A little video I put together of the past 4 Christmases in Texas. Yes, I know...I'm a big cheeseball. The song is 'O Holy Night' - my all-time favorite Christmas song - by Selah.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Autumn has arrived!
Aaron and I went to the Berkshires yesterday to go hiking and apple picking, which was a first for me in the New England area. The trees are bright colors of orange, yellow and red, and are just awesome!
So, we started off with our hike. It was supposed to be an hour - hour and a half long. The guy gave us a little piece of paper with random directions like, 'Turn left after the 3rd stone wall' and 'Knock on the tree with the orange stripe and ask the squirrel who lives there which direction to go next'. Ok, maybe not the second one, but the other directions were a bit vague. Fortunately, he left his cell phone number at the bottom of the paper, just in case. Anywho, we were off! It started off great...until we get to one part of the directions and become a bit confused. But rather than give in to the idea that we couldn't figure it out, we just guessed the next step. Well, we were wrong, so we turned around after about 10 minutes. No biggie. At this point, we had already been walking for an hour, so I suggested we turn around and go back because I was going to need food soon. So, we turn around and walk in the direction we came from. After letting Aaron lead, an hour later I realize that I don't recognize ANY of the surroundings. I tried looking for a squirrel or chipmunk to stop so I could ask for directions, but didn't find any. Apparently, even they knew to not be on the path we were on.
So, after descending this very steep hill, I finally just stopped walking. Aaron said that he would go down a bit further to see where it leads. So, he runs down for about 5 minutes as I stop to admire nature, and kill a few bugs, and then he yells back up to me,'We're on the right path! Come on down!' Ok, I believe him. So, I walk down the hill and ask him why he thinks this is the right way. He says, 'I remember passing these cotton plants'. Well, I also remembered passing cotton plants, but not there! Way back on the other, 'correct', path! So, I told him we needed to backtrack...now...before we get really lost. Back up the extremely steep hill...I was dying!...and we finally got back onto the right path 45 minutes later. After our 3 hour hike, we were exhausted and hungry.
After a quick bite to eat and some apple picking, we were on our way home! We both crashed as soon as we arrived back, but woke up a bit to watch the Sox game before giving in to the exhaustion. Ahh...you gotta love Fall!
So, we started off with our hike. It was supposed to be an hour - hour and a half long. The guy gave us a little piece of paper with random directions like, 'Turn left after the 3rd stone wall' and 'Knock on the tree with the orange stripe and ask the squirrel who lives there which direction to go next'. Ok, maybe not the second one, but the other directions were a bit vague. Fortunately, he left his cell phone number at the bottom of the paper, just in case. Anywho, we were off! It started off great...until we get to one part of the directions and become a bit confused. But rather than give in to the idea that we couldn't figure it out, we just guessed the next step. Well, we were wrong, so we turned around after about 10 minutes. No biggie. At this point, we had already been walking for an hour, so I suggested we turn around and go back because I was going to need food soon. So, we turn around and walk in the direction we came from. After letting Aaron lead, an hour later I realize that I don't recognize ANY of the surroundings. I tried looking for a squirrel or chipmunk to stop so I could ask for directions, but didn't find any. Apparently, even they knew to not be on the path we were on.
So, after descending this very steep hill, I finally just stopped walking. Aaron said that he would go down a bit further to see where it leads. So, he runs down for about 5 minutes as I stop to admire nature, and kill a few bugs, and then he yells back up to me,'We're on the right path! Come on down!' Ok, I believe him. So, I walk down the hill and ask him why he thinks this is the right way. He says, 'I remember passing these cotton plants'. Well, I also remembered passing cotton plants, but not there! Way back on the other, 'correct', path! So, I told him we needed to backtrack...now...before we get really lost. Back up the extremely steep hill...I was dying!...and we finally got back onto the right path 45 minutes later. After our 3 hour hike, we were exhausted and hungry.
After a quick bite to eat and some apple picking, we were on our way home! We both crashed as soon as we arrived back, but woke up a bit to watch the Sox game before giving in to the exhaustion. Ahh...you gotta love Fall!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
First week of 'real' work...
This whole selling business should be interesting.....
I went to go to see the movie 'Miracle at St. Anna' last night. Excellent movie, but very tough. Kind of like a 'Saving Private Ryan' movie. There are still a lot of scenes that are playing in my head over and over. I'm not sure how many of you have heard of it, but it takes place in WW II and focuses on the black regiments deployed in Italy. If you eventually go see it, just be aware that half of the movie is subtitled because they kept it 'real' by having the German soldiers speak German and the Italian civilians speak Italian. I love that, though, because it makes it feel more authentic....
It was a nice break from thinking about work, even though it was tough to watch. My first week was ok, but I can tell that this is going to be a difficult transition from the types of jobs I've had before. All I wish for, at this point in time, is that no one throws a book at me or grabs me and throws me outside! Both of which have happened to others in the company...can you believe that?! They tell me that my first year will be the most difficult...so if I can make it through the next 11 months, then I'll be good to go :)
The leaves have starting changing here, and it's awesome! I'll take some pics as soon as it stops raining (ugh).
Later gators!
I went to go to see the movie 'Miracle at St. Anna' last night. Excellent movie, but very tough. Kind of like a 'Saving Private Ryan' movie. There are still a lot of scenes that are playing in my head over and over. I'm not sure how many of you have heard of it, but it takes place in WW II and focuses on the black regiments deployed in Italy. If you eventually go see it, just be aware that half of the movie is subtitled because they kept it 'real' by having the German soldiers speak German and the Italian civilians speak Italian. I love that, though, because it makes it feel more authentic....
It was a nice break from thinking about work, even though it was tough to watch. My first week was ok, but I can tell that this is going to be a difficult transition from the types of jobs I've had before. All I wish for, at this point in time, is that no one throws a book at me or grabs me and throws me outside! Both of which have happened to others in the company...can you believe that?! They tell me that my first year will be the most difficult...so if I can make it through the next 11 months, then I'll be good to go :)
The leaves have starting changing here, and it's awesome! I'll take some pics as soon as it stops raining (ugh).
Later gators!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Pomp and Circumstance
Well, it's over. Officially. My 3 weeks of training have come to an end, for which I am extremely grateful! And, I managed to nab the Valedictorian honor...which I'm really proud of since I was the only non-sales person in the class :) So now the real fun begins....the actual job starts this Monday. I went out into the field last Monday and managed to get 5 appointments for next week (one other person got 4, 6 others got 1 appt., and 2 got zero...so I won that contest ;D ) The only thing is that now I have to do 5 presentations. I really feel like I'm just jumping into freezing cold water before sticking in a toe or two to test it out. But I guess that's the best way to learn, right? If all goes well, I could get my first sale next week, which would mean a gift from the company :) I like the sound of gifts! (Although, I really like the sound of money more :P )
We took a class picture, which turned out nice. But then the photographer asked us to be animated for the last one. So everyone sticks out one arm as if to say 'Welcome!', and what do I do?! The crane from Karate Kid....I'm not joking. I even blocked out one of my classmates with my right hand while doing it! I laughed so hard that I could barely breathe! The guys gotta big kick out of, too. The trainer -the last one on the right- probably got really tired of me talking about it, because she just gave me the only copy of the photo (which was supposed to be hers) on the last day as a 'gift'. Too funny!
We took a class picture, which turned out nice. But then the photographer asked us to be animated for the last one. So everyone sticks out one arm as if to say 'Welcome!', and what do I do?! The crane from Karate Kid....I'm not joking. I even blocked out one of my classmates with my right hand while doing it! I laughed so hard that I could barely breathe! The guys gotta big kick out of, too. The trainer -the last one on the right- probably got really tired of me talking about it, because she just gave me the only copy of the photo (which was supposed to be hers) on the last day as a 'gift'. Too funny!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
One more week to go...
So, for those of you in suspense on whether or not I made it to Connecticut without getting lost....I made it there perfectly fine (like everyone said I would!), with a huge thanks to my GPS. That thing is freakin awesome!
The first 2 weeks of training have been unbelievably intense. We're flying at about 500 miles an hour with all this information, and then leave class to do about 2 to 4 hours of homework. I didn't work for 3 months, so my body is really hating me for making it get up at 6 am and working from 8 am to 8 pm! Something I will have to get used to now that I'm employed :) There are 9 people in my class, all of whom have sales experience. There's only one other girl, too, who actually lives in CT and drives to the hotel every morning. So, it's basically me hanging out with a bunch of guys. They're a fun group, and we have a lot of laughs, so it's not complete torture. But, it's just so exhausting!
Before I forget, I have to say 'Thank you' to all of you who wrote to me on my birthday!!! You all made my day! I had a rough weekend before, to say the least. It finally hit me that I moved, and don't have any friends here yet, so I spent the whole weekend depressed. And then I had to drive back on Sunday for training, and to prepare for an evaluation in front of the class. I was a wreck! I seriously felt like I was going to throw up. In the end, I asked to go first, and ended up doing well. The trainer was grinning ear to ear after I finished because I had told her how bothered I was to do the role play in front of everyone, and in the end I did well. I was just happy to sit down in my seat, but it took me another 20 minutes before my body temperature went down from 367 degrees to 98.6. The real fun will begin this Thursday when I have a 'final role play', from start to finish of the sales call - 1 hr. 20 min. - with either my manager or another high up management person. The big positive there, though, is that I do NOT have to do it in front of the class. However, we are still evaluated....
So, now I'm preparing for tomorrow....big day. I have to go to my office in MA, sit in on the usual Monday meeting, and then go out BY MYSELF to potential new clients to introduce myself and to try to set up appointments for the week after. This is such a different type of job than the ones I'm used to! At least I'll be by myself so I don't look like an idiot in front of my manager.
Aaron had a rough week, as well. One of the kids he used to teach was diagnosed with leukemia about 2 years ago, and he just passed away last Tuesday at the age of 10. I actually met him 2 weeks ago when we stopped to eat at Friendly's....he had just come back from the clinic, and he looked like any other skinny 9 year old. Smiling and looking like he had another 80 years to live...but he had a rough go of it last weekend and died 2 days after his 10th birthday. I hate hearing about kids dying...makes me sad. So Aaron is going to the wake today and funeral tomorrow....it will be a hard couple of days for him.
Let's see....what else?? My niece, Lucy, turned 2 the day before me (7th) and Maddy will turn 3 tomorrow (15th). My step brother is also celebrating his 15th birthday tomorrow, and Aaron's birthday is Friday (19th). So, September has been chock full of birthdays....lots of Virgos in my family!! And then I have some close friends that celebrated their birthdays, too, so I apologize if I didn't give you a shout out on your special day! I have almost no internet access there, unless I want to pay, so I wait til the weekend when I'm home. But it doesn't mean I didn't think about you!!
There are so many of you that I would love to talk to right now! I wish I didn't have time constraints or time differences getting in the way......by the way, NINA BREITFELD...I tried calling you yesterday. I will try again today, but if I don't catch you then plan on me calling next weekend :) You are a difficult person to reach!
Ok, I'm off to prepare for my 'Meet and Greets' for tomorrow...wish me luck! I really hope no one slams the door in my face or has security escort me out of the building!
I miss you all....big, big hugs to all of you :)
P.S. - MIRA...guess what has started already?? PUMPKINS!!! The autumn is almost here!!!! I've started taking some pictures already ;)
The first 2 weeks of training have been unbelievably intense. We're flying at about 500 miles an hour with all this information, and then leave class to do about 2 to 4 hours of homework. I didn't work for 3 months, so my body is really hating me for making it get up at 6 am and working from 8 am to 8 pm! Something I will have to get used to now that I'm employed :) There are 9 people in my class, all of whom have sales experience. There's only one other girl, too, who actually lives in CT and drives to the hotel every morning. So, it's basically me hanging out with a bunch of guys. They're a fun group, and we have a lot of laughs, so it's not complete torture. But, it's just so exhausting!
Before I forget, I have to say 'Thank you' to all of you who wrote to me on my birthday!!! You all made my day! I had a rough weekend before, to say the least. It finally hit me that I moved, and don't have any friends here yet, so I spent the whole weekend depressed. And then I had to drive back on Sunday for training, and to prepare for an evaluation in front of the class. I was a wreck! I seriously felt like I was going to throw up. In the end, I asked to go first, and ended up doing well. The trainer was grinning ear to ear after I finished because I had told her how bothered I was to do the role play in front of everyone, and in the end I did well. I was just happy to sit down in my seat, but it took me another 20 minutes before my body temperature went down from 367 degrees to 98.6. The real fun will begin this Thursday when I have a 'final role play', from start to finish of the sales call - 1 hr. 20 min. - with either my manager or another high up management person. The big positive there, though, is that I do NOT have to do it in front of the class. However, we are still evaluated....
So, now I'm preparing for tomorrow....big day. I have to go to my office in MA, sit in on the usual Monday meeting, and then go out BY MYSELF to potential new clients to introduce myself and to try to set up appointments for the week after. This is such a different type of job than the ones I'm used to! At least I'll be by myself so I don't look like an idiot in front of my manager.
Aaron had a rough week, as well. One of the kids he used to teach was diagnosed with leukemia about 2 years ago, and he just passed away last Tuesday at the age of 10. I actually met him 2 weeks ago when we stopped to eat at Friendly's....he had just come back from the clinic, and he looked like any other skinny 9 year old. Smiling and looking like he had another 80 years to live...but he had a rough go of it last weekend and died 2 days after his 10th birthday. I hate hearing about kids dying...makes me sad. So Aaron is going to the wake today and funeral tomorrow....it will be a hard couple of days for him.
Let's see....what else?? My niece, Lucy, turned 2 the day before me (7th) and Maddy will turn 3 tomorrow (15th). My step brother is also celebrating his 15th birthday tomorrow, and Aaron's birthday is Friday (19th). So, September has been chock full of birthdays....lots of Virgos in my family!! And then I have some close friends that celebrated their birthdays, too, so I apologize if I didn't give you a shout out on your special day! I have almost no internet access there, unless I want to pay, so I wait til the weekend when I'm home. But it doesn't mean I didn't think about you!!
There are so many of you that I would love to talk to right now! I wish I didn't have time constraints or time differences getting in the way......by the way, NINA BREITFELD...I tried calling you yesterday. I will try again today, but if I don't catch you then plan on me calling next weekend :) You are a difficult person to reach!
Ok, I'm off to prepare for my 'Meet and Greets' for tomorrow...wish me luck! I really hope no one slams the door in my face or has security escort me out of the building!
I miss you all....big, big hugs to all of you :)
P.S. - MIRA...guess what has started already?? PUMPKINS!!! The autumn is almost here!!!! I've started taking some pictures already ;)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
'NEW' News
Well, I can officially say that I have a job now! I was actually hired about a week ago but I wanted to make sure that I completed the first few steps before announcing it to anyone. So, my new job will be as a Media Sales Consultant - fancy title for 'salesperson' - for Yellow Book USA. For those of you who don't know Yellow Book, they are the largest (I think) company producing business advertising in print (the yellow pages) and online. So, my job will be to acquire new clients by getting them to advertise their business in our book and online. It might not sound too exciting, but the company is a good one to work for and their product is great. I leave next Monday for 3 weeks of training in Connecticut, but I'm more nervous about driving there than I am about the actual training! I mean, it's only 1 1/2 hrs drive, so it's kinda close actually...but I just got my NEW CAR!!!, so I'm nervous.
Yeah, so I got my car on Monday, and it is awesome! It's a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, and it drives beautifully. It had a whopping 13 miles on it when I drove it off the lot! I took some pictures:
Yeah, so I got my car on Monday, and it is awesome! It's a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, and it drives beautifully. It had a whopping 13 miles on it when I drove it off the lot! I took some pictures:
So, a lotta new things happening :) I will keep you posted on how the job goes, and if I was able to make it to Connecticut without getting lost!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Rockport!
Hey there! Aaron and I just came back from Rockport, which is north of Boston, on an incredibly beautiful day and I just had to post pictures! It's a little fishing type village, with tons of cute and quaint little shops and amazing photo opportunities. Neither one of us wanted to leave and decided that we could definitely see ourselves in a summer home there ;) What made it even more awesome than it already was was the Fall-like weather of a high of 70 degrees and bright sun. We're supposed to have more days like this in the next week, which is just awesome because it totally makes everything seem so perfect in life...even when I don't have a job or a car!
I have an entire day blocked tomorrow for an interview. I'm hoping that all goes well and that there is a job offer in my future ;) So, cross your fingers, everyone!!
Ok, here are some of the pics I took today:
The most photographed/painted building in America
I have an entire day blocked tomorrow for an interview. I'm hoping that all goes well and that there is a job offer in my future ;) So, cross your fingers, everyone!!
Ok, here are some of the pics I took today:
The most photographed/painted building in America
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
CELINE!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, after a week and a half of hardcore job searching, it was finally time to take a break :) Aaron had bought us tickets back in February or March for the Celine Dion concert in Boston. And let me just say that she did not disappoint!! She is one of my all-time favorite singers ever (and I know there are a lot of you out there that are 'closet fans'!! Don't deny it....she is AWESOME!), and she definitely knows how to perform.
They had an announcement on the screens saying that they would be filming the show for a future DVD, so who knows? Maybe I will be forever immortalized in the form of a Celine Dion DVD....we had great seats, but we weren't close enough to touch her. I told Aaron that the next time I go to see her (ah yes, there WILL be a next time!), I will pay more so I will have a chance to shake her hand! I know, I'm weird, but she is seriously awesome. Her husband, Rene, was there and walked right past us and sat about 20 rows over surrounded by bodyguards.
I was on my feet after several of her songs, dancing and cheering away...man, she is just so awesome. Did I say that already?? I thought she would be singing songs only from her newest album, but it turned out to be a compilation of all of her hits. So, my all-time favorite Celine song (and quite possibly favorite EVER) was sung right after her intro song...Power of Love. Brilliant...I was seriously grinning from ear to ear.
Actually, before she even got on stage, there was a guy named Gordy Brown who opened the act. I was thinking, 'Great, all I want to see is Celine, not some nobody no one has ever heard of'. Well, this guy was flippin hilarious!!! I mean, he did all these dead-on impersonations of singers and changed up the words to their famous songs. He also did a mean George Bush, Jack Nicholson, and Mike Tyson. I was seriously laughing the whole way through....what a great opening act for a great singer :) I know...I'm going on and on about Celine, but what can I say? She is AWESOME!!
Ok, time to relax and unwind from an exhausting day of talking about myself! Catch ya laters!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I have no idea why I'm signing up for 2 soccer teams....I must be crazy or something, since I haven't really played in years. And, on top of that, I'm working out with a trainer twice a week. So, if I do not see some serious results in a month or so, I'm gonna stop doing all exercise and just become a couch potato!
So, you might want to start praying for me now :) Also, side note, my resume will be going out next Monday....so while you're at it, pray for that, too! Please :)
Things are going well....I'm starting to get a bit anxious about the job thing, but I know things will work out. I really want/need a car, so I would like to get a job before doing that. It's annoying how one thing hinges on another! Oh well....for the moment, I'm chauffeured all over :) It's kinda nice...
We're off to Syracuse, NY, on Friday for a wedding and will get back on Saturday. I've never been there, so that's cool...in fact, I haven't been to NY since I was 12! Aaron is convinced that he's going to get me up on the dance floor, but he will be sorely disappointed! I hate dancing....especially at social functions like weddings! If he has no clue as to how stubborn I can be, he will witness it this Friday!
Til later, folks!
So, you might want to start praying for me now :) Also, side note, my resume will be going out next Monday....so while you're at it, pray for that, too! Please :)
Things are going well....I'm starting to get a bit anxious about the job thing, but I know things will work out. I really want/need a car, so I would like to get a job before doing that. It's annoying how one thing hinges on another! Oh well....for the moment, I'm chauffeured all over :) It's kinda nice...
We're off to Syracuse, NY, on Friday for a wedding and will get back on Saturday. I've never been there, so that's cool...in fact, I haven't been to NY since I was 12! Aaron is convinced that he's going to get me up on the dance floor, but he will be sorely disappointed! I hate dancing....especially at social functions like weddings! If he has no clue as to how stubborn I can be, he will witness it this Friday!
Til later, folks!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Second lighthouse we stopped at in Maine
HELLO!! I'm still here!
I know I've fallen off the face of the earth for most of you, and I apologize. It has been one busy month, which started the moment I stepped off the plane on June 12th. I decided to change the name and look of my blog, since the other one no longer applies :) I couldn't come up with anything catchier than what you see, but maybe I'll change it in the future.
So, where to begin?? I spent the first 9 days back in the U.S. going to Wal-Mart and Target to buy the things we needed/wanted for the apartment, as well as took care of all that pesky administrative crap (social security card, driver's license, bank account, etc). Then, just as we finished all of that, my sister and her family arrived to spend the last 2 weeks in the U.S. with us before they moved to Japan. We had a blast! My niece, Lucy, is an absolute doll and I really enjoyed spending so much time with her.
My sister and I really wanted to see our grandparents while she was here, and we didn't know if it would be possible. But we ended up deciding to go for the long drive to New Jersey to my aunt's house, where my grandparents were staying for a few days. Aaron was nice enough to drive all the way down and back...15 hours! It was soooo worth it, though!! I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time, and it was so great to see my dad's side of the family again. The last time I saw my grandparents was in 2002, and my aunts and uncles in 1998. So, a trip was WAY overdue! One of the many great memories while we were there: Sitting on the porch, listening to my uncle Doug play his guitar and sing until 11 pm. It was a beautiful night, and their house is 3 blocks from the beach, so there was a great breeze as well. We shared many laughs and had an awesome time :)
Grandma and Grandpa Butz
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, Sister and her family, me and Aaron....oh, and Cooper (dog)...Aaron's best friend while we were there :D
We got back to Boston the same day my brother, Tom, and his daughter, Madyson, flew in. We spent time relaxing, playing with the kids, and went to Maine for a day. Maine was awesome! We stopped at two lighthouses, which were both beautiful. Then we had to make a trip to one of my all time favorite stores, L.L. Bean :D I was in Heaven! The store is broken up into different buildings because it's so big, so I had fun wandering around and taking pictures ;)
I moved all my stuff from Switzerland using this handy L.L. Bean backpack ;)
My brother and Maddy
Madyson and Lucy, looking for something to get into
Backseat buddies
My dad flew in on the 4th (July), and we went to Old Sturbridge Village, which is about 45 minutes south of Framingham. They had a special fireworks evening in celebration of the 4th (America's independence day, for those of you who don't know ;) ), and we walked around the colonial village beforehand. It was actually a pretty cool place, even just to go there for the day and to see all the people dressed up in colonial costumes. Lucy was terrified of the fireworks, and Madyson watched in wonder with her tiny hands holding her cheeks...it was too cute.
Before the fireworks
The next few days we tackled the Boston Children's Museum and the New England Aquarium, and then headed into the North End for one big family dinner before everyone headed out the next day. The North End is the Italian quarter of Boston, and I really enjoyed walking around the area. It felt European, so whenever I get 'homesick' for Switzerland and Europe, I can just take a walk around certain quarters in Boston ;)
Check out their new Converse shoes I got them...adorable!
On the 8th, we all jumped in our planes - Amanda and her family to Osaka, Japan, and the rest of us to exotic Abilene, TX :D I introduced Aaron to a little of the Texas culture, although not much...I didn't want to scare him too badly ;) Next time we go, we'll have to go to a rodeo or something really Texan, like the Rattlesnake Roundup....although, I've never been to a rodeo in my life, and I hated the Rattlesnake Roundup!!
While we were there, Kim, Aaron and I made a trip to Dallas to meet an old roommate from my college days, Lacey. It was so much fun catching up with her, and meeting her 2 yr. old, Jackson. He is too cute! It did not feel like 8 years had gone by, especially since the last time we even talked was right before Kim and I moved to Dallas in 2001. Thank you, Facebook, for your awesomeness in connecting long lost friends :D We walked around the outlet mall for a few hours, laughing over some of our wacky and humorous moments from our college days.
Jackson, Lacey (who's looking awesome at 7 months pregnant!), me and Kim
The rest of the time in Abilene was spent mostly hanging out with family (my brother, Tom, and his family live there) and eating. I ate so much that I felt like I had gained 10 lbs in that one week...so I started going to the gym today and had my first workout training session with a personal trainer. I have never been as embarrassed about working out as I was today! He started me on upper body machines and weights, and by the time we made one full round of all 5 exercises, my arms were really shaky. Then he asked me to do a second round of all 5, which I made halfway through before I started feeling like I was going to hurl! So, I barely made it through the second round, after a 5 minute break!, and started on the cow bell. Ok, one thing you may want to know before you do this after taking a 7 year hiatus from working out: you do not feel the effects of the cow bell until you put it down. So, I'm working out pretty good on it, feeling awesome about my workout, when I finish and put it down. All of a sudden, the blood started rushing everywhere and I started seeing white spots all around me! Then I was sure I was going to hurl....so I sat down and just prayed that I would be able to walk out of the gym on my own two feet and not on a stretcher! The trainer suggested we stop for the day, and we got up and walked over to the other side of the gym to discuss nutrition. On the way over, it took everything in me to stand up straight and put one foot in front of the other without falling....my arms were complete jello and both my hamstrings started cramping the moment I got up to walk. Awesome, huh? I was so grateful to make it to the couch, but couldn't sit on it straight because I had no energy to turn my body before sitting! So I just fell into it and tried to calm myself down so I wouldn't throw up.
I have never had an experience like that before...in my life! I was so embarrassed, but I'm going back next week to see if I can work out for more than 15 minutes before almost passing out!
Ok, I know a gajillion of you have written me awesome emails, expecting answers in return. I promise that I will be caught up on all my emails by the end of this weekend! It's just been cra-zazy trying to get all my visits with family in, plus organize my life here. I hope you are all doing great and enjoying the summer, wherever you may be :) I miss you all!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Greetings from Boston!!
Kim sent me a little 'Welcome Home' gift: an America-themed cookie bouquet :)
The night before I left, I headed over to the Plainpalais FanZone to watch Switzerland lose to Turkey on the big screen. It was really disappointing, but the Swiss just weren't putting them in the back of the net...and they had a gajillion opportunities to do it, too! So, afterwards I walked home and attempted to sleep. But I had to get up 5 hours later and tossed and turned all night.
Mira and I showing our support for the Swiss in the Euro Cup
My friend, Flavia, took me to the airport, where I met 3 other friends for breakfast. They were so sweet and had written me cards and had bought little Swiss souvenirs for me. It was so great to be sent off by friends, since I almost always take a taxi to the airport and travel alone. There were a few tears shed, mostly by Nina :), but I don't like saying 'goodbye'. I prefer 'see you later'. I'm positive that I'll be back to visit...Switzerland was a huge part of my life, and all my experiences, friends and families will never be forgotten.
A new chapter has begun :) Boston has been great the past couple of weeks. Aaron and I have spent almost 9 full days rearranging and 'upgrading' his apartment to accommodate all my things, as well as my taste ;) I have a couple of days before my sister arrives, and then my brother will arrive on the 1st. It will be an action-packed 3 weeks ahead of me....well, we are spending a week in Abilene, Texas, so it won't be completely action-packed the whole time! There's not a whole lot to do there, so I imagine we'll just do what every other person does: go out to eat and go to the movies.
Well, I probably won't be updating until after I get back from TX, but I promise to reply to everyone's emails as soon as I can! It's just been absolutely insane the past 2 weeks.... Til next time!
Flavia, me, Mira and Kevin at the airport, with Nina taking the picture
A new chapter has begun :) Boston has been great the past couple of weeks. Aaron and I have spent almost 9 full days rearranging and 'upgrading' his apartment to accommodate all my things, as well as my taste ;) I have a couple of days before my sister arrives, and then my brother will arrive on the 1st. It will be an action-packed 3 weeks ahead of me....well, we are spending a week in Abilene, Texas, so it won't be completely action-packed the whole time! There's not a whole lot to do there, so I imagine we'll just do what every other person does: go out to eat and go to the movies.
Well, I probably won't be updating until after I get back from TX, but I promise to reply to everyone's emails as soon as I can! It's just been absolutely insane the past 2 weeks.... Til next time!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
SWITZERLAND: THINGS I WILL MISS- Summer - the best time of the year in Geneva - with all the beautiful flowers in bloom, soft green grass, amazing views of both the Jura and the Alps, sitting at outdoor cafes until 1 am, BBQs and picnics with my friends, bike rides along the lake, boat rides to Yvoire, Fête de Genève...
- One of the best things about being in Geneva: the proximity to France and Italy!
- Going to the Divonne market in France, and filling up on those YUMMY almond croissants that I dream about and drool over until I get one!
- Raclette and Fondue....I never realized how much I love cheese until I moved here.
- Speaking French with native French speakers :)
- The view from my room - St. Pierre cathedral in the Old Town, with the Jura mountains in the background.
- Fresh bread from the boulangerie.
- My free Starbucks drinks, courtesy of my old colleagues from my days at the 'Bux'.
- Seeing the Swiss flag everywhere - I don't know why, but I love it!
- Swiss punctuality - if the bus leaves at 3:43, it's leaving at 3:43!!
- Swiss chocolate :) My favorite: Lindt chocolat au menthe, et a la framboise
- The feeling that I know so many people in this 'small town'.
- Going to any cafe with friends and chatting over some nice wine.
- Being in any part of Geneva and hearing at least 3 or 4 different conversations in different languages.
- Westlake church, even though I didn't go much after I moved out of the Nyon area.
- Chalet Martin hostel in Gryon.
- Cheap Evian water!
- The quaint little villages, with flowers hanging off all the window sills, flowing fountains that you can drink from, and the sound of cow bells in the distance.
- European fashion :)
- The option of being able to go to London, Paris, Rome, or Munich for a weekend, for less than $100.
- Walking everywhere!
- La Romana ~ my favorite Italian restaurant in Geneva ~ LOVE the Tagliatelle a l'amatriciana and the Tiramisu!
- The slower pace of life. Well, I don't always appreciate that! But for the most part, I love it :)
- The healthy, and environmentally-friendly, mentality.
- Of course, seeing all my awesome friends and families whenever I want! You all have filled my heart over the past 7 years, and it will be difficult to not see you and talk to you when I want. I will be back to visit....no doubt about that! And you are all welcome to come visit and stay with me in Boston :)
Je vous souhaites beaucoup de bonheur dans vos vies. Je suis toujours là pour vous, même si je suis loin. Je vous aimes, et je garderai toujours une place pour vous dans mon coeur :)
Et maintenant, comme l'Euro est plus important que mon départ!, un peu de patriotisme pour mon deuxième pays: HOP SUISSE!!! (Même s'il n'avance pas!)
Et maintenant, comme l'Euro est plus important que mon départ!, un peu de patriotisme pour mon deuxième pays: HOP SUISSE!!! (Même s'il n'avance pas!)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Me, Mira, Fred, and Arnaud in a Bayeux pub
See the replica of John Steele hanging from the steeple?
So, after Sainte Mere Eglise, we walked over to the Airborne museum, which was pretty cool. We were there for awhile, then headed onto Utah Beach, which is one of two that the Americans were in charge of invading. I have to say that this particular beach, out of all 5, was my favorite. It felt more natural and 'untouched' than the others. You could really imagine the scenes that took place on D-Day...it was almost eerie.
After walking on the beach, we left for La Pointe du Hoc. This is an area that the Germans controlled and used to gun down the Americans as they tried to scale the cliffs to take over. The story goes that the American Rangers were climbing up the cliffs by way of rope, and the Germans would either cut the rope or gun down the Ranger. But the Americans were determined and courageous, so each time one soldier fell, another one continued. And they kept this up until they reached the top and pushed back the Germans. This place is full of craters from the bombs that were dropped, not to mention many German bunkers. It was so weird to be walking around an area that was so scarred from war, but was covered in yellow flowers and green grass. It was really beautiful, actually, so it was difficult to imagine it any other way. Apparently, this area and a few more acres were given to America to take care of and preserve.
Next, we went to Omaha beach, which is known as 'Bloody Omaha'. You know, I never watched 'Saving Private Ryan' because so many people told me how gory it is in the first 30 minutes. So, I didn't have any images to go on when standing on Omaha. I ended up downloading it last week and watching it, and I'm happy I waited to watch it. Omaha Beach today has been turned into a memorial, and there is so much cement that it just didn't feel as natural as Utah. I'm really glad I went, though. I've always had so much respect for our soldiers, but standing there knowing how many lives were lost on just that one day, and knowing what they were fighting to protect, made me more proud than ever to be American. That might sound really cheesy, but after living here for the last 7 years and hearing so many anti-American remarks, it felt good to be standing in a place where so many American soldiers had made a positive difference and where gratitude was felt for their sacrifices.
After leaving Omaha, we left for the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. This was a very impressive place, to say the least. There is more of a 'victorious' feel to the cemetery, compared to the German cemetery that we saw on our last day. I was surprised at just how many 'Unknown but to God' markers there were...it's sad to think of so many soldiers that were never identified.
The cemetery was packed, and we stayed about an hour or so before heading to Gold Beach, which is one of two that was taken by the British, I think. Either them or the Canadians...I can't remember! We only walked around for about 30 minutes before it started raining a bit, so we headed on to eat dinner. We drove to Bayeux, where we walked around a bit, looked at its cathedral, and then found a place to eat. Bayeux is a city that was hit hard during the war, but again, it's hard to imagine when you see everything completely rebuilt and beautiful.
We got back home around 10 pm, and stayed up a bit to talk to our hosts, who were really cool and brought out wine and snacks. They told us about how the town just 3 km from us, Periers, was totally destroyed in the war. It wasn't until after I watched 'Private Ryan' that I saw that there is a sign pointing to Periers in the movie...I felt like shouting, 'Hey! I was there!' when I saw in on the screen. I know...I can be retarded.
The next day we drove 1 1/2 hrs to Mont St. Michel, which is a really famous abbey that was built on this piece of land that gets separated from the inland when the tides come in. There's this little village there with some hotels, stores, and restaurants, all within the walls. It was very cool, but extremely packed!! I felt like we were all cattle being herded up and up towards the abbey...it was slightly annoying, but it's definitely somewhere to visit at least once. When the tides come in, they must be taller than 8 ft., judging by the marks around the base of the walls. So, that means that you better be moving your car! A funny thing happened as we were walking back to the car...Arnaud thought it would be simple to cross this little flowing patch of water. Well, he's like over 6 ft. tall, so it's super easy for him. Mira, his wife, is shorter than me, and she made it. And Fred, who is also shorter than me, made it. But when I go to jump, I decided to lean forward more so I wouldn't fall backwards into the water. Well, I overcompensated for that, and fell face forward! My feet couldn't catch up with the rest of me, and as I fell I turned onto my back. I was covered in wet sand, which was awesome. It took less than 5 minutes for it to dry, and I borrowed Arnaud's ice scraper to scrape off the dry sand stuck to my clothes. We got a ton of funny pictures of that, but I just put 2 or so in my album:)
We bought so many cool things, all of which were made in the region. I bought some caramels that are made with the famous butter from that region, and some shortbread cookies that are also made with this butter. And I thought I'd be cool and buy a 'mariniere' , which is the blue and white striped long sleeve shirt that the sailors and fisherman wear. It protects from the humidity and sea salt....since I'm always on the sea and need to worry about these nasty elements ;) Hahaha....at least it looks cool! And pretty soon I'll be living near the ocean, so you never know when it might come in handy against that mean sea salt ;) Well, it took us a whopping 4 hours to get back!!!! We got lost trying to find 'Coutance', and I swear we were passing signs for Coutance for an hour and each one said that we were almost there. Gotta love France for their very clear road signs!!! We then got pulled over by the police in this tiny, random village. They made Arnaud take a breathalyzer test, and it was funny because Arnaud was so worried about the one apple cider he drank 4 hours before that! But they were stopping almost everyone on the road, so it wasn't because he was swerving or anything...but they were at least nice and pointed us in the right direction to Coutance :) Finally..FINALLY...we arrived to The Old Farm. It was 12.30 am and our hosts were genuinely worried about us, which was sweet of them. We sat down to chat a bit, but I was struggling to stay awake and we had to get up for another long day. So, I think everyone was in bed by 1.30 am.
WOW....this is turning out to be really long! There was just so much that we saw, it's impossible to make this that much shorter.
Well, our last day....we got up early and headed out to La Cambe where the German cemetery was located. I have to say, the German cemetery was very somber and powerful. I felt the sadness, and even the shame that the Germans felt later after the war ended. The cemetery was beautiful, and had rows of 5 grey crosses scattered everywhere. There are 21,000 German soldiers buried there, and most markers had 2, sometimes up to 4, soldiers in each. After walking around for awhile, we went to the museum. I really liked what they did here....the theme was not as focused on the WW II atrocities, but more on the death and destruction caused by all wars. There were pictures, statistics and quotes from many wars that took place after 1945, and it was really interesting to read that since 1945, 40 million people have died from war. I didn't expect to like this site as much, or more, than any of the others, but I am really glad we went.
After leaving La Cambe, we headed on to Juno Beach to have a picnic. It was really nice...there were some people there, but not many, so it was was very 'tranquille'. I think Juno was one of the British beaches.... Then we headed to the last beach, Sword Beach. Mira and I did not like this place at all! It was not very pretty and was more of an industrial harbor of some sort, with people going and scraping up clams. The village was called Ouistreham, and we could've skipped it and I wouldn't have been too upset!
Afterwards, we headed on to Pegasus Bridge. This was a major bridge that needed to be secured, and they have built a replica there for tourists to see. We were there long enough to take a few pics and stretch our legs....nothing as interesting as what we had seen before.
Our last stop was Caen and, again, we did not find it too great! It felt more like Paris, with how dirty and unkempt it was. We were really disappointed with Caen, but we also didn't go to the museum, which apparently, is a must see. We just didn't have time by this point, and we were walking back to leave when we saw this little pedestrian zone with all these really cute restaurants. So, we decided to stay and eat there and we all really enjoyed it. If I ever go back, though, I will make sure to see the awesome museum. After we ate, we got back to our B&B around 10.30 pm, completely exhausted. But we stayed up a bit more to talk with our hosts, and got some more cool stories. I really recommend this B&B....sometimes you find well-located B&Bs, but the people aren't nice. This 'gite' (the word in French) is a bit in the countryside, but is very well priced and you can't beat the hospitality! For reference, their names are Julie and Neil and the name of their 'gite' is The Old Farm in La Caucharderie, near Periers. They're British, so they speak English:)
Well, we got everything packed into the car, said our goodbyes, and buckled ourselves in for our 8 hour car ride back. Then Arnaud turned the key in the ignition and.....nothing. Tried again....nothing. Waited 5 more minutes....nada. By this time, Julie and Neil came back out of the house! And we were very fortunate that Neil has a good friend, Dean, who came out and took a look at the car. After 15 minutes, he found that a very important part, located in the trunk, had become unplugged when we were loading the car. So, he plugged it back in and we were on our way! It was very stressful for Arnaud and Fred because they had to be in the office the next day, and were worried about not getting back at a decent hour. But all worked out well, and we were very grateful for Neil's help in finding someone to fix the car.
I wanted to post some more pics, but I don't thing Blogger wants me to! Oh well, hopefully you've got a good idea of what things look like from the ones I have been able to post :)
Et voila!! Like I said, it was a jam packed weekend, and so worth it! If you ever have a chance, go to Normandy and Bretagne....definitely some of the nicer regions of France :) LOL
The next day we drove 1 1/2 hrs to Mont St. Michel, which is a really famous abbey that was built on this piece of land that gets separated from the inland when the tides come in. There's this little village there with some hotels, stores, and restaurants, all within the walls. It was very cool, but extremely packed!! I felt like we were all cattle being herded up and up towards the abbey...it was slightly annoying, but it's definitely somewhere to visit at least once. When the tides come in, they must be taller than 8 ft., judging by the marks around the base of the walls. So, that means that you better be moving your car! A funny thing happened as we were walking back to the car...Arnaud thought it would be simple to cross this little flowing patch of water. Well, he's like over 6 ft. tall, so it's super easy for him. Mira, his wife, is shorter than me, and she made it. And Fred, who is also shorter than me, made it. But when I go to jump, I decided to lean forward more so I wouldn't fall backwards into the water. Well, I overcompensated for that, and fell face forward! My feet couldn't catch up with the rest of me, and as I fell I turned onto my back. I was covered in wet sand, which was awesome. It took less than 5 minutes for it to dry, and I borrowed Arnaud's ice scraper to scrape off the dry sand stuck to my clothes. We got a ton of funny pictures of that, but I just put 2 or so in my album:)
This whole area is wet sand, but is covered by about 2 meters of water when the tide comes in.
Scraping off the sand after 'the fall'
So, then we were off to Saint Malo, which is this really beautiful village inside castle walls. I absolutely loved this village...there were cobblestone streets and tons of really cute shops and restaurants. You could walk along the castle walls, which overlooked the ocean. Before going inside the walls, we were walking along the beach and I decided I wanted a picture on these rocks. Well, as I was almost there, these guys dressed in wetsuits started telling me that the tide was coming in a couple minutes and that I needed to get back. I told them I just wanted to take one little picture, and he said that I better hurry. No lie, Fred took the picture and it took us another 2 minutes to get back to Arnaud and Mira.....the tide was already separating the rocks from the beach. There were people who were in the little castle on top of the rocks who had to roll up their pants and wade across the tide, before it reached 8 ft or so....crazy how fast the water rises! You really have to be careful.... 
The only picture I could take on these rocks before the tide came in.
People wading from the rocks to the main beach when the tide starting rising.
We bought so many cool things, all of which were made in the region. I bought some caramels that are made with the famous butter from that region, and some shortbread cookies that are also made with this butter. And I thought I'd be cool and buy a 'mariniere' , which is the blue and white striped long sleeve shirt that the sailors and fisherman wear. It protects from the humidity and sea salt....since I'm always on the sea and need to worry about these nasty elements ;) Hahaha....at least it looks cool! And pretty soon I'll be living near the ocean, so you never know when it might come in handy against that mean sea salt ;) Well, it took us a whopping 4 hours to get back!!!! We got lost trying to find 'Coutance', and I swear we were passing signs for Coutance for an hour and each one said that we were almost there. Gotta love France for their very clear road signs!!! We then got pulled over by the police in this tiny, random village. They made Arnaud take a breathalyzer test, and it was funny because Arnaud was so worried about the one apple cider he drank 4 hours before that! But they were stopping almost everyone on the road, so it wasn't because he was swerving or anything...but they were at least nice and pointed us in the right direction to Coutance :) Finally..FINALLY...we arrived to The Old Farm. It was 12.30 am and our hosts were genuinely worried about us, which was sweet of them. We sat down to chat a bit, but I was struggling to stay awake and we had to get up for another long day. So, I think everyone was in bed by 1.30 am.
WOW....this is turning out to be really long! There was just so much that we saw, it's impossible to make this that much shorter.
Well, our last day....we got up early and headed out to La Cambe where the German cemetery was located. I have to say, the German cemetery was very somber and powerful. I felt the sadness, and even the shame that the Germans felt later after the war ended. The cemetery was beautiful, and had rows of 5 grey crosses scattered everywhere. There are 21,000 German soldiers buried there, and most markers had 2, sometimes up to 4, soldiers in each. After walking around for awhile, we went to the museum. I really liked what they did here....the theme was not as focused on the WW II atrocities, but more on the death and destruction caused by all wars. There were pictures, statistics and quotes from many wars that took place after 1945, and it was really interesting to read that since 1945, 40 million people have died from war. I didn't expect to like this site as much, or more, than any of the others, but I am really glad we went.
After leaving La Cambe, we headed on to Juno Beach to have a picnic. It was really nice...there were some people there, but not many, so it was was very 'tranquille'. I think Juno was one of the British beaches.... Then we headed to the last beach, Sword Beach. Mira and I did not like this place at all! It was not very pretty and was more of an industrial harbor of some sort, with people going and scraping up clams. The village was called Ouistreham, and we could've skipped it and I wouldn't have been too upset!
Afterwards, we headed on to Pegasus Bridge. This was a major bridge that needed to be secured, and they have built a replica there for tourists to see. We were there long enough to take a few pics and stretch our legs....nothing as interesting as what we had seen before.
Our last stop was Caen and, again, we did not find it too great! It felt more like Paris, with how dirty and unkempt it was. We were really disappointed with Caen, but we also didn't go to the museum, which apparently, is a must see. We just didn't have time by this point, and we were walking back to leave when we saw this little pedestrian zone with all these really cute restaurants. So, we decided to stay and eat there and we all really enjoyed it. If I ever go back, though, I will make sure to see the awesome museum. After we ate, we got back to our B&B around 10.30 pm, completely exhausted. But we stayed up a bit more to talk with our hosts, and got some more cool stories. I really recommend this B&B....sometimes you find well-located B&Bs, but the people aren't nice. This 'gite' (the word in French) is a bit in the countryside, but is very well priced and you can't beat the hospitality! For reference, their names are Julie and Neil and the name of their 'gite' is The Old Farm in La Caucharderie, near Periers. They're British, so they speak English:)
Well, we got everything packed into the car, said our goodbyes, and buckled ourselves in for our 8 hour car ride back. Then Arnaud turned the key in the ignition and.....nothing. Tried again....nothing. Waited 5 more minutes....nada. By this time, Julie and Neil came back out of the house! And we were very fortunate that Neil has a good friend, Dean, who came out and took a look at the car. After 15 minutes, he found that a very important part, located in the trunk, had become unplugged when we were loading the car. So, he plugged it back in and we were on our way! It was very stressful for Arnaud and Fred because they had to be in the office the next day, and were worried about not getting back at a decent hour. But all worked out well, and we were very grateful for Neil's help in finding someone to fix the car.
I wanted to post some more pics, but I don't thing Blogger wants me to! Oh well, hopefully you've got a good idea of what things look like from the ones I have been able to post :)
Et voila!! Like I said, it was a jam packed weekend, and so worth it! If you ever have a chance, go to Normandy and Bretagne....definitely some of the nicer regions of France :) LOL
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