Warsaw - Day One

Here is my disclaimer. I will edit when I get home. :).

Monday morning, I got up around seven and did my final organization. I caught the bus to the Mount Baker Transit Center. I had to make a pit stop to Rite Aid because I forgot to get batteries. Then to the airport.

It was a pretty quick process. I gave myself the three hours they recommend, and I did not need all the time. But with that said, I will continue to get there three hours ahead for international. The one time I didn't there were LONG lines. I finally had to go the "problem lane" because I was like my flight is leaving soon! By the time I cleared TSA and got to the gate, they were well into boarding. I would rather be sitting there relaxed than getting there stressed right on time. But I digress.

The flight was relatively quick for ten hours. I watched Rock of Ages, What to Expect When You are Expecting, a Sex and the City in the city episode, and How I Met Your Mother. It occurs to me that I could be repeating some of my earlier post. It's 8:20 p.m. here, and I am trying to to stay up for another hour.

As I mentioned I got to the hotel and settled in, and I went for a walk.

I just walked and would go off track when something drew me. I have seen some beautiful churches and architecture. I need to find out the names of the some of the buildings I took pictures of.

I went to a very beautiful church to pray and thank God for my safe arrival. Sometimes in daily life it's hard to clear the air and see life for how it is. It is good! While my life is not "perfect," it's perfect for me. I can honestly say I have nothing to complain about. The grass always looks greener on the other side, but I am trying to water my own lawn and appreciate what I have been given.

I need to come back here and start an anti-smoking campaign. A lot of smokers and I am trying not to breathe their air. I hate cigarette smoke. I grew up around it and hated it!

Also there are a lot of KFCs and Starbucks. I haven't seen a McDonald's yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

The one thing I really need/want to do while here is to walk through the Old Town section. That is my goal for tomorrow afternoon.

The weather is cold here, but it's not as cold as I thought it would be. I was actually very comfortable walking today, and I wasn't wearing my heavier sweaters.

I met my tour mates. Basically the demographic is older, retired. Many of who are repeat customers to Gate1. The group is 13. Four retired couples, two friends, and a middle age couple and me. We will have seven more join us in Budapest.

Day one is done!

The Eagle Has Landed - Warsaw

First of all, the amount of security hoops to get into Blogger, Facebook, and Hotmail was a little crazy. Yes, thank you for trying to protect my identity, but dang! It's hard proving who you really are!

Anyway, I have landed safely in Warsaw, and I am settled into my hotel.

The flights were okay. I don't think I got much sleep, and I can't wait to hit my head on the pillow tonight!

The plan right now is to go for a walk to see what I can see and then meet my group for orientation and dinner.

More to come!

I Wanna Fly Away...

Activate theme music! I will be heading out in about ten minutes.

Today is day five of my vacation, and it feels really good to not think about work for a minute.

So this morning I got up and took another look at my clothes and made some changes. Now that I think about it, I kind of want to make one more change, but dude it's time to go.

So next time you hear from me I will be in Warsaw!

I appreicate your prayers.

Love. Hug. XOXO

Ready. Set. Go!

Yesterday I went to Max’s party. Hard to believe he is already two! Where does the time go?!

I came home, and I put together some layered outfits, so I won’t be cold and freezing. Not a great feeling. I don’t like being hot, and I don’t like be cold either.

Today was church and then family dinner. I went to visit my friend Denise. Came home and talked to Candy (hey Candy), and read through my Rick Steve’s guidebook.

I just realized I will have two fall backs since they fall back a week earlier than us. Two weekends with an hour extra sleep. This really does excite me!

So I will go to bed in five minutes. I will wake up and give my luggage one more glance through and head to catch the light rail.

Ready. Set. Go!

P.S. -

P.S.

Yes I am posting random items to get my post number up. By the end of the year, I want to have at least 52 posts. Luckily, posting during my trip should help!

Vacation Day Three

I tell you what. Sleeping in Thursday and Friday felt so nice!

I don’t really remember what I did Thursday! I did have a hair appointment so I was forced to leave the house to go to it. Besides that, I read. I looked at Facebook. I played Words with Friends.

Yesterday, I cleaned my house. I did a deep cleaning, which included dusting and moving items as I swept. I had begun setting stuff aside earlier in the week. Yesterday, I organized those items. On Thursday, I discovered that my eye glasses had broken. I was all set to not leave the house Friday, but alas, I had to get those fixed. Since I was out, I went to Nordstrom Rack to try to find some good skirts for traveling. I found one that I liked so I got two of them. I also went to Target to get some last minute items.

Today I slept in and read. I was looking at my clothes trying away to get them in my carry on piece. Unfortunately, I have concluded that I may need to bring a larger bag and check it in. WAHH! I know total tragedy. It’s so much easier sticking to one bag with summer clothes. So a checked bag it will be. Right now, the weather is around 60 in the places I will visit. But next week temperatures will be 50 something. That’s still not that cold but cold enough that my summer skirts and t-shirts won’t cut it.

Today I need to have a beauty day and also head over to Des for Max’s birthday party!

Facebook 25 Random Things About Me

Facebook 25 Random Things About Me

I forgot about this! This was done in February 2009 as well. That month I did not reach my goal I posted all this random stuff!

25 Random things about me:
1. My relationship with God is very important to me. I’ve been adopted into my pastor’s family and have received love, support, and stability. I can say that I am blessed and a bit spoiled.
2. I have always loved to write. It helps me sort through my feelings. Even when I want to deny a thought or feeling, my writing has a way of bringing it to the surface.
3. I have always loved to read. I really like the classics, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, etc. because they are well written.
4. I love to travel. It has taught me a lot about myself. I am totally obsessed with going to Ireland. There is something waiting for me there. I’m prepared to fall in love.
5. I am an introvert and maybe a bit of a loner. I love spending Saturdays at home by myself. I have a routine of cleaning, doing laundry, and relaxing. One resolution for 2009 is to actually leave the house on Saturdays and interact with other people – LOL.
6. I have a very active imagination. I have to make myself be in the moment because my mind will have me on an adventure miles away.
7. I love to read books and watch movies about the Tudor period of English history. I am fascinated by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Actually, as I travel, I’ve developed a love for history in general.
8. I’ve been in love once. I’ve met guys since then, but I haven’t felt the connection since.
9. I’ve only had one job out of college. I’ve worked at the Port since October 1996. I went there on a two-week temp assignment that never ended.
10. I didn’t get my license until I was like 30. LOL. I now have a 2001 Toyota Corolla that I plan to have for the next twenty years. I’m like a grandma, I only drive on Sundays.
11. I have a lot of crazy dreams. It may go back to my overactive imagination.
12. I love putting water in the freezer and letting it freeze over the top and then drinking it. I do it over and over again. It’s so refreshing.
13. I think I am starting to nest. I recently redid my condo and now I’m starting to cook more. It could be bio clock ticking since I will be high-risk maternity age in a little more than a month.
14. Sometimes before I go to bed, I check under my bed and behind my shower curtain.
15. I may be addicted to Facebook.
16. I take the bus to work. I have a few bus buddies I look forward to chatting with. I change my route to work every so often because I got to keep any stalkers guessing.
17. I’ve had three half-baked, desperate marriage proposals. They all got the same answer: HELL NO!
18. I am good with names. Actually, my memory is pretty good with remembering random events of life.
19. I go through seasons of having vanilla ice-cream, bananas, and chocolate syrup for dessert nightly. I stop when my cloths start getting tight.
20 I’ve been an usher at my church for years. Many of those years I was known as the “mean usher”.
21. When grocery shopping, I like to look at items I’ll never by. I go visit the hostess cupcakes, Twinkies, cookies, etc. I just like to tease them.
22. I am very competitive. I love playing board games and watching sports.
23. I am extremely organized. It’s actually a sickness.
24. I want a nose ring. Unfortunately it doesn’t go well in corporate America.
25. Random men sometimes stop me to tell me what nice lips I have. During these moments, I want to run and hide.

I would add:

1.      When I was younger, I was a member of the Sunshine Jumpers. It was a team that did Jump Rope for Heart. We competed with other teams in the state, and we also went around the state performing for assemblies. In retrospect, it was a really cool experience.

2.      I love tattoo art. Because of the conservative nature of my industry, they are all in discreet places.

3.      I am a complete and hopeless romantic. Le Sigh!

4.      I have a mild case of OCD.

5.      I hate doing handy work. For example, one of my cabinets became unhinged. I had to unscrew it and put it back together. Pure torture.

6.      When I meet “the one” handy work, car maintenance, and driving will all be turned over to him. The MOU is ready!