In a couple of weeks I'll be heading to Belize and Guatemala with 18 students. Getting to this point has been a challenge. The kids are getting excited as the day draws closer. Me? I'll get excited once I'm on the plane heading there. I have a lot to do yet but at least I'm already packed. Living in New England, I don't have to worry about wearing shorts until the end of May so it was easy to pack up the warm weather clothes, my diving stuff, and other tropical type items. I'm hoping the kids have a great experience and that for the chaperons heading with us (Doc and I) will also enjoy the trip. I really hope to be a light to those we encounter. I hope that the student's eyes will be opened to the beauty that surrounds them and come away appreciating how good they have it here in the US. It will be interesting to read their journals once we get back.
I know I won't be able to keep a day-to-day blog of the trip because I'm choosing to travel light. I'll blog about the trip and experience when I get back. I enjoy looking forward to these types of trips because I can leave the cell phone, the ipod, and the computer behind and just experience nature with no distractions. Since it will be awhile before I post on Belize/Guatemala 2009, I figured I would go back a couple years and post about a trip I took to Hawaii/New Zealand in 2007. Basically I spent a month away from work with 2 professors, 18 college students, and our friends, the E's. I definitely have a lot of pictures to choose from. My husband was in charge of getting me killer shots for my classes. I think the final count was around 1000 photos in Hawaii and close to 2000 photos in New Zealand. So enjoy!
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventure. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Switzerland Adventure 2008
My husband had been to Switzerland 10 years prior to my visit. He went and visited his friend, Gabriella, for a few weeks. After viewing the many hours of video tape and pictures, I feel in love with Switzerland. When my best friend, S, took a position in Geneva, we started making plans for me to come visit. I headed to Switzerland on July 27, 2008. Just getting to Geneva was an adventure. Usually the road to the airport is packed but on this day, it was smooth sailing. Even security checkpoint lines weren't too bad. All ready to catch my flight when that dreaded announcement came over the speakers "Flight #### has been delayed due to weather."
See JFK was shutdown due to thunderstorms and flights leaving JFK were grounded. The flight I was taking from Boston to JFK hadn't even left JFK. Well what to do? I could have waited to see about making the original delayed time but realized that if I did I would miss my connecting to Zurich. So the attendant at the counter booked me on a Air France flight leaving from Boston to Paris and then on to Zurich. Great! I had to locate my backpack and this was a hassle in and of itself. Finally a baggage handler from my original airline company went and collected it from the back room. I grabbed my bag and rushed to the International terminal to catch my flight. After making my way through the lines and security I was able to sit and rest before the flight. My new flight got delayed but it wasn't too bad. Finally I was off and on my way to Paris.
The flight wasn't bad. Got a few hours of sleep before touching down in Paris while the sun was coming up. Now getting around Paris CDG airport is interesting. I basically had to rush to my next gate, which wasn't so easy to find. At least I wasn't the only one with that issue. Hopped a people mover to the tarmac and boarded a prop plane. Such a tiny little plane, so much so that the flight attendant had to move people from the front of the plane so it wouldn't be so heavy. Scary thought!
Finally I touched down in Zurich. Coming out the gate I was hit with the strong smell of stale, cigarette smoke. Since most places in the U.S. are smoke-free, I'm not use to it. This made me want to rush and get outside fast. Going through customs was a breeze. No one was really waiting to check luggage or bags. After exiting customs, I exchanged some money, freshened up in the bathroom and headed across the street to the Eurorail station. Here I authorized my Swiss Pass and waited for my train to Geneva. Sitting in the station, I had a chance to people watch. It always amazes me that people are all the same no matter where you go. You have the younger generation trying to stand out and catch the eye of the opposite sex; the tourist looking sleep deprived; the business crowd rushing to and fro; the elderly taking their time; the families looking for a moment of peace; and the average worker waiting for the end of the day. Eventually I hopped my train and traveled to Geneva where I met up with S and her husband, A. It was good to see them. S still looking cute and adorable as always and A's driving is still the same, just European-ized. After a rocky start, my Switzerland adventure began!
See JFK was shutdown due to thunderstorms and flights leaving JFK were grounded. The flight I was taking from Boston to JFK hadn't even left JFK. Well what to do? I could have waited to see about making the original delayed time but realized that if I did I would miss my connecting to Zurich. So the attendant at the counter booked me on a Air France flight leaving from Boston to Paris and then on to Zurich. Great! I had to locate my backpack and this was a hassle in and of itself. Finally a baggage handler from my original airline company went and collected it from the back room. I grabbed my bag and rushed to the International terminal to catch my flight. After making my way through the lines and security I was able to sit and rest before the flight. My new flight got delayed but it wasn't too bad. Finally I was off and on my way to Paris.
The flight wasn't bad. Got a few hours of sleep before touching down in Paris while the sun was coming up. Now getting around Paris CDG airport is interesting. I basically had to rush to my next gate, which wasn't so easy to find. At least I wasn't the only one with that issue. Hopped a people mover to the tarmac and boarded a prop plane. Such a tiny little plane, so much so that the flight attendant had to move people from the front of the plane so it wouldn't be so heavy. Scary thought!
Finally I touched down in Zurich. Coming out the gate I was hit with the strong smell of stale, cigarette smoke. Since most places in the U.S. are smoke-free, I'm not use to it. This made me want to rush and get outside fast. Going through customs was a breeze. No one was really waiting to check luggage or bags. After exiting customs, I exchanged some money, freshened up in the bathroom and headed across the street to the Eurorail station. Here I authorized my Swiss Pass and waited for my train to Geneva. Sitting in the station, I had a chance to people watch. It always amazes me that people are all the same no matter where you go. You have the younger generation trying to stand out and catch the eye of the opposite sex; the tourist looking sleep deprived; the business crowd rushing to and fro; the elderly taking their time; the families looking for a moment of peace; and the average worker waiting for the end of the day. Eventually I hopped my train and traveled to Geneva where I met up with S and her husband, A. It was good to see them. S still looking cute and adorable as always and A's driving is still the same, just European-ized. After a rocky start, my Switzerland adventure began!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The journey beings....
J.R.R. Tolkein stated "Still around the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate."
I've always have been the one looking for adventures. After viewing blogs from friends, I thought about venturing out and trying one myself and why not reflect on the places, people, food, experiences I've had so far in life! There is so much more that I want to experience in life, I can't wait to see what new adventure awaits.
So let the journey begin...
I've always have been the one looking for adventures. After viewing blogs from friends, I thought about venturing out and trying one myself and why not reflect on the places, people, food, experiences I've had so far in life! There is so much more that I want to experience in life, I can't wait to see what new adventure awaits.
So let the journey begin...
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