Destination: Riyadh

After months of anticipation we now finally know where our next assignment will be. Much to my surprise we didn't get an African country. Instead in September 2012, Billy and I, (and Dante) will be heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The capitol, Riyadh is where we'll be living. My mind can't quite contain what is coming our way. I don't think I'll believe it until the wheels of the airplane hit the Saudi airport runway.

There are many questions circling around in my head right now. To say the least I am excited to have the opportunity to be able to live and experience a culture so few westerners know much about. I'm sure there will be ups and downs, and there will be an adjustment process, but I believe am ready for the challenge. As I learn more of what's to come, I will try to blog about it. Stay tuned...

"If you're going to San Francisco..."

San Francisco with it's steep streets, cable and trolley cars, quaint cafes, Embarcadero, the Golden Gate Bridge and the beautiful bay make this city truly unique and picturesque. When I lived in San Diego I drove through San Francisco a few times, but never spent more than a couple days in the city. This time I stayed for an entire week. As soon as I got on the the BART train from the airport I was reminded of how much I love and miss California. It's truly a beautiful state which encompasses a little of everything; mountains, beaches, desert, rivers, lakes, cities and small towns. The people are kick back, friendly and non judgmental (anything goes here). And in case you hadn't heard, the weather is FANTASTIC! Cali definitely leaves an imprint.

Merci, Paris!

Wheels down in Paris was bright and early, which meant as soon as I arrived at the hotel there would be no napping. The Rossy bus was fantastic; it's a bus that you take from the Airport for 10 Euros and drops you off in front of the Opera House in downtown Paris. Our hotel was literally across the street from the Opera House, so instead of taking a cab and paying close to 70 Euros it was a no brainer to hop on the bus.

The Charles De Gaulle airport is about 45 minutes on the outskirts of Paris. When we first started driving towards the center of Paris I was a little disappointed at what I saw because it resembled just an ordinary city; traffic, billboards, modern apartments and business buildings. Mind you, the metropolitan of Paris is huge, somewhere close to 12 million people, but soon enough we started to reach the administrative limits which is hardly unchanged. This is where you begin to see the true Paris. The Paris you see in movies and hear about. It's amazingly beautiful.

When I arrived at the hotel I couldn't believe I was in the heart of Paris, steps away from the Opera house, and within walking distance of the several icons of Paris; the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, and The Louvre. Aside from these icons there is also plenty more to see! I tried to take a little nap, but there was no way I was going to get some shut eye at 10 am. I had to refresh and put on my walking shoes and start exploring. But first things first, when in Paris, you must start your day off with a pan ou chocolate and an espresso at a local cafe. That's exactly what I did.

I love to explore a city on foot. This way I don't miss anything and I feel more connected to the city and its people. I believe I must have walked close to 40 miles while in Paris, but I always made sure to stop, sit and refuel at a local cafe or restaurant by eating a crepe or macaroon and sip a small cup of coffee. Walking along the streets or on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées also confirmed to me that Paris is the fashion capitol of the world. Not only are the stores and boutiques to die for, but you'll never see a local walking around in sweat pants, t-shirt, and flip flops, or with jeans sagging to their mid thigh and exposing their underwear. No siree...the Parisian people enjoy looking good and they love their accessories, whether it be a hand bag, a scarf or jewelry, they know how to make a plain attire look fabulous. The French have style and that was refreshing to see.

The attractions of Paris are endless. Every where you turn there is a building, a church, park, or statue so magnificent and beautiful to admire. Within the 5 days I stayed there, I saw so much and read quite a lot on the history of buildings, statues, museums, palaces, etc... My all time favorite places during this visit was the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which is located at the highest part of Paris. The views of Paris from the summit is spectacular. I sat and admired the church and the view for a couple hours. Plus, the basilica is located in a very cute neighborhood filled with cafes, quaint stores, and hole in the wall restaurants. Jardin du Luxembourg is also at the top of my list. It's the second largest park in Paris. Here you'll find a little of everything; cafes, the gorgeous Luxembourg Palace, and lush gardens where you can find a quite area to picnic away from the crowds.

And of course I can't forget my all time favorite, Mr. Eiffel. The pig iron tower is the highest building in the city, so you can't miss it. And despite all it's controversy when it was first built, the tower has become the most prominent symbol of Paris and France. To see this art piece up close is extraordinary, especially at night when it's all lit up and the lights flicker every hour on the hour. What made it even more memorable for me was seeing it with the love of my life.

Paris was everything and more I had hoped for. The architecture and history, the scrumptious food, wine, crepes and the friendly people made an everlasting impression on me. My night walks with my husband along the Siene River overlooking the Eiffel Tower were definitely priceless and memories I'll cherish for a lifetime. I sure hope Paris and I meet again.

Sorry you can't tag along

The hardest part of going on a trip is leaving this little guy behind. If I feel like this over our dog, I can't imagine how I'd feel if we had kids.

Paris, ici i!

After 23 years of waiting, my dream is coming true. On Monday I board an 8 hour flight to the most romantic city in the world. Yes, Paris! Ever since I was 13 years old I've been wanting to go to Paris. I used to have a huge poster of this exotic city in my bedroom, and I would dream of walking along the Seine River, taking pictures of the Eiffel Tower, and seeing the Mona Lisa in the largest art museum of the world, The Louvre.

Now as an adult, I still plan to do all that and then some. But what I mainly want to do is walk around the city, take tons of pictures, sit and people watch, and have fabulous food and wine with my wonderful husband. And of course, I can't forget the chocolate croissants, which everyone raves about when they go to France.

Right now the thought of me going to Paris is still surreal. Once the wheels of the plane hit the runaway of the Charles De Gualle Airport tears of joy may actually run down my face. Oui, oui, Paris, here I come.

Getting Down & Dirty Does the Body Good

This past weekend Billy and I competed in the Merrell Down & Dirty, 10K Mud Run in Richmond, Va. I never thought I could incorporate 10 military style obstacles to a 6.2 mile run, all the while being covered in mud. My goal was not to walk once and not to bypass any obstacle course. I am proud to say, "mission accomplished". When I crossed the finish line I definitely felt bad ass and proud of my accomplishment. Now on to the next challenge, "Tough Mudder"!

Savoring the moment

Lately I've been on cloud nine. Billy is home and doesn't have a trip scheduled until late August, which I'll accompany him on, so this is definitely a good thing. It's been great to have him home. We've always been such close friends and enjoy each others company.

One more year of his coming and going then we'll be getting ready for our next assignment; hopefully overseas (keeping our fingers crossed). But for now I'm cherishing every minute of having him home.

Bidding on the future...

The summer bid list is finally out and we need to choose wisely. Especially if we want to go overseas, which has been our goal since the very beginning. Out of 150 current available posts, we need to narrow our search down to 15. Then let the politicking and paneling for a particular city/post begin. Rank, language training, evaluations and letters of recommendation from supervisors play a big part in the paneling process which then leads to a final hand shake from the higher ups. Once we get the hand shake there's no turning back, unless there's a life threatening emergency, otherwise we're going to that country. So, it's vital to do as much research on a country before placing a bid and hope that a 2 year post is not a regrettable one. But how does someone truly know until they get there? It's a leap of faith. And even though, such places as Prague, Paris, Bern, and The Hague are options which entice us, realistically we will not be wasting our bids on them because we will not get such places, especially it being our first post overseas.

With all that being said, we've decided since we're healthy, have no children and don't mind roughing it for a couple years (I always wanted to be in the Peace Corps). We're narrowing our list to primarily African countries with a splash of South Asian and a dash of 1 South American country. No sipping Caipirinhas on Corcovado Beach for me this time around. Instead, an eye opening, self reflecting experience with an exposure to seeing what true hardship is. If we don't get paneled for places, such as the Ivory Cost, Congo, Bujumbura, etc...then the gods are truly telling us to stay put for a little while longer.

Some day are better than others...

This week has been extra hard not having Billy around. The last time I felt these strong emotions was when he left on his first trip with the detail. He's been gone 5 days and there is still 8 more days to go. But that doesn't mean he'll stay home for long. There will be more and more trips to follow. Within the last 10 months, he's visited 17 countries. He'll end up visiting several more before this post ends; 14 months from now. For some reason that seems like an eternity.

I know there are hungry children, people being mistreated, horrible accidents, illnesses, poverty, etc... And in the grand scheme of things, my issues are trivial. But when you truly love someone and enjoy their company and presence it does have an emotional effect when they're not around. I keep myself busy by working, volunteering, exercising, hanging out with friends, taking Dante to the dog park, but there is still a void that lingers when my husband is not around.

A couple years ago, I never imagined we'd be apart from each other so much. It's not fun and it's not always easy. At times there are feelings of resentment, loneliness and sadness. Granted I have been on trips with him so we can spend time together, but my mind plays tricks on me once in a while. It's sometimes hard to detach myself from the equation and not take it personally, but deep down I know the true answers. I know Billy honestly loves me with all his heart and is devoted to me. Plus, I agreed to this assignment because I truly love him and want him to accomplish and fulfill all his dreams. If the roles were reversed I know he would do the same for me. In the meantime, I will embrace these days and acknowledge my feelings, but also remind myself that my husband is one of the good ones and he's definitely worth the sacrifice.

Vacation in the LowCountry

After Jamaica, we literally were home for 2 days before going on another trip. This time, it wasn't work related. Billy, actually took some time off so we could go visit family and friends in the LowCountry (Beaufort, SC). It felt nice waking up on the morning of the 3rd of July, packing up the car, Dante hoping in the back seat, and us hitting the road. No work, airports or itineraries. Just the open road with no schedule to follow. That's exactly how we like our vacations.

The drive was smooth and soon enough we were in our ol' stomping grounds. Funny thing about small towns, they rarely ever change. Guess that's what makes them special. Living in DC is just like any major city. There's always endless construction and traffic is always being rerouted, which in turn causes horrendous traffic jams. But not in Beaufort, the only congestion is when the Woods Bridge swings open for about 5 mins to let a beautiful sail boat go by. The cars back up about a 1/2 mile, and if it's a beautiful day people get out of their car to soak in the fresh air. Yup, that's Beaufort for you. Truly the simple life.

This trip was extra special because we decided to stay at Billy's moms house. We were able to spend a lot of quality time with her. During the day while she was at work we would visit with friends, go to a favorite restaurant or coffee shop, but most evenings we were at home hanging out with her. Billy's sister Jennifer also took some time off while we were there, so we were fortunate to hang out with her and our nephew Gavin quite a bit.

Our trip to the LowCountry was low key and fabulous. We visited with our closest friends, ate at our favorite restaurants. Watched fireworks from Parris Island and The Sands in Port Royal. We went with family to Savannah, had pizza at our favorite place "Vinny Van GoGo's" and made sure to eat pecan pralines at Savannah Sweets. And Billy's blackberry was turned off the entire time. Now that's what I call a true vacation.

Jamaica; Yah Mon!

In these last 9 months, my husband has been traveling the world like a mad man and at times I have been privileged to tag a long with him. Basically it's a way for us to see each other and spend more time together. I calculated today that within this 9 month span, he's probably been home a total of 3 months. His current post will be over by October 2012, so in the meantime, if traveling with him from time to time is what we have to do in order to maintain a healthy marriage then that's what we'll continue to do.

About a month ago, we had heard of a potential trip to Jamaica in June. We decided that it was a no brainer, and I would definitely be accompanying Billy if the trip became a realty. As soon as Billy received his itinerary, we went on-line and booked my flight to Montego Bay (MoBay). I left a couples days after Billy. It was the quickest overseas flight ever; 5 hrs total from Reagan National Airport.

Unlike Italy, Billy this time was able to meet me at the airport. It was sweet to see a familiar face waiting for me once I landed. We then preceded to the Palmyra Resort & Spa Hotel, a secluded resort located 15 miles outside of MoBay. I now know for a fact it's one of the nicest hotels I've ever been in my life. Our hotel room was a 1 bedroom apt with a fully equipped stainless steel kitchen, Bosch appliances, marble floors through out, a king size bed with down pillows and cover, with silky white sheets. It definitely put my 1 bedroom apt in Arlington into shame. There was a walk-in shower in the middle of the bedroom with a 360 view, and a bath tub, if you chose to take a bath instead. And to top it all off, the balcony viewed the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. I now believe there is heaven on earth, and it's called Jamaica.

The next 7 days were fabulous. I arrived on a Friday, and on Saturday Billy and I, and his co-workers were ordered by Ambassador Bridgewater to take a break and enjoy Jamaica. She scheduled a tour to Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios (Ochi). It's a park with zip lining, bobsledding, a pool, and restaurant with gorgeous views of Ochi. We had such a wonderful time that day. We started out with lunch at a elegant restaurant overlooking the ocean, then went bob sledding and ended the day zip lining our way back down from the top of the mountain. The following day, the Ambassador called from Kenya to make sure we had followed her orders and enjoyed our adventure. Now...that's a classy lady.

The rest of the time I pretty much relaxed. When Billy would finish work we would venture out with his colleagues and typically have dinner at what turned out to be our favorite restaurant "Scotchies". An authentic Jamaican restaurant, where the locals eat. That's one of our things when we travel. We like to get away from the tourists and eat real local food, and pay local prices. We tried other places, but we would find ourselves gravitating to Scotchies every other night.

At times, we would do our own thing and separate ourselves from the group, but since we like hanging out with people, we would find ourselves wanting to reconnect with our bunch after a few hours of alone time. The remainder of my time consisted of me sunning, swimming, eating, drinking, and eating some more.

I did manage to get up every morning at 6 am and go running with the hotel staffers. Billy discovered this group of runners after speaking to one of the marketing directors at the hotel. Frank, formed a running group in order to stay active. He noticed there were interested joggers in our group, so he committed to picking us up every morning. Our group ran on the paths of the most gorgeous golf courses in MoBay. The views alone motivated me to get up bright and early every morning.

Aside from the evident amount of poverty and hardships the Jamaicans face, the country and people are beautiful. From the lush vegetation to the crystal blue water, to the friendly faces with genuine smiles. Jamaica captivated me. There is a rawness and realness there that is refreshing to me. I wish I had had more time to get to know the locals and possibly volunteer some place where I could do some good. I believe in time I will have an opportunity to do so. Bidding season is slowly approaching. Billy and I are drawn to third world countries, so who knows, but for now I'll end this journey with a YAH MON!

ITALY! What?!

In the end of April, I came home to an itinerary sitting on top of our kitchen counter. The flight destination was Rome, Italy and the passengers name on the ticket was MINE! Yes, Billy surprised me with a ticket to Rome. He was scheduled to fly there for work and was going to spend 10 days, so what does he do...buys me a ticket so I can spend some time with him in Rome. I am a fortunate girl.

A day after Billy departed, I flew out of Dulles International to the capitol city of Italy to meet up with him for 8 full days. Prior to leaving, I called Hotel Bristol and asked about methods of transportation. I knew Billy would be busy with meetings that day, so I really couldn't depend on him picking me up from the airport. The options were of course, a taxi (as long as it was white), the hotel shuttle bus or the train/subway. So, I opted for the third option: train/subway in a city of 2.7 million people. Once the plane landed I couldn't wait to get off and start my adventure. Like I had planned, I took the train and subway to the hotel. After a lot of questions to the locals on which to train to take to Central(metro station) and how to get to Piazza Bernini (metro stop, 1 block from our hotel)I arrived an hour later at our hotel. I am very thankful many of the Italians I came across helped me out.

As soon as I got settled into the hotel room, Billy walked in. I just wanted to pinch myself. I couldn't believe we were together in Rome. I had been here before as a young teenager with my father, but to return as an adult and with my husband is a total different experience. I knew this trip would be very busy for Billy, but to be in the same place together was so very special to me.

Every morning Billy and I would enjoy breakfast together then off I would go, but before every journey a stop in the local coffee shop (Bar) for an espresso was a must. In Italy 3-4 espressos a day is completely normal. The locals walk into the bars and get a quick shot of coffee and leave. I would find myself spending 15-30 mins at these "bars" people watching. There's something about Italian's that just draws me to them. They have so much expression when they talk, it's truly an art form, and there's a lust for life which is present and real. Italians are very proud of who they are. I believe Italians think there's no greater nation than Italy and that's OK with me.

With a map in hand I would find myself roaming for hours in Rome. This city is a master piece full of history. Every corner has beautiful buildings, magnificent monuments, endless art, and piazzas where friends and lovers sit and enjoy hours of endless conversations. I would spend my days walking and just stumbling across the Pantheon, St. Peter's Square, the Roman Colosseum or numerous Basilicas. It's an amazing place, and to top it off the food is to die for. Even something as simple as a mozzarella/tomato panino or pasta with marinara sauce is always made from scratch and tastes out of this world.

After exploring during the day, Billy and I would always meet up for a marvelous dinner. Sometimes co-workers of his would join us and other times it was just him in I. Rome is very well lit at night, so we would take long walks, have a gelato and sometimes revisit areas I had discovered during the day.

Eight days went by so fast, but the trip was unforgettable. I will never take any of these experiences and quality time with my husband for granted. Ciao!

April Visitors

April was an entire month of back to back visitors. I believe I now have been into every museum in the DC area, and visited Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, and the National Cathedral (my favorite) more than I've cared to. But honestly, I'd do it all over again because I appreciated having the company and knowing that people made the time to come out to spend time with us.

Our first visitors were Billy's sister Katrina and her husband Jonas. They live in Beaufort, SC. They were mostly interest in relaxing and wanted to experience being in the city. Once they left my good friend, Donna who also lives in Beaufort, flew out to spend a few days with me. Our mission was to sleep in and enjoy each other's company. We had a fabulous time chatting, drinking wine, and having lunch or dinner in cute little restaurants in the DC area. Shortly after Donna left, my sister Renata and our nephew Tristan (7) and niece Karina (3) came from San Diego to spend time with us and explore DC. This was their first time in DC, and they wanted to fit as much as they could into one trip. Granted we had two young kids so we had to cater to their moods and nap times, but we were able to see a lot within our time frame. Once the kids left, we really missed their presence. Especially in the mornings when the kids would hop into bed with us and chat. Love that!

I believe all our visitors had a wonderful time visiting us in DC. At the end of the month, I was very exhausted, but thankful for the friends and family Billy and I have.

Love you guys ;)

"The Healing Tree"

I must be the worst blogger ever because it's been a little over 5 months since my last post. I apologize and promise to get better at this. Now I have to back track a little, which I don't think it's appropriate in the blogging world, but what the heck!

After my trip to San Diego, I took a massage therapist position at a cute independently owned wellness center in Alexandria, VA called the Healing Tree; only 2 miles from my house. This is a total perk because I don't have to deal with traffic at all. I was hired as an an independent contractor which couldn't have worked out any better. The owner of the wellness shoppe understands my situation with Billy's schedule and my desire of wanting to be with him when he's home. Thankfully she has allowed me to have total control over my schedule which accommodates my desire to work and maintain a sense of independence as well as keeps me happy when it comes to my marriage. It's a win win situation.

"Sun in the sky you know how I feel"

Flying over the Cuyamaca Mountains into San Diego brought a huge smile to my face. Once I landed and got out into the open air the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The beautiful landscape, palm trees, beach, mountains, desert and great food, makes California stand out from the rest of the states.

Billy and I decided to rent a car so we wouldn't have to rely on anyone to drive us around. The 10 minute drive from the airport to my sisters house seemed endless. I couldn't wait to arrive and see their faces. When they opened the door we couldn't hold back our emotions. I was so happy to see my mom, sister and her kids. The only one missing was my middle sister Fernanda who lives in Brazil, and who I miss so much. My sister kept her Christmas tree up so we could open up gifts and celebrate Christmas all over again. Tristan and Karina were so excited to pass out gifts, as well as open up their own gifts.

Our time in Diego was fantastic. We spent time with family, friends, and visited our favorite places. We even made time to go jogging in the mornings and hike while we were there. I must say though; it doesn't matter where you, as long as you surround yourself with people who love and nurture you, that's all that matters. I am thankful that I have that.

It’s going on 5 months since I’ve been in Arlington and the time sure has flown. In the last few months, I’ve been able to travel quite a bit, in fact, I am traveling now. I’m on my way to San Diego to visit my sister, mom, niece and nephew. Billy will also be joining me. He could have opted to go to an exotic place like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, or Doha but instead he asked for time off to spend time with me and my family.

Prior to this trip we were fortunate enough to spend Christmas in Beaufort, SC with his family. We stayed with his sister Katrina and her husband Jonas, who are always so hospitable and they make us feel at home, and they never have an issue with us bringing our dog Dante “Dewey” along. Billy’s sister asked us what we wanted to do while in Beaufort, and we responded, “relax, rest and hang out with family.” That's exactly what we did. We watched movies, ate a lot, walked downtown on the waterfront and slept, slept, slept; Billy more so than I (poor guy was exhausted from traveling nonstop for almost 2 months).

The icing on the cake was waking up Christmas morning and having our family around. Seeing our nephew, Gavin open up his gifts with such excitement was "priceless". I feel fortunate to share moments like these with the ones I love the most. People are not perfect therefore families tend to have their ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I truly feel blessed to have my family.

Now we’re on our way to San Diego, CA, for an extended Christmas with my side of the family. This trip will also be about family, but we definitely will go site seeing as well as eat lots of Mexican food. When it comes to Mexican food no other state has California beat; sorry Texas.

I spent my teenage years and early 20’s in San Diego. Billy and I met while working at Sea World when we were in high school. After a couple years of dating we got married and lived in the North Park/Normal Heights area for several years. During those years my family and Billy's family all lived in San Diego. Now only my younger sister, Renata and her kids, Tristan and Karina remain.

It's been exactly 2 years since we last saw her and the kids. My beloved mom, Maria is also visiting from Brazil, so we'll be able to spend time with her too. Even though we are all spread around and don’t see each other as much as we'd like, we do keep in touch often. I can’t wait to see my niece and nephew. They are adorable and have grown so much since I last saw them. This visit is long overdue.

Thanksgiving in White Plains, NY

Two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, I spent some time in Manhattan and had an incredible time. I had been in the city once before, but this time around I wasn’t worried about sightseeing. I just wanted to walk and eat, which I did. We even went clubbing one night at some hip, crazy, packed, night club. New York City is incredible. There’s nothing you can’t do, the people are direct, not “rude”, and the city is alive and filled with energy. Little did I know that I would be heading back to New York for the holidays.

Billy had just returned from Lisbon and received orders that he would be needed during Thanksgiving week in Upstate New York. So, I'm heading to White Plains, NY for an entire week and spending the holiday there with Billy and our dog Dante. There are times I miss having a routine, a schedule, a job, but right at this moment just being free to pick up and go feels nice.

(update after our trip)

Thanksgiving in White Plains was spectacular. We took the train early morning into NYC and watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later that night we ate at a real Diner. Aside from their regular menu they put together a Thanksgiving Menu for the evening. We sat inside the diner and ate until our heart's content. It was Delish! We even brought a little leftovers for “Dewey”. Most importantly we were together during the holiday.

I heart NYC

I arrived home all charged up from my trip to Beaufort and I was counting down the hours to see Billy, who would be arriving from New Zealand the following day. We were excited because we’d be able to spend at least a week together before his next trip, but instead he received notice saying he was needed in New York City within 24 hrs, and would be there for a full week before heading overseas for another week.

My heart sank with disappointment. With a zillion things for him to do before jetting off to Dulles, he asked that I join him in New York City for the week so we could spend some time together. First of all, I thought “my husband is pretty awesome to place me into this equation”, and second of all “hell YES!!! I will go to New York City”. The only stipulation was that we would have to go separately, but I didn’t mind that at all. We got him on the plane and I booked a ticket on the Vamoose Bus to meet him NYC.

The Vamoose Bus leaves from Rosslyn, VA to NYC on an hourly basis, every day of the week and it’s only $60 round trip. This bus is awesome; it has free Wi-Fi and plush seats. Plus, you save money on gas, tolls, and parking, and it drops you off in Manhattan in front of Penn Station. If you want to save money and don’t mind the 4hrs commute, this is the way to go. Needless to say, I left the following day and the bus ride was fantastic.

Billy offered to pick me up at Penn Station, but I declined because I felt I could get myself to the hotel using the subway. This way he wouldn’t have to deal with city traffic. Prior to making this decision, I called the hotel concierge before leaving DC and he encouraged me to take the subway. I wasn’t too familiar with the subway system, but my thoughts were I speak English; I’m in NYC how difficult could it be? Billy thought it was funny and kept saying, “you go miss independent city girl.” So, with luggage in hand, I took the subway and got myself to the Mid-Town hotel where I would be staying for the next 5 days. It felt so nice to see Billy and how exciting it was to be able to spend time together in the Big Apple.

Halloween in Beaufort

Since I am currently not working and Billy is off on another trip, I’ve decided to drive to Beaufort with my side kick Dante “Dewey”. I didn’t think I’d be heading back so soon, but lately I’ve been in a bit of a funk so a trip to the LowCountry to get a dose of love from friends and family is just what the doctor ordered.

The drive is 9 hrs, but with Starbucks rushing through my veins and a selection of rockin’ music, I will be fine. My father instilled in me a sense of adventure and fearlessness which has always allowed me to be independent, open minded, and courageous. I’ve never had a fear of traveling alone or doing things by myself. If I had the opportunity to be dropped off in a village in the middle Africa I would get a rush out of that. I live for that stuff and I can’t wait for that time to come.

So, with all that said, I’ll be arriving in Beaufort just in time for Halloween. Not quite sure what I’ll dress up as, but something will come to me. It will be nice to be at my sister-n-laws house for a few days, and tonight, she has a group of friends coming over. We’ll have a bon fire going, lots of candy, drinks and other goodies, as well as a jam session of Rock Band. It’s going to be a blast!!! I better get on the road...time is a wasting.