out okay, in terms of relationships, jobs, and life in general. I will survive my 20s, even if they suck. I will find another job that actually challenges me. And I will eventually find someone special enough to call my boyfriend.
Another new thing I'm trying to institute in my everyday life is about being in the moment. I'll admit before my trip, I was definitely not in the best of places. I kept looking for direction, for something to talk about, and most of all, was definitely envious of others. So now I'm going to try and just be in the moment. If I'm out with my friends, I want to remember that time we went to the movies and laughed till our sides hurt. Not the time when I was the only single person in the group.
I realize this is going to be hard to keep up, but I want to try. Because I know I'm going to get sucked into the same routines I had before I left, and I don't want that to happen. I want to resist that as much as possible. I figure a new outlook on life is worth a try, right?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I'm back
I'm back safely from my China trip, and don't feel as jet lagged as I did when I returned to the States on Sunday.
I have some things to catch up on- i.e. sleep & laundry, but I've decided this week I will post about my trip. Think of it as the China edition of my blog.
Stay tuned!
I have some things to catch up on- i.e. sleep & laundry, but I've decided this week I will post about my trip. Think of it as the China edition of my blog.
Stay tuned!
Friday, July 31, 2009
MJ on my mind
***A Post from Courtney's Friend Gary***
Hello, world!
You know, it's a little ironic that Courtney introduced me as "the travel expert," considering that I'm far less-traveled than at least one of my fellow guest-bloggers. But it's definitely not a title I mind; there's really nothing I enjoy more than travel, and I'd like to think that I'm pretty well-versed on the subject. Heck, I'm even typing this post on an intercity bus from Washington DC to Philadelphia! Plus, as if that's not enough, just yesterday I got the go-ahead from work to take the trip I've been dreaming of for years. Yep, come the fall, I'll be headed to Pakistan! It's bound to be something I remember for the rest of my life, and I can't wait!
One of the things I like the most about travel is the way it shapes your memories--the way it defines an era of your life. The winter of 2004 was when I was in Europe. Winter '09? Hockey trip through Quebec with my dad. Way back in 1991? My last family vacation before my parents split up: Disney World!
Of course, there are other things I like about travel, too, just as there are other events that mark chapters in life. My grandmom died in the fall of 2008. I'll never forget the 2004 baseball strike, or the summer of 2003--when I held not one, but two of the best positions of my life: an internship that became my dream job, and a RA training at Syracuse, where I met Courtney, my fellow guest-blogger Nikki, and a handful of other people who I wish I hadn't fallen out of touch with. Those are definitely definitive events for me.
I'm sure Courtney will always remember Summer '09 as her first trip to China. Maybe, like Mari said a few posts ago, this will be the summer she saw the eclipse. Or maybe this will be the summer she got to witness the world's most crowded swimming pool:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1200986/Is-worlds-crowded-swimming-pool- Thousands-try-escape-Chinas-scorching-heatwave.html
(I hear they have a lot of people in China.)
For me, Summer '09 will be the Michael Jackson summer. Not so much because of the circus surrounding his death; I really couldn't care much less. Don't get me wrong; it's a shame. But the tabloid-fodder is just not something I can be bothered with.
No, I just like that his music is everywhere. I've never really even been an MJ fan. I like a lot of his music, but I never even noticed that up until a few weeks ago. But now, you can't go anywhere without hearing it. Walking down the street, in a taxi, in a restaurant. MJ's there. And, to me, that's pretty cool. Just like how you couldn't escape the Olympics last summer, this summer, you can't escape Michael Jackson.
I'm a little bit jealous of Court's Journey to the East, which she will certainly never forget. For me, though, the omnipresence of Michael Jackson will be the way I remember the summer of 2009. Cheers for now! Gary from www.garybutterworth.com.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Going, going, GONE!
Okay guys you know that I'm on the other side of the world right now and that I won't be back for awhile. But don't fret, I won't leave ya'll alone. In fact, I've asked some of my closest friends in real life to guest post for me. So get ready for some freakin' awesome blog posts, k? Thanx.
You'll hear from the infamous M, whom I've mentioned alot here. You'll hear from L aka Linda, my bff living in NYC, Gary, the expert on travel, and Nikki, my West Coast lover.
You'd better read & comment--kapeesh?
xoxo,
ME
You'll hear from the infamous M, whom I've mentioned alot here. You'll hear from L aka Linda, my bff living in NYC, Gary, the expert on travel, and Nikki, my West Coast lover.
You'd better read & comment--kapeesh?
xoxo,
ME
Monday, July 13, 2009
On the other side
So, I haven't really mentioned it here, but I'm going to China on Saturday. Yeah, as in that big country on the other side of the world. I'm gonna be there for two weeks, and see my Dad, and visit Beijing, and see where Michael Phelps swam in the Watercube, and see this Hello Kitty house in Shanghai. And of course go shopping, and take a bazillion pictures.
Only, it seems as though their government hates me. You see, in order to visit, even if it's just for vacation, you have to apply for a visa. So you fill out a bunch of paperwork, detailing out where you're going, where you're staying, etc. and then you send in your paperwork and passport and they send it back to you with a visa in it. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.
In my case, I did all of the above, except then I got a call last week, saying their government wanted more details on what my job entailed. I filled out a statement promising not to write about China. I even wrote a 3 paragraph letter detailing my job description. I thought okay, this is going well. I'll expedite the process, get my visa by Wednesday, and be all set.
Um. No. I get into the office today, check my voicemail, and get a message....
"Hi, this is __ with the office. I have bad news for you. The Chinese government isn't going to process your visa request because of your job. I know you wanted this expedited, but at this point, I might not get it to you until Friday night or Saturday depending on shipping and when you are leaving. I will try to get them to reconsider, but at this point they are saying no. Please call me back at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thanks."
I'm not okay. It's just starting to hit me that I'll be on the other side of the world in less than a week, and I'm worried as it is about traveling there. I'll be fineonce if I ever get there, but this sucks. I'm sorry that I have a job. I'm sorry I know how to write and use the internet. I just don't get it. Why me? Nothing is ever easy. All I want to do is see my DAD, to see my FAMILY. Is that too hard to understand? Why must they hate me? What if I was Asian? Would that have made a difference?
Please pray/send positive thoughts that they will reconsider and that I will get to go.
My dad is trying to talk with the processing people to see if he can do anything, and my mom said that if worse comes to worse, I'll just have to come a little later and fly there alone.
I don't know what to do. I want to cry, but as my friend Linda said, I can't do anything--its out of my control. Which doesn't set well for me, because we all know what a big control freak I am. *insert sarcasm here* I couldn't resist. I had to do something to lighten up this post.
Only, it seems as though their government hates me. You see, in order to visit, even if it's just for vacation, you have to apply for a visa. So you fill out a bunch of paperwork, detailing out where you're going, where you're staying, etc. and then you send in your paperwork and passport and they send it back to you with a visa in it. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.
In my case, I did all of the above, except then I got a call last week, saying their government wanted more details on what my job entailed. I filled out a statement promising not to write about China. I even wrote a 3 paragraph letter detailing my job description. I thought okay, this is going well. I'll expedite the process, get my visa by Wednesday, and be all set.
Um. No. I get into the office today, check my voicemail, and get a message....
"Hi, this is __ with the office. I have bad news for you. The Chinese government isn't going to process your visa request because of your job. I know you wanted this expedited, but at this point, I might not get it to you until Friday night or Saturday depending on shipping and when you are leaving. I will try to get them to reconsider, but at this point they are saying no. Please call me back at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thanks."
I'm not okay. It's just starting to hit me that I'll be on the other side of the world in less than a week, and I'm worried as it is about traveling there. I'll be fine
Please pray/send positive thoughts that they will reconsider and that I will get to go.
My dad is trying to talk with the processing people to see if he can do anything, and my mom said that if worse comes to worse, I'll just have to come a little later and fly there alone.
I don't know what to do. I want to cry, but as my friend Linda said, I can't do anything--its out of my control. Which doesn't set well for me, because we all know what a big control freak I am. *insert sarcasm here* I couldn't resist. I had to do something to lighten up this post.
Monday, May 11, 2009
I'm back
I'm back from Seattle, and very tired. So tired, that I'm bailing on book club tonight. That, and I didn't read the book this month. Oh well. The weekend was lots of fun. Allow me to recap....
Friday: Arrived on time, caught the bus to my hotel, where I was allowed to check in early. The room was nice, I took a nap, and then walked to the waterfront, browsed the aquarium, and bought a City Pass booklet, good for most of the major attractions. Ate fish n chips at Ivar's and fed fries to the seagulls. Shopped- bought a Seattle sweatshirt, a steel water bottle, a cute pair of boxers for my lil brother, and a Christmas ornament (it's a habit, I buy one wherever I go). Walked around Pikes Place Market, bought myself a bottle of Syrah wine from a Washington winery, and did more window shopping at H&M, Old Navy, and the Levi's store. Finally made it back to the hotel after reading the map wrong, and then went out for Thai food & green tea ice cream. Made it back, relaxed with some Oprah, and fell asleep.
Saturday: Slept in, made it to the aquarium by 11, walked around, watched the divers feed the fish and sharks, touched starfish, and walked around. Then took a ferry around the harbor for an hour. It was wonderful being on the water with the sun shining. Went to the space needle, and the Experience Music Museum. Then took the Monorail back downtown and walked to Ivar's for happy hour. My waitress was from Colorado and had moved to Seattle 6 months ago... small world. Anyways, had too many beers and a burger and watched more people feed the seagulls. Met a couple from Finland, who live in California. And talked with a couple originally from Queens but now live in Seattle, due to the husband being in the military. They were really fun to talk to, and so I went bowling (read: more drinking) and then out to some bar named Jillian's where we danced the night away.
Sunday: Started by day off right by puking my brains out beginning at 5:30 a.m., and alternating every hour or so. Worst hangover ever. Seriously not drinking for awhile. But I had fun, and I managed to not lose anything important. Spent the morning recuperating, checked out on time, then took the bus to the airport. Talked with several cute men, but all married. Flight was delayed for an hour, hung around the airport and tried not to puke anymore. Ate some fries and drank a smoothie. Made it back home in one piece, and took my mom out to dinner at Outback.
All in all, it was a great weekend. I'm glad I went! How was your weekend?
Friday: Arrived on time, caught the bus to my hotel, where I was allowed to check in early. The room was nice, I took a nap, and then walked to the waterfront, browsed the aquarium, and bought a City Pass booklet, good for most of the major attractions. Ate fish n chips at Ivar's and fed fries to the seagulls. Shopped- bought a Seattle sweatshirt, a steel water bottle, a cute pair of boxers for my lil brother, and a Christmas ornament (it's a habit, I buy one wherever I go). Walked around Pikes Place Market, bought myself a bottle of Syrah wine from a Washington winery, and did more window shopping at H&M, Old Navy, and the Levi's store. Finally made it back to the hotel after reading the map wrong, and then went out for Thai food & green tea ice cream. Made it back, relaxed with some Oprah, and fell asleep.
Saturday: Slept in, made it to the aquarium by 11, walked around, watched the divers feed the fish and sharks, touched starfish, and walked around. Then took a ferry around the harbor for an hour. It was wonderful being on the water with the sun shining. Went to the space needle, and the Experience Music Museum. Then took the Monorail back downtown and walked to Ivar's for happy hour. My waitress was from Colorado and had moved to Seattle 6 months ago... small world. Anyways, had too many beers and a burger and watched more people feed the seagulls. Met a couple from Finland, who live in California. And talked with a couple originally from Queens but now live in Seattle, due to the husband being in the military. They were really fun to talk to, and so I went bowling (read: more drinking) and then out to some bar named Jillian's where we danced the night away.
Sunday: Started by day off right by puking my brains out beginning at 5:30 a.m., and alternating every hour or so. Worst hangover ever. Seriously not drinking for awhile. But I had fun, and I managed to not lose anything important. Spent the morning recuperating, checked out on time, then took the bus to the airport. Talked with several cute men, but all married. Flight was delayed for an hour, hung around the airport and tried not to puke anymore. Ate some fries and drank a smoothie. Made it back home in one piece, and took my mom out to dinner at Outback.
All in all, it was a great weekend. I'm glad I went! How was your weekend?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
OMG
I'm going!!!!!! I'm going!!! *jumps up & down* I. am. crazy. Who does this? Apparently me! Thanks to Gary's comment on Priceline's name your own price feature in my previous post, I am alllll set for a hotel. I seriously lucked out and got a 3 star hotel for $61/night, compared to its original rate of $144/night. Yay! I love it when things just fall into place. I talked with my coworker too, who has traveled on business to Seattle, and she gave me the #'s of an artist that she knows that lives there, ya know, in case I need an emergercy contact, so that makes me feel better.
Now all I have to do is plan out what I want to do, and see, and buy. *grins*
Now all I have to do is plan out what I want to do, and see, and buy. *grins*
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