loraloraloras Blog on RealTravel

Tavernier journal: Last Day in the Keys -- for this year!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:13:11 GMT

I got up mad early again today and packed up my suitcase and carry-on bags. At 8:30 I headed over to the pool for one last visit before we left to come home. I got some good sun for a few hours and headed back to the condo around 10:30. Allie and I hung out a bit, put the finishing touches on straightening up the room, and headed out. We headed north on US-1 toward Miami. It rained for much of the drive, which was pretty much to be expected.

We stopped for lunch at Pollo Tropical again. Man, that place is delicious. I so wish we had them in DC! After lunch, we topped off the gas in the ...

Tavernier journal: More Rain and Fish

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:11:17 GMT

We woke early again today and were greeted by steady drizzle. We got ready for diving anyway and went down to the dive shop, because rain doesn't necessarily mean no diving. You are going to get wet anyway! They were diving this morning, so we got on the boat and headed out. We went about 5 miles out, across 6-foot swells, which was quite a wild ride that was a lot of fun. We ended up at Snapper Ledge off Key Largo, which I was excited about because I remembered that it was good last year. My memory was correct: This is a terrific dive site. This is why I like diving in Florida so much. I ...

Key West journal: Finally, Sun! And Then More Rain!

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:53:18 GMT

Today I woke up and there was an incredibly bright orb of light suspended in the sky outside my window. What is this strange visitor? Hmmm! I decided to go for my long run for the week right away, before it got hot. I should say, before it got hotTER. At 8:15, it was already 85 and incredibly humid. I got to see more of the neighborhood around the hotel, which was interesting. After 40 minutes of running in the heat, I was ready to cool off, so I went to the pool at the hotel and got some sun. Yeah, I am a little tan, so coworkers, prepare to be jealous! Allie joined me at the pool at one ...

Tavernier journal: Making the Best of a Rainy Day in Florida

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:49:11 GMT

The only bad thing about scuba diving is getting up early to do it. We were up at 7:00 today to get ready so we could be at the dive shop by 8:00am. We dove with Conch Republic Divers in Tavernier, the same company we used last year. They are really nice and friendly there, and we liked the dive sites, so we gave them our business again this year. We rented equipment, got on the boat, and were off by 8:30 on our way to Conch Reef. This was Allie's first dive since we got certified last year, and she did a great job. We saw lots of good fish, and Allie found a big green eel in one of the caves. ...

Tavernier journal: Getting There is a Lot of Fun, Actually

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:46:51 GMT

The entire trip started out with a burst of awesomeness when our cab driver was a half hour early to pick us up. Oh yeah! Allie and I are both into the planning, and we like for things to keep on schedule, so this was a good sign. We went to Reagan and checked my bag and were through security in plenty of time to make our 8:55am flight. Allie got a bagel, and I sat in the waiting area and listened to strangers' conversations. We boarded on time, at which point I started reading and Allie went to sleep immediately. The plane sat on the runway for about 20 minutes before taking off, because ...

Zaventem journal: The Long Road Home

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:25:39 GMT

We got up at 8:00 today to put the finishing touches on our packing and get a good breakfast before heading out to the airport. Larry made us scrambled eggs, which were good, and then we piled our stuff into the car for one last ride in Brussels. We got to the airport in good time, and thanks to Larry's extremely frequent travel, we had the inside info that the road to the departure lounge is under construction, so we parked in arrivals instead and rode the elevator up. I think this saved us half an hour of waiting, at least! We waited in line to check our bags, and while we were waiting, we ...

La Hulpe journal: Fondation Folon

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:24:23 GMT

I can't believe it...this is our last full day in Belgium! Larry had to go back to the office today, so Allison took me, Ash, and Alex to the Folon Foundation outside La Hulpe in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium. Note: it is near Waterloo, i.e. THE Waterloo, which I am a little embarrassed to say I didn't know was in Belgium. I guess I don't do a lot of thinking about Europe when I am not here. Sorry, Europe.

Ash and Allison have both been to the Folon Foundation before, but when I asked them to describe it to me, neither of them could really put it into words other than to ...

Brussels journal: One Day for Alex

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:21:23 GMT

We decided that today should be an Alex day, since most of the trip has been go go go at grown-up speed. After cereal for breakfast, all five of us rode out to Cook & Book in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, near the Burtons' house in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Let me tell you: If there were a place like this in Alexandria, I would go there every damn day. It is just the coolest place ever. It is a combination bookstore/restaurant that's set up by topic -- so there is an all English book section (with a real Fiat inside), an all Flemish section, and an all French section; there is an anime section; there is a ...

Gent journal: A Day in Ghent

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:15:44 GMT

We had been planning to go to Antwerp today, but we decided to go to Ghent instead because everyone knew it was a sure thing. Furthermore, we had heard that every time the Burtons go to Ghent, something interesting happens, which was quite intriguing. We had scrambled eggs for breakfast and listened to NPR, and after a minor miscommunication with Allison, we piled into the car around 11:30 for the hour-long drive to Ghent. On our way, we talked about crazy dreams we've had over the last few nights and, as always, looked for cows and sheep outside the window. We arrived at Ghent and followed ...

Bruges journal: The Venice of Belgium

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:28:57 GMT

Today Ashley, Alex, and I set out to Bruges, a town near the coast of the North Sea, with Larry (come on, you can't really think the fly won yesterday!). It was about an hour's drive on the E40 highway through Flanders, the flat, green, farm-filled, Flemish-speaking part of Belgium. There were lots of cows, horses, and sheep in the fields to distract Alex. We found our way to the city center and parked in the garage, which had the same wackadoodle system for annotating the floors: turtle, carrot, rabbit, fish, sea horse. Seriously, I have to make a note to look this up at some point.

We ...

San Jose journal: Around the House and Loving It

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:49:17 GMT

I woke up ridiculously early on Friday and went for a run around Rachel and Joe's neighborhood. My allergies were better than usual and I was able to run a personal best 4.5 miles without stopping to walk. Awesome! After my run, I took a shower and the day got a little less active from there. Kate was still not feeling 100%, so we just hung around the house for most of the day. We did walk over to the Target a few blocks from the house, where we got some summer clothes and I got gatorade. In the afternoon, we hung out by the pool. I swam and Rachel sat with Kate. Friday night we cooked dinner ...

Brussels journal: En Route to Brussels

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:38:07 GMT

Joe drove me, Ashley, and Alex to Dulles for our evening flight to Brussels. We needed to check 2 suitcases and a baby car seat, which we thought were pretty standard requests, but the lady at the United counter was totally undone by the car seat. She asked us to leave it by a pole right in the walking path of everyone who'd just checked in. Hmmm! We were also a little confused about our seat assignments, since we'd bought tickets on the Interwebs and had confirmed seats -- three together -- but the tickets that printed out at the kiosk said to see the gate agent for our seat assignments. ...

Paris journal: Escape to Paris: Day 2

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:36:58 GMT

We got up today at 9:00 and got ready for a day that we planned would have significantly less walking than Thursday. Not to spoil the ending, but one thing led to another and the Pope made us do a crapload of walking by the time all was said and done. But I am getting ahead of myself. We checked out of the hotel and left our bags in the basement again, and then we headed out for un petit-dejeuner at the same place we visited yesterday -- we really liked that it was in the middle of a pedestrian street, right near the Rue de Rivoli so we could see everyone, but far enough away that it was nice ...

Paris journal: Escape to Paris: Day 1

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:56:59 GMT

I am horrified to tell you that Ashley and I were up at 6:30am today to catch our train to Paris. Larry walked with us to the tram station, where we caught a tram to the metro station to get to Brussels Midi station. The Brussels Metro made me pine for the sanitary conditions of the New York City subway. There is no air conditioning on the cars, and it was stuffy and filthy-feeling even in September. Ugh! We got coffee and tea at the train station, and then Larry took us up to the platform and Ashley and I got on the train. It was like the train in New Zealand -- we had an assigned car and ...

Mechelen journal: Afternoon in Mechelen

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:10:23 GMT

We drove next to another little town, Mechelen. On the way, we talked about how people in Belgium do not tend to smile much. In the US, if you pass someone on the street, or bump into them by accident, there is a good chance that one of you will just smile a little in passing as sort of an acknowledgement. Certainly the shopkeepers smile at you when you come into the store, and waiters usually smile at you while they're helping you. Here, though, none of that happens. It is sort of depressing when no one smiles at you, especially if you pick up on people's emotions like Ashley and I do. It is ...

Leuven journal: Morning in Leuven

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:08:24 GMT

I got up at 9:00 after a good sleep and went downstairs to have breakfast: fresh bread and butter and some grapes. They had seeds, which was unusual, but they were delicious. After breakfast, I chatted with Ashley's mom, Allison, until Ashley and Alex woke up. We threw in a load of laundry from the last few days, got dressed, and hopped in the car and drove to Leuven. Leuven is Allison's favorite town in Belgium. It's a university town with a great old downtown. We checked out a store with really novel household items, like salt shakers that look like little men and pizza cutters that look ...

Brussels journal: Fighting the Jet Lag and Winning

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:29:26 GMT

Despite our late takeoff, we landed in Belgium almost 20 minutes early, around 7:00 am (1:00 am DC time). We made it through customs quickly, and then I went to wait for our bags by the carousel while Ashley waited with Alex. There are no rules in Brussels about how close you can stand to the carousel, so people were right up next to it. So when someone's bag came by, he or she would grab it, and there was a good chance he or she would not be able to keep up with the bag and might fall. One man did just that, and then he rejected my hand to help him up, preferring instead to grab his bag ...

Queens journal: Melissa's wedding!

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:29:20 GMT

Ashley and I set out with Justice Anthony Kennedy at 11:00 on Thursday. I think it says something about us that we have known each other for almost 13 years, yet we did not run out of things to talk about on the 6-hour drive to Plainview, NY, with the requisite stop in beloved Newark, DE, for lunch. On our way to Delaware, we saw a couple getting arrested on the median strip on I-95. We ate lunch at DP Dough in Newark, which has terrific calzones, and then we stopped at the National 5&10 on Main St to pick up some U of D swag. We got back on the road and proceeded to mock my GPS, which ...

San Jose journal: Cookout!!!

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:03:28 GMT

Sunday I woke up early and went for yet another awesome run. Man, I love San Jose! We all got ready for a cookout with Steve, Joe's best man, and his wife Angie. I had met them at the wedding, so it was nice to see them again. We cooked sausages on the grill, and I made guacamole for the party (mostly a selfish gesture, because I love guacamole -- hahahaha). After we ate, we waited an acceptable length of time and then Steve, Joe, and I went swimming in the pool while Rachel and Angie talked about babies. It was yet another terrific day outside, which was awesome. After swimming, we all hung ...

San Jose journal: Another Beautiful Day

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 19:47:45 GMT

I woke up early once again and went for a completely terrific run around the neighborhood. I was able to run over 5 miles before having to stop to walk -- I decided somewhere around mile 3 that I absolutely have to do a race out here. The weather is perfect and my allergies are nonexistent. I love San Jose!

Kate was feeling much better today, and it was totally glorious outside, so we set out in the late morning for Santana Row, which is a fun upscale outdoor shopping area in San Jose (DCers, it reminded me of a bigger and more expensive Ballston). We visited Paper Source, a store that I ...

San Jose journal: The Way to San Jose

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:04:05 GMT

I must really like Rachel or something, because I got up at 4:30am on Thursday and drove out to Dulles to catch my 7:00am flight. I parked in the economy lot and was on the bus heading to the terminal when another passenger realized he hadn't locked his car. Before he said anything, I was 100% sure I had locked my own car, but of course, now that he brought it up, I started to doubt myself. Awesome. I decided not to go back and check it, though. I am trying to rein in the neurosis. Checking in was easy because I only had carry-on (one advantage of visiting a longtime friend is that you can ...

Belgium journal: It Finally Dawned On Us: Brussels

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:20:34 GMT

I've been saying I want to go to Brussels before Ashley's parents move away from there, and Ashley has been saying she wants to go back to Brussels before they leave, but Joe can't get away for long trips. A few days ago it occurred to her to suggest that we go together. I don't know why this took 4 years to come up with.

United States journal: Queens: A Way of Life

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:35:13 GMT

My dear friend Melissa is getting married in Queens, NY, on July 25, so Ashley and I are going to drive up there together. I predict that it will be an eventful trip!

United States journal: Just Saying Hi To Rachel, Joe, and Kate

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:32:57 GMT

I have not seen Rachel in a while and there was a good fare on Virgin America, so I decided to go to California for a long weekend to hang out.

Runaway Bay journal: Another long day

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:29:45 GMT

I woke up super early today, so I thought, You know, maybe I can go for a run on the beach before it gets hot. It was 6:00am at this point. I do not mind telling you that 4 or 5 minutes into my run, I was completely sweated up. I estimate that the humidity in Jamaica is around 214%. After 2 miles, I had had enough and managed to get them to open the gym a little early so I could finish the workout in the air conditioning. Whew!

We met up with the family for breakfast again -- our last meal together, since everyone needed to leave for the airport in the late morning. We only had time to ...

Runaway Bay journal: Sun, sun, and more sun

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:22:53 GMT

I woke up mad early on Saturday and went to the gym. I know you are thinking, You are on vacation! But here is my perspective: If I work out for an hour, I can totally lie around the pool, have lots of drinks, and eat whatever I want for the rest of the day. Which, not to ruin the ending for you, is exactly what happened. After the gym, I met up with Kim and everyone for breakfast, and then we hit the pool. The pool at the hotel was unbelievable. It was impossibly huge. There were 2 different bridges over it, and it had a swim-up bar. Finally, I got to go to a swim-up bar! It was everything I ...

Runaway Bay journal: Sand, SCUBA, and more sun

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:19:19 GMT

I was up early for the gym again (remember the plan), and after that, we met up with everyone for breakfast. Breakfast is just as ridiculous as dinner here. They have 5 or 6 different fresh juices, and of course there is an omelet station, in addition to the huge spread on the buffet tables. Just what we need to power us through another high-energy day in Jamaica.

We decided to go to the beach today, as opposed to the pool. We got a good quiet spot in the back and totally lounged for the whole morning. I had signed up to go diving in the morning, but when I went over there, I was sad to ...

Runaway Bay journal: The Longest Day

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:00:58 GMT

We woke up at the completely ungodly hour of 4:00 to drive to Dulles to make our 7:00am flight. We checked in with no problems and got on the plane. After this, it got sort of sticky. The flight from DC to DFW was an hour late getting in (we actually ended up flying around Houston to get to Dallas, which I have done before and which added a lot of time...curse you, Texas weather!), but we had no problem making our connecting flight, because it had been delayed by 2 hours. We landed in Montego Bay and got on a bus that would take us to the resort. We were on a bus with what appeared to be an ...

Harpers Ferry journal: Hiking and beer

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:16:35 GMT

A bunch of us from work drove out to Harpers Ferry, WV, at the suggestion of Tom. We did the Maryland Heights Overland Cliff Trail hike, which brought us out onto a rock formation overlooking the town and the rivers. Afterward, we went to lunch in Colonial-style pub. Fun day!

United States journal: Harpers Ferry with PTOers

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:12:39 GMT

Day trip to Harpers Ferry, WV.

Alton Bay journal: Road Trip In A Big Van

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:09:44 GMT

Lauren, Erik, Kurt, and I drove north to Suffern, NY, where we picked up Joanna and drove north to see our friend Paul and his brother in Alton Bay. It was lots of fun. It was ridiculously cold and icy, but we had a great time. Paul's parents stayed in the guest cabin so he and his brother and all of us had the big house to ourselves. We went snowmobiling, hiking, ice skating, and sledding. It was good clean fun. On the way home, we absconded with a grocery cart, which we named Dexter, from somewhere in New Jersey. Good times.

United States journal: New Hampshire Road Trip

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:05:39 GMT

Back in college in January '95, a bunch of us drove to New Hampshire for MLK Jr. weekend to visit our friend who lived there.

Dallas journal: Dallas Day 2: BBQ Good, DFW Bad

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:56:58 GMT

After Melanie went to the fitness center, we had hot breakfast at the hotel, which was a good change from the continental breakfasts that have been offered to us up until now. After breakfast, we walked over to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, a concession to my history minor. The Sixth Floor Museum is inside the Texas School Book Depository, so it is all about JFK and, specifically, his assassination. Our hotel is on Elm St, only a few blocks from the site of the shooting. The museum was really, really well done -- they had a good audio tour and lots of terrific photos from Kennedy's ...

Dallas journal: Dallas Day 1: Easy as ABC (American Airlines Center, Barbecue, and Caves)

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:20:37 GMT

Melanie's alarm woke us up at 7:30, our plan being to head back to Barton Springs for another swim before heading from Austin to Dallas. This plan was derailed by the violent thunderstorm going on outside. We decided to go with Plan B, which involved sleeping until 10:30am. Just as good, I say! When we woke up the second time, we shuffled around, slowly getting ready, until we saw a Bug That Shall Not Be Named on the wall. That got us moving! We were out of the room and back on our way to Central Market for breakfast. We headed out of Austin on I-35 at 11:00.

On our way north, we stopped ...

Austin journal: Austin Day 2: Plenty To Do, As It Turns Out

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:57:18 GMT

We woke up at 9:30 on Sunday and headed over to Central Market for breakfast. Kim had told us about it in Houston, so we were looking forward to visiting in Austin. It is like Whole Foods times 100. They had 12 or so different kinds of apples and a wine section bigger than some wine stores I know in DC. We picked up some snacks, including fruit and Texas Super Mix (nuts and dried fruit mix), and ate them in the car as we drove to Zilker Park for Melanie's Crazy/Extreeeeeeme Morning Swim at Barton Springs Pool. Barton Springs is a natural pool that maintains a constant 68 degrees all year -- ...

Austin journal: Austin Day 1: A Slower Pace...We Tried, Anyway

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:44:22 GMT

We checked out of the hotel and packed our 2 big suitcases, 1 little suitcase, 3 tote bags, 2 purses, case of bottled water, and golf bag along with the 3 of us into our Chevy Cobalt. Whew! We drove over to the Galleria -- the frou-frou part of Houston, where Beyonce shops (did you know she's from here? I didn't) -- to eat breakfast at Kenny & Ziggy's, a New York-style deli. They had terrific bagels and omelets and fruit cups. Thuy met us there, and she brought Mel and me Texas guidebooks and maps to use! She is awesome. We were done with breakfast by 10:45 and transferred Kim, her suitcase, ...

Houston journal: Houston Day 2: Cows Both Delicious and Entertaining

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 07:00:32 GMT

We slept in until 8:00 (the longest night of sleep Kim has had in a while!) and were out the door by 9:45 to head over to Kim's friend Thuy's house to pick up golf clubs and rodeo tickets. We stopped for breakfast at Kolache Factory. Kolaches are eastern European pastries with different fillings inside -- Kim and I got sausage, egg, and cheese, and Melanie tried the Texas Hot Polish Kolache. They reminded me a lot of sausage rolls, which I had for breakfast almost every day in New Zealand/Australia. Yum! After grabbing breakfast to go, we headed over to Memorial Park, where Melanie went on a ...

Houston journal: Houston Day 1: Wet, Wild, and So Very, Very Flat

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:36:24 GMT

We converged on Reagan Airport at the ungodly hour of 6:45am to catch our 8:00 flight. Drama ensued early, as Melanie realized she'd forgotten her cell phone at home and needed to go back for it, and Kim called to say she was stuck in traffic and might have to come on the next flight. Well, I thought, I know I am going to Houston today, so I went through the security and sat by the gate. The girls both ended up making it to the gate in plenty of time -- but Melanie was without her phone. A call from Joe a few minutes later to my phone revealed that she'd left it in her gym bag. Craziness! It ...

Sonoma Valley journal: Nature, Wine, and Fun...Also, a Hot Australian

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:46:33 GMT

We woke up early to meet our van from Extranomical to go on our tour of the redwoods and wine country. The van was one of those 13-passenger deals, which can go either way -- fortunately, everyone on our van was great fun, including our driver, Jerry. Besides us, there were 3 fun girls from Minnesota, a sweet couple from Michigan celebrating their 10-year anniversary (the trip was a surprise from him to her), a mother and her son (who was trying to decide between MD and PhD school -- sounds familiar) from Montreal, and a couple from Adelaide, Australia. Diverse!

We drove up to Muir ...

San Francisco journal: The Journey Home

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:39:48 GMT

We woke up and stuffed our suitcases with our dirty clothes and extra bottles of wine, then set out for the airport. We had way too much to carry to walk back down the hill to the Powell St Bart station, so we got a cab to the Montgomery station. It was like a series of logic puzzles, trying to get 2 wheeled suitcases, 2 purses, a shopping bag, a carry-on, and a big-ass box of wine down 2 flights of steps, through a Bart turnstile, and onto the train, but fortunately, Ashley and I are pretty S-M-R-T. That, and we are both willing to say, F it, let's just use brute force. We got on the Bart ...

New York journal: Slow down Monday

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:05:07 GMT

I cannot tell a lie: When I woke up on Sunday, my stomach was in an absolute uproar. I ended up sleeping late, but Brooke and Allie headed back up to Times Square to get breakfast and to visit the Pedigree Puppy Store. We'd seen it Saturday on the way to PurseQuest '08, but there was no time to stop then! They came back and we hung around the neighborhood for the afternoon. Allie wanted to get her nails done, so she and I walked around looking for a place that didn't charge an arm and a leg for a fill. This was harder to accomplish than we thought. I had to leave her on her trek because ...

Central America / Caribbean journal: Well, Since You Asked...Jamaica

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:02:48 GMT

Kim has invited me to a family weekend in Jamaica because her husband can't make it. Yeah, sounds like me. I say yes! They have diving!

San Francisco journal: We Came, We Saw, We Ate

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:48:27 GMT

We slept until the heavenly hour of 8:30, then got dressed and hit the streets. We walked to the top of Powell St, then headed over to Chinatown. It was Chinese New Year, making this the second year in a row that I found myself inadvertently in a cool place for Chinese New Year. There were tons of people walking around, and the police had the streets blocked off, so we just took in the sights. We walked back over to Powell to get the cable car to Lombard St, aka the windingest street ever. We befriended the cable car conductor, which was fun, and then we hopped off the car and walked down the ...

San Jose journal: The Newest Petit Ya-Ya

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:05:55 GMT

We were up at the ungodly hour of 5am to leave Ashley's by 6am to get to Dulles by 7am to get on our 8:40am flight. Whew! I am tired just remembering. There was a raging ice storm outside, so we were a little worried about the flight being canceled, but it looked good as we checked in. We trudged the trudge through Dulles (man, what a gross airport) and boarded our flight on Virgin America, a new airline. The plane reminded us of a limo -- new white seats and pink and purple neon lights. Wow. Really, it was awesome, but man, was it early. We had the 3-seat row to ourselves (the flight was not ...

California journal: Going with Ashley to San Francisco

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:50:31 GMT

Ashley and I went to San Francisco to see Rachel's new baby, visit Seth, taste wine, ride cable cars, and gawk at redwoods. And it was 48 hours of steady laughter. 4 Stars!

New York journal: Sunday surprises

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:48:35 GMT

Brooke and I got up ridiculously early, both wanting a drink, and headed down to the soda machine in the lobby. The dollar acceptor didn't work, so we asked for change at the front desk. The woman said that the machine takes dollars and wouldn't believe it was broken until we demonstrated for her. Yeah, it's our first time in the big city, so I understand her position. Whatever. The Duane Reade next door was not open yet, and when we asked her when it would be open, she said, "It should be open now." No argument here, and yet the doors are barred. We ended up digging up enough change in our ...

New York journal: Heading home

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:44:48 GMT

We woke up at 8:30, by which I mean we were awakened at 8:30 by construction or something else that shook the walls of our room. Sweet merciful crap. We managed to go back to sleep for a while, and then we wandered the street looking for a big, cheap duffel bag for Brooke to schlep her 10 purses home in. We checked out of the hotel but then stayed in the room for an extra hour until it was time for Brooke to head to La Guardia. I went over to Penn Station and waited for my train. The train left more or less on time. I read Atonement and thought, as I always do on the Amtrak, about all the ...

New York journal: NYC with the girls

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:15:20 GMT

I met Allie on the Amtrak train to NYC and I am sure we drove everyone around us crazy with our chatting and laughing, but whatever. We got to Penn Station right on time and walked right across the street to the Regency Inn, right on 34th St. This is definitely a New York experience. The elevator is of the Manhattan variety (tiny, with a door you have to pull open), the hallways are tiny, and the whole place just felt very NYC. The room was small, but somehow we lucked into a 2-room suite -- one room had a couch, the other had 2 beds. Nice! The bathroom was beyond tiny, but it was clean enough ...

Newark journal: Newark DE with Ashley and Lauren (and Alex and Luke)

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:02:52 GMT

Ashley and I got up super early, got Alex dressed and fed in record time, and piled into the car for the old drive to Delaware. We made it in plenty of time to an old favorite, the Denny's on 273. Lauren and Luke arrived right on time and we all had a great time catching up. After we ate, we took Luke and Alex to the mall to let them run around. Luke is only about 2 inches shorter than Alex, which is something considering he's almost a whole year younger. Wow! Anyway, it was great to see the girls. We will have to do it again! Lauren took me to Wilmington train station in plenty of time to ...

Queens journal: Time to go

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:08:21 GMT

The first thing I did when I woke up on Sunday was to make sure it was in fact February 3, not February 2 again. Check! The second thing I did when I woke up on Sunday was to watch last week's new episode of Lost. Check! I love that show. Thank goodness it is back. We had bagels again for breakfast and then just hung out until it was time to go back to the airport. Once I got there, it was business as usual. In the terminal, I sat next to one of the Guys from Five Guys burger joint here in DC. Allison picked me up at the airport and we went to a Super Bowl party, where we saw one of the ...

New York journal: "Soaking" Rain

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:06:34 GMT

We got up early (well, early for me -- Melissa kindly suggested we go to the city later than she usually does) and took the QM2 express bus from Bayside to midtown Manhattan. The weather guy on NY1 said that it would rain all day and that, in particular, it would be "soaking" rain. I thought it could not possibly be that bad. Believe me: It was. I had an umbrella and all that stuff, but I got wet up to my knees just walking from 6th Ave to Broadway. I got on the C train and went uptown to Columbia P&S to meet some friends from my old lab for lunch. I arrived way early, but it was dry inside ...

New York journal: Just a regular day

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:05:23 GMT

When we woke up on Saturday, Melissa selflessly suggested that I might like to have a good bagel while I was in the city. This was not because she herself was jonesing for a salt bagel. Seriously! We walked to the neighborhood bagel shop and picked up a few bagels. I got an everything bagel with a schmear and it was outstanding. I have heard that it is the water that makes them so special, but I can't believe that. There must also be skill involved. It is a mystery for the ages.

When we came back, we did what most people do every year on this day: Check in on the groundhogs in the area ...

Bayside journal: DCA to LGA

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:30:29 GMT

I flew from DCA to LGA on an incredibly cheap flight that was mostly uneventful, except that it was so clear that I could see my old apt building from the sky (the red neon sign on Tom's Restaurant at 113 St is visible from the air). As usual, I got a little sad that I don't live in NYC anymore. I landed at LGA and got my bag without incident (yes, I had to check it -- damn that 3-ounce liquid rule), then hopped into a cab. The driver had no idea where we were going, so we learned together. Once I got to Melissa's house in Bayside, she showed me the changes to their co-op since I was last ...

Chicago journal: A Long, Cold Weekend

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:33:26 GMT

We flew out to Chicago on Friday afternoon and made our way to Evanston, home of NWU, where Shannon went for 2 years before transfering to Delaware. We explored the city -- I got to see the Sears Tower and the Art Institute of Chicago. We also spent plenty of time hanging out with Shannon's friends in Evanston and in the city. As you might predict, it was absolutely frigid, -20oF with the wind chill. In most of the photos from the trip, our eyes are all that is visible. Scarves, gloves, hats, and earmuffs are absolutely necessary for any January visit to Chicago. It was a great time. I was ...

New York journal: NYC Because It's There Feb 2008

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:30:23 GMT

Going to NYC to see Melissa, but home in time for the Super Bowl.

Nananu-i-Ra Island journal: Day Trip to Paradise: Nananu-i-Ra/Rakiraki Day 3

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:42:54 GMT

We woke up at 8:00 and meandered down to the dining room an hour later for breakfast. The Fijian breakfast was FJ$15 (a little less than US$10) and included fresh fruit (mango and papaya from trees on the property), cereal and milk, toast and real butter (Mom!), a ham/cheese/tomato omelet, orange juice, and tea. Ridiculous/Awesome! We were completely stuffed, so we decided to spend the day lounging. Prasad arranged for us to take a boat to Nananu-I-Ra island, just off Viti Levu, for the day for FJ$30. Gretchen went out to get cash to pay the boat guy, and while she was gone, I hung out in the ...

Kuranda journal: Green, Green, Green: Kuranda/Cairns Day 3

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:32:24 GMT

We were picked up from our hotel today at 7:30 am for a ride out to Freshwater, where we were planning to catch the Kuranda Scenic Railway into the rainforest to the village of Kuranda. We got to the station too early for once and had time to eat breakfast (best sausage roll so far for me, croissant for Gretchen) and to check out the small museum on the history of the railway…that is, we were able to check it out once the literally 100 German tourists cleared out of it. The KSR was built in 1891 by Australian pioneer types to reach the gold rush town of Kuranda from coastal Cairns and is still ...

Sydney journal: No Turkey For You, One Year: Sydney Day 4

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:55:15 GMT

As usual, this morning when we woke up was the day before in the US, but today that meant our families were gathering without us for Thanksgiving. I was sorry to miss this holiday – it is all about food, family, and football, three of my favorites. Thank goodness for Rupert Murdoch, though…he’s Australian, so Australian Fox Sports Network was showing the Packers/Bears game live in Sydney! So we got 1 out of 3 at least. While Gretchen went for a run, I took in Brett Favre et al. for a while. Then we both took some time to call our families. It was nice to talk to everyone. Of course, they threw ...

Auckland journal: Sleep is for the Weak: Auckland Day 1

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:57:59 GMT

We arrived in Auckland unexpectedly refreshed and grabbed a shared van to the inner city. Auckland immediately brought to mind San Francisco – a beautiful city with lots of hills. Right away, we noticed that the city was an interesting hybrid of Britain, California, and traditional Maori culture – consider the street names: Trafalgar, Bel Air, Rewa, Onslow, Torrance, and Tamaki, to name a few. Our cab driver told us that gas is about US$1.69 per liter, so about $3.20/gallon, nothing shocking. There are US-style road signs, but they drive on the left side of the road and there are tons of ...

Las Vegas journal: One More Layover: Las Vegas Day 1

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:35:19 GMT

Our cab picked us up right on time and we got to the airport with lots of time to spare. Good thing, because we had one more near-heart-failure experience with Qantas/American. I will not go into details, but it was a good cautionary tale to those of us with technical jobs: Don’t assume everyone knows what you know. Anyway, long story short, we got on the Honolulu-LAX flight…and what’s more, we were in the flight attendant seats! They were all alone in a little alcove, there was a ton of leg room, and they even reclined and had leg rests! Excellent. We both arrived in LA totally rested, which ...

Honolulu journal: The Accidental Tourists: Honolulu Day 1

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:31:37 GMT

We were both able to sleep on the plane from Fiji, which was nice. We took off from Fiji at 10:50pm on Sunday the 25th and woke up in the air over Hawaii at 6:45am on Sunday, the 25th. Yeah, you can see how we got confused when we booked it! Anyway, we watched the sun rise from the plane, and at 7:15 we descended into Honolulu and cleared customs with only a small snag (Gretchen was selected for further screening – I mean, she is intimidating, so…). We hurried to the American Airlines counter to check our bags through to LA so we could get to Waikiki and enjoy the typically perfect Hawaiian ...

Rakiraki journal: Everything We Hoped For: Rakiraki Day 2

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:27:44 GMT

We were up at 7:15 to go diving, after a little confusion about what time it was. They live here on “Fiji Time,” which means there is no time. There was no clock in our room, and we were not sure about daylight savings time and so on, so I walked to the car to check the clock there (it turned out to be 6:45). On my way to the car, a mango bigger than my fist almost hit me in the head. I felt it whiz by my face. Wow! We headed out for diving, following a sign we’d seen on the road the night before during our big drive. Guess what? The dive shop is not on the road with the sign. Seriously, you ...

Rakiraki journal: Risky Business: Rakiraki Day 1

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:25:03 GMT

We flew an Air Pacific flight to Nadi, Fiji, and it was quite a good flight. The food was legitimately excellent (Indian curry, mmm), and they showed an acceptable movie (License to Wed). Plus, I had a nap. You can’t really ask for more. We landed on time and got our bags and a rental car with no problem. The second we got outside, we knew we were in a different land. The humidity here is unimaginable. You can see immediately why the pace of life is so much slower than it is in the US. East Coast speeds would obliterate the society.

We embarked on a long drive along the north shore of ...

Sydney journal: The City of Stairs: Sydney Day 3

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:12:40 GMT

This morning we were up at 7:30. Gretchen went for a run to Darling Harbour, and I updated the blog for our first 2 days in Sydney. Upon reflection, I realized we have been way too busy, so we decided to stay in the hotel all day today and read gossip magazines. Of course not, we went up in the hospitality suite for breakfast at 8:30am and were out and about by 9:15. It was windy and overcast today – good thing we’d decided to leave our indoor activities until today.

I have not mentioned it so far on the blog, but it is more than a little weird to see all of the Christmas decorations all ...

Katoomba journal: A Great Place to Settle: Katoomba/Sydney, Day 2

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:52:29 GMT

At 7:30, we were up and on the phone, trying to cancel our excursion for today to the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney. We were hoping to spend more time in the city, but the woman told us she would charge us whether we went or not, so we decided to go. Not to spoil the ending, but I am absolutely thrilled that we went on the day trip. I learned so much about Australia and got so much perspective on its history. Wonderful! Our guide, Jim, was terrific. As we drove out to the mountains, he told us about the history of Sydney and how hard life was for people who started the city. There was very ...

Sydney journal: Everything we'd hoped for: Sydney Day 1

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:49:59 GMT

Once again, we had to set the alarm to wake us at an ungodly hour (4:00am) for our flight to Sydney. The cab was right on time at 4:30, but we hit a bit of a snag because there was no one in the office at the hotel, there was no late night key drop, the reception desk had no voice mail, and no one answered the after-hours emergency number. Comforting! We ended up leaving the key in our room with a note and speeding off to the airport. I hope they don’t charge me exorbitant fees or anything, but we had to get the flock out of Cairns. We got coffee at the airport and were generally sullen about ...

Great Barrier Reef journal: Finding Nemo, for reals: Great Barrier Reef/Cairns Day 2

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:00:43 GMT

We were up early to catch a cab to the reef terminal in town for our Great Barrier Reef excursion. We checked in and boarded the ReefQuest boat at 8:00, where they gave us the diving equipment we needed (including the dreaded wetsuits) and served tea and coffee. There were about 50 people on the boat, but the boat had 2 levels and lots of indoor space with comfortable seating. It was positively luxurious compared to the dive boats in Florida and Turks and Caicos. Around 9:00, we set out toward the reef. While we were in the Cairns harbor, the water was fine, but as soon as we got out into the ...

Cairns journal: Well, it IS a rainforest: Cairns Day 1

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:58:32 GMT

I swear, everybody, I am not trying to be 82 years old here, but this is pretty damn lame: I was asleep last night by 9pm and up at the preposterous hour of 3:10am. I fought to go back to sleep, because DAMN, but it was no use. I got up at 3:50, Gretchen got up right afterward, and we packed the car and left the Marriott Courtyard. A terrific hotel, considering we didn't pay anything to stay there! Thanks, Gretchen's reward points!

We drove north on Motorway 1 toward Brisbane, and on the way we saw a sign that read, "Cairns, 1717 miles." Ouch! Good thing we are flying. Man, this is a ...

Surfers Paradise journal: Sun, sand, and a timely escape: Surfers Day 2

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:56:37 GMT

Today, everyone, I totally outdid myself in terms of completely uncool waking times. I awoke at 4:45am, which sounds terrible until you realize that it is 7:45am New Zealand time, which is not quite as lame. I was surprised to see that at 4:45, the sun is up here. Gretchen was still sleeping, but I decided to head down to the beach to try to catch the end of the sunrise. There were a crapload of people out there, considering it was 5am. The tide started coming in while I was there, which was exciting because the seagulls started finding food and fighting over it. "Mine! Mine! Mine!" I saw lots ...

Surfers Paradise journal: There's something so familiar: Surfers Paradise Day 1

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:51:01 GMT

We landed in Brisbane International Airport a whole 10 minutes early and headed for passport control and customs. Getting my Australia passport stamp was as gratifying as I thought it would be. I actually said "Woo-hoo!" The customs agent was cool, she laughed...she must know how many Americans look forward to maybe getting that stamp some day. Customs was more stringent in Australia than anywhere I have ever visited. I had to declare the cookie I brought on board, the seashells I picked up at Mission Bay in Auckland, and even the dirt on my shoes. We made it through with everything, though, ...

Greymouth journal: No yodeling, but yes sheep: Tranz Alpine train/Christchurch Day 2

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:44:43 GMT

You know, I start every entry by saying that we woke up early and attacked the day, so I figured today it is time for a change. We slept way past the alarm and missed all of our activities for the day! You guys, I cannot lie. Of course we were up way early and ready to go. We headed out to grab a cab to the train station and, in a way, were glad to see that it was raining (since we'd planned to be inside anyway, and it had to rain sometime, right?). It was really quite cold this morning, and the rain made it feel even colder. We took a cab to Christchurch train station -- our driver was ...

Christchurch journal: Strolling to kill time: Christchurch Day 3

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:39:20 GMT

We checked out of our hotel first thing and left our bags in the lobby so we could maximize the last few hours we had in Christchurch. We walked into town and caught the free Shuttle bus to Cathedral Square again. We did breakfast at the Yellow Rocket cafe, which, God bless 'em, had everything bagels. Oh, how I have missed you! Gretchen (prepare for a shock) had the pancakes. We enjoyed breakfast outside right on the square and watched the city wake up. Right in Cathedral Square, there is an open-air market with jewelry and art and the like, as well as a giant chess set (Tom!), an Asian guy ...

Christchurch journal: Ice Ice Baby: Christchurch Day 1

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:48:34 GMT

We woke up and checked out of our Rotorua hotel, bidding the smell of sulfur and also the 1950s (all Rotorua hotels are in the style of ‘50s motor lodges) behind us. We checked in for our flight to Christchurch and got our luggage on. The flight took us over beautiful landscapes. We could see the Southern Alps out our window, and they were so beautiful that we decided then and there to change our itinerary on the fly…we can do wine tasting at home and they sell NZ wine at home, so we decided to take the TranzAlpine train to Greymouth on the west coast instead of doing wine tasting on ...

Rotorua journal: What's that Smell, Smell, Smell? Rotorua Day 2

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:22:29 GMT

We woke up early, as usual, allowing me time to become once again numbed and appalled by morning TV shows in UK-related countries. During the show, the host spilled coffee on herself and showed us all some muffins one of the crew had baked for her. On another show, the hosts openly mocked the guest, who I believe was the head of the Labour party or something. I cannot imagine Meredith Vieira spilling coffee on herself on camera or hearing Al Roker talking candidly about his corns or seeing Matt Lauer make fun of Howard Dean. It takes a lot to make me pine for the Today Show, but there you have ...

Rotorua journal: Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot: Rotorua Day 1

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:19:16 GMT

We caught a shuttle to the airport at 7:20 and made it there in plenty of time for our flight…we got onto the plane with all of our luggage, thanks to some help from the ticket agent, who forgave a few extra pounds. Nice lady! While we were waiting for our plane, Gretchen spotted a girl with Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins, and I ran off to find some for us. Get this, everybody: not only do they have Munchkins in NZ, they have 6 varieties! Man, this is the greatest country.

We boarded our flight through Gate 42, which was really just a hole in the fence. Gretchen was reminded of the Long Beach, ...

Paihia journal: Nature on an Impossible Scale: Northlands day trip, Auckland day 3

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:48:40 GMT

As usual, we found ourselves awake before the alarm, which was good because we needed the extra time to secure our booking on a day tour of the northern part of New Zealand, which one of Gretchen’s friends visited a while back and raved about. In the end, we had no trouble getting on the tour we wanted despite a slow start. We set out at 7:50am from the ferry terminal and headed due north on NZ Route 1 toward Whangerei and the Bay of Islands, over 250km away (125 miles or so). The bus was certainly an international experience – in addition to the exotic Americans, there were passengers from ...

Auckland journal: Everywhere's a Postcard: Auckland Day 2

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:04:13 GMT

Despite our best efforts to sleep in, we were up at 5:30am. Damn! We headed out around 7am and grabbed breakfast and coffee at Esquires near our hotel, then went to the ferry station where we saw the same friendly ticket agent from yesterday. He remembered our big run for the Devonport ferry the day before. After chatting with him, we bought tickets to Waiheke Island and took the 35-minute ride on the 8:15am ferry.

Waiheke is absolutely gorgeous. We rented a car from a company right in the ferry station and drove “the loop,” a trail that took us through the towns of Waiheke and the ...

Los Angeles journal: Airport; Free from the Airport; More Airport

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 01:53:34 GMT

We arrived at Dulles in plenty of time for our 11:50 flight – good thing, too, since we two expert travelers had completely overlooked the fact that we needed a visa to enter Australia! I blame myself. I had checked for Fiji and New Zealand but like a fool, I didn’t make sure about Australia. Thank goodness for the super helpful American Airlines ticket agent who got us visas on the spot for the bargain basement price of $25. Otherwise, our trip from Dulles to LAX was uneventful…I played Nintendo, Gretchen did her timesheet and read US weekly. Standard fare.

When we got to LAX, we were ...

Providenciales journal: A whole lot of wonderful nothing

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:49:06 GMT

"Where's Turks and Caicos?" In the Caribbean. "Why did you decide to go there?" Because you don't know where it is.

Gretchen and I left DC for the Caribbean Thursday afternoon in a crappy, cold rainstorm, the way God intended. We arrived in Provo, TCI, late on Thursday night and immediately headed out to sample the first of many rum punches the island had to offer. Friday morning we got up early and went diving at Catacombs and Piranha Cove on the TCI wall...we went down 98 feet, a new low for both of us. We saw some terrific fish at PC, and the staff at Dive Provo were super nice and ...

Miami journal: Bienvenido a Miami, again

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:04:52 GMT

We drove up from Tavernier on Sunday afternoon to stay at the Marriott by the airport so we wouldn't have to get up early for our Monday flight. As usual, Gretchen had Marriott points, so we stayed for free. While we were relaxing at the hotel in the hot tub, we met a JAL pilot from Perth, Australia, who was in town for a wedding. We all ended up going to South Beach together after a quick detour to find his car in a super ritzy section of Miami. Good times!

Tavernier journal: Bienvenido a Miami, Now Drive to Islamorada and Relax

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:02:50 GMT

We landed in Miami near 10pm after a long delay at Reagan National. We picked up our rental car in a torrential rainstorm and headed down to Tavernier on Islamorada in the Upper Keys. The drive was about an hour and a half and took us past some of the seedier sections of Miami. By the time we got to the Key highway, it was dark as could be. I saw more stars than I have seen in a long time. We checked in to our hotel close to midnight and went right to bed. We dove both Friday and Saturday mornings starting at 8:00am. In the afternoons, we enjoyed the pool and took naps. Saturday night we got ...

Paris journal: Chunnel!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:42:49 GMT

We took a day trip on the Eurostar train to Paris from London. The train was much like every other train. The French countryside we passed through was beautiful. It was raining in Paris by the time we got there, but fortunately we had arranged to take a guided tour of the city to maximize our short time there. We got to see (from the bus) the Louvre, the Champs-Elysses, Rodin's Thinker statue, Notre Dame, the Pont-Neuf, the Arc de Triomphe, and lots of other stuff. We were scheduled to get off the bus at the Eiffel Tower, but of course there was a political demonstration that day so we ...

Windsor journal: Day trip to Windsor Castle

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:42:11 GMT

We took a day trip to Windsor to see the castle, which was a great idea. The castle is just terrific. We were there on a day that the Queen was there, so the special flag was flying over the main tower. A highlight was having a guard attempt to explain cricket to us while we were waiting to get into one of the towers and had a terrific view of the Eton fields. This was the first castle I had ever seen, and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

London journal: A simply capital spring break

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:41:55 GMT

Andreas, my boyfriend at the time, and I went to London, UK, for a week. It was good to be introduced to Europe by a real European (he was born in Vienna). While we were in London, we visited all of the fun touristy stuff including the Tower of London (which I still visit every time I go there), Madame Tussaud's (too much fun to skip), and the British Museum. We explored lots of the London neighborhoods as well. We took a few day trips that were terrific. We stayed in a B&B in Richmond, a southern suburb of London, that was run by a crazy old lady who was just so, so British. It was my first ...

Sonoma journal: Wine tasting day trip

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:41:04 GMT

Stephanie arranged for a van to pick up the whole group at our hotel for a day outside the city. First, we stopped at Golden Gate Park, which was completely gorgeous. We lucked out and got a super-sunny day today, which was wonderful because we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and were able to get some excellent photos. On the way to Sonoma, we stopped at Muir Woods to explore the redwoods. I have never seen a greener place than Muir Woods. I would love to go back there. We had lunch at Sonoma Cheese Factory in downtown Sonoma -- over 15 kinds of Monterey Jack cheese, and they will put any ...

San Francisco journal: Free trip to SF? OK!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:40:47 GMT

I went to San Francisco with a group of coworkers from my lab at Columbia University in NYC for the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting. I went with Helen, Stephanie, Jennifer, Dileep, and Jin-Wu a few days early to take advantage of the city before the meetings and poster sessions started. The girls and I had one day of sightseeing in the city on which we hit all the highlights: Union Square (where we stayed), the cable car, Lombard St (we should have walked DOWN, not UP), Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the sea lions in the harbor, Alcatraz, and Chinatown. The guided tour ...

United States journal: Science in San Francisco

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:23:17 GMT

I went to San Francisco CA with other members of my lab to go to a cell biology conference. We went a few days early to see the city, which was a great decision. I also got to see BFF Rachel and her now-husband Joe while I was there.

Europe journal: Spring Break in London

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:06:51 GMT

For spring break my senior year, I went with my boyfriend at the time to London, UK. It was my first time in Europe. We also rode the Channel Tunnel Eurostar train to Paris for a day.

Cancun journal: Lora, Lauren, Shannon, and Shannon

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:04:41 GMT

We threw together a trip to Cancun for spring break '96, my sophomore year at Delaware. I went with BFF Lauren and also two Shannons from college, one of the Shannons' boyfriend at the time, that guy's friend, and this random girl. We hit all of the spring break hot spots (La Boom, Carlos and Charlie's, Senor Frog's, Daddy Rock, Fat Tuesday's, etc.) and took the obligatory booze cruise. We also took a day off from partying and went to Xcaret eco-archaeological park, which was definitely a highlight: snorkeling, ruins, and chocolate ice cream that had too much fat to be exported to the US. We ...

Mexico journal: Spring Break!!!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:00:12 GMT

I went to Spring Break in Cancun, Mexico, with Lauren, Shannon, and Shannon. Wooooooooooooo!

New York journal: Lora's worlds collide in Manhattan

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:22:21 GMT

The day has finally come: Melissa is defending her PhD on Monday the 19th and I wanted to be there to celebrate with her. I invited Allie, my friend from work, to come to the city with me for the weekend. We drove up to Iselin, NJ, on Friday (stopping off at her parents' house for dinner to drop off her dogs) to take the train from Metropark to Penn Station. We went up to get a taxi and immediately I had a run-in with one of NYC's many jerks, trying to cut in the taxi stand line. He alleged that he worked for the transit authority, but to me he looked like a guy trying to get a tip from a lady ...

United States journal: New York Because It's There Feb '07

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:21:54 GMT

I went to NY in February with Allie and met up with Andrew and Brooke to hang out in the city and to celebrate Melissa's PhD defense.

Honolulu journal: Return to Hawaii

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:50:59 GMT

We returned to Honolulu, again this time partly on CNA's dime, in August '06. We stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beachside Hotel again, this time on the top floor. The location is so amazing for the price! We visited Diamond Head again on this trip, but this time we walked from our hotel all the way to the top of the crater instead of getting a cab to the park entrance. We also rented a convertible for a day and drove up to Kahuku on the North Shore, where we ate shrimp from a truck and rode horses on the beach. It was my first time on a horse, and I really liked it. Also on the drive, we went ...

United States journal: Aloha! August 2006

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:41:02 GMT

I returned to Honolulu, Hawaii, with Andreas in August '06.

Philadelphia journal: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:31:08 GMT

We set out at 3:00 in the afternoon to head up to the concert in Philly. We got there early and had a drink at the arena -- of course they had JT-themed drinks. The opening act was Pink, whom I love, and who was awesome at the DC show I saw with Patti in February. She was just as great the second time. And Justin Timberlake is ridiculously talented. I have said it before, and I will say it again: I don't know how they fit that much funkiness into one man. We loved the show. It lasted almost 4 hours, well worth the money and the drive. After the show we drove back to Alexandria and were back by ...