Update from my favorite city ever!

I am in Innsbruck - the most beautiful city in the world!! :) I may not have shared my crazed love for this city with everyone... but since the day I first saw this town five years ago, I have loved it. This was the city that made me decide I want to one day live in / retire in Austria. And when I stepped out of the train station yesterday, it was truly like coming home. It was absolutely amazing. I love this town so much.

My hostess... I can't properly express how wonderful she is. She met me at the train station, took me on a tour of the city, and then we went back to her house to drop off my bag. She had chocolates and a towel waiting on my pillow. Then we headed up to the site of the Olympic Winter Games from 1964 and 1970-something (and I think they will be held again here soon!) and did some hiking around. The hills / trails have cows and horses grazing on them right now. It was really cool to see! Walked around a bit there in the rain, and then headed to a little lake further down the road. Also really cool! There were huge koi in the lake that were obviously well-fed by the tourists at the campground there. There was also a lakeside restaurant that had a live concert going on while we were there - a keyboardist and guitarist.

Taking lots of pictures. I'm going to do the tourist thing here and get the Innsbruck card. It's 34 Euro for 48 hours, and you can take the tram up the Nordkette for free, as well as discounts at restaurants around town (like where we're going for our Tiroler Abend tonight) and free museums. Tomorrow in the Nordkette, they host a Jazz brunch from 11 to 13, so Theresa and I are going to go up together, I think, and then perhaps hit the Swarovski crystal museum somewhere around here.

All that to say - I've been here for less than 24 hours and my time here has only served to convince me more that this is where I am meant to be. I will settle down here eventually. Have a home here. Whatever the case may be.

I think we're ready to head out for the day! More later. :)

Well. Today was unexpected.

I had a really negative experience today that I won't be sharing with the class, but just wanted to get out there. Looking forward to leaving town in the morning, even if that means waking up in less then six hours.

I had dinner across the piazza at the same little place I went on Monday when I was waiting for Niccolo. The host/waiter remembered me and suggested something similar but different for dessert tonight. It was cute. Endearing. I almost wish I had left my number. Perhaps I will before I head out tomorrow.

Long day. Exhausting both mentally and physically. My feet hurt. I am going to bed.

Xo

Waiting on laundry.

I realized this morning that not only do I have no clean socks (and haven't for two days. Oops!) but I also don't have any clean undies. This creates a Problem since while I am not totally opposed to going commando normally, doing so while walking around sweating, exploring a new city isn't my idea of a good time. So I put in a load of laundry before I hopped in the shower this morning, and now I wait.

Today is going to be low key. I'm going to hit the mercato centrale and then probably just wander around a bit. My belly is yelling me I need yo do more walking. My body is telling mr I need less stress (and I left my meds at home, thinking I wouldn't need them. Super). And I managed to lose my last €10 last night (I'm hoping it is still in my pocket in the wash) so I couldn't go much of anywhere anyway.

Yay! Life rocks.

My host in Florence so far has been awesome.

Ryan got the news yesterday that whatever needed approval has gotten it, so we will be meeting in Prague on Wednesday!!!

The guy I'm staying with has been researching ACN on YouTube and ACN integrity for the last several hours. Positive sign! I haven't even showed him the comp plan yet. I just told him I am also in network marketing and left my job last month.

Blister on my left foot. Probably from traversing the 926 stepa of the duomo today. I got some amazing photos!

Had delicious mozz after dinner. Just some olive oil drizzled on top. Delish! I might have to start eating it that way at home. I will probably be stopped up and hating myself in the next two days, but it was totally worth it.

Not sure yet what I will hit tomorrow. Went to the Uffizi today. Amazing! Got a picture of my favorite brunelescchi dyptic before the security lady came running over - "no picture! No picture!" worth it.

Off to bed now. I have to do laundry in the morning. Xo

First full day in florence

It was a short one. I was only out in town fir about 5 hours.

Also please pardon all typos. My phone doesn't like my fat fingers and I am tired if going back to correct.

So! Today! Left the house and went to the tourism office by piazza cesare beccaria. Got a bunch if maps, a free book, and some cool information. Headed straight to Santa Maria del fiore where the line was so long they had stopped letting people in fir the day... Even though they didn't close for another 4 hours. Then headed to basilica di San Lorenzo. I have something fundamentally against paying to get into a church so even though there was no line, I skipped it. Looked at my handy info packet and realized mist of the churches here, you have to pay yo get into. So I headed south to grom, which I heard from a local was supposed yo be the place fir ice cream. Nothing impressive. Then went to orsanmichele - one if the free churches. Went back north yo hit up another free church and passed the museo Dell opera del duomo. Six euros and they took my card. They had some amazing Donatello sculpture in there (admittedly I don't think he's the greatest, but it was very cool to see the works if one if the masters up close and personal). I also snapped a photo of michaelangelo's sculpture that I won't spoil for you Brown art history fans, buy will have the photo up shortly. From there, thought I would head up to the free church. Found another small one on my way and stopped in there. Then I saw a supermarket so I stopped to see if I could find goodies fir dinner. They had no bell peppers at all, and no ground beef or turkey. However, I got a carton of gelato (or two) so I had to run back here and put them in the freezer.

Got home, checked my email, and... Best news ever!! Alaska came through on my student loan fir $8500 instead of the $2500 or so I thought they were going to give me. Amazing! Now I don't have yo worry about finances when school starts. Sayonara, $11,610 tuition bill. I will only have about $3200 out if pocket, which is no problem.

I've been looking up winery tours in Tuscany hoping to get out of the city either tomorrow or Thursday but it doesn't look like it is going to happen. I don't feel like paying €200+ for a car/bus plus tour and then the cost if wine on top of it. I guess I will just have yo come back when I am rich. I threw my coin in the Trevino fountain the other day with that intention, so I guess we will see.

The guy I am staying with does amway. Pretty sure I'm going to prospect him before I leave.

Guess I will get back to planning my day for tomorrow. Awesome day today! Though Florence had very little to do with that. I am hoping to get in line early tomorrow fir the cathedral. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Quick update from Florence

Quick because it is about 11am and I want to head out here soon.

After the hostel, I was able to find a host for the next three nights. He was a pretty nice guy but total late nighter. Sleep until 2pm kind of guy. The second night, he took me and the other girl staying there to a club... And we were out until past four. I didn't want to be rude and ask to leave, but I definitely wasn't feeling it. The next day we all slept until 1 and then ran some errands for him and went to lunch. By the time I got to the coliseum they had already closed for the day. I wasn't terribly pleased.

In Florence now. Have a guy who appears to be an awesome host. He won't be around much (works very late) but has been very generous in giving me a house key and is hosting me for three days when he said he usually only hosts fir one.

Off to see what Florence has to offer, and grab a late breakfast! I had to recover after my lack of sleep the night before.

Also,

the men here aren't as bad as I have heard some people say. They are just very blunt about everything. I can't say that I've ever been told "I would like to fuck you" by a near-stranger, or any of the other things I've heard until this trip.

Interesting experiences, for sure.

Rome rocks.

But in a much different way than I thought it would. I have actually been pretty disappointed in Rome in general. It is SUPER touristy. Like, probably more tourists than Romans, touristy. That part has been super disappointing. I should have known better - obviously Rome is huge. But I realized after I got here that my mental picture of Italy has been small-town, little cafes, cute shops, lots of interesting buildings and history - not big cities stuffed with tourists. My own fault for being disillusioned. I will make a point next time to spend much more time in Italy and visit the small towns, because that's what Italy is all about in my head.

The accomodations have been interesting. First night, stayed with Patrick. Second night with Jeff. Mom, here is where you don't freak out. I had another couch lined up for the third night but then the guy had to cancel because of work. So I went to the train station. The tourist information desk was closed and the line for the regular information booth was INSANE. While I was waiting in line (and I probably had been for almost an hour at that point), I spotted three guys getting off the train with big hiking packs on, so I went over and asked them if they were headed to a hostel, and if so, I could join them.

They were. Success! So I followed... all the way to Anna B's. Apparently they had printed off the first result on Google maps... which was some woman's house. Awesome. So we parked our bags on a street corner while two of them went off asking door-to-door at hotels what their prices were. I went across the street to an internet cafe that advertised a B&B in the doorway and asked about pricing. They had information for one that was 27EUR per night. I used up all my cash for that, since they didn't accept cards.  We went out and had a drink at the Piazza (don't remember the name of it) and then headed back. Had breakfast at some little bar down the street this morning (everything here is a bar. kinda weird), and then parted ways.

Went back to Jeff's to pick up my shoes and pillow, since I left them there. Now I'm at Elio's, waiting for him to get home. It was a pretty exhausting day. More later!

Updating from Rome!

Lots of exciting things.

I met an awesome guy on the plane yesterday. His name is Patrick, and he's an engineering officer for Holland America cruise ships. Works three months on, three months off. He's Dutch, but lives in Australia. Really interesting guy. We had dinner together and since my host cancelled on me, I stayed in the second bed in his room that Holland so graciously provided me. :)

Today, I went to Vatican City. Did a tour - 40Euro. Expensive, and they lie to you to get you to do it, but I'm glad I did. The other option was a SUPER long audio tour that you had to pay for. Plus the cost of the ticket to get in. Plus avoiding waiting in line, for the most part. And our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable. I got so many amazing photos.

Tooled around Rome for the rest of the evening, and now I'm staying with Jeff. He seems pretty cool. He reached out and offered his couch when I posted an SOS earlier, so he's obviously generous. He's out to dinner with a lady friend right now, but I suppose we'll have time to catch up when he gets back later.

Plan for tomorrow: Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish steps.

Day one, and I thought I lost something but later recovered it. Day two, I lost my water bottle today. Perhaps I'll also go back to the internet cafe I think I left it at and see.

I'm going to go take my contacts out and clean my foot. My poor toe is all swollen - hopefully just from walking around on it so much today.

Also, I was in St. Peter's Basilica today when 5 o'clock mass started. I got chills. It was absolutely incredible. I am so blessed to be able to have this opportunity, and I would've been a fool not to come.

In Amsterdam!

Security here is much more efficient. I was patted down - grope and all - but it seemed uninvasive unlike the homeland security version.

I board for Rome soon.

The noyifications here are hilarious. Instead of just notifying someone that their flight leaves soon, the loudspeaker announces "you are delaying the flight." nice.

Battery is dying and my transformer is too big to plug into the outlets here. More later!!

At the airport!!

Things are finally getting real. I am sitting at gate 15 in the Phoenix airport waiting to board my flight to Detroit. I should have eaten lunch and didn't realize that I hadn't until a few minutes ago. A few granola bars will have to tide me over until Detroit, I suppose.

I'm sitting near some rude girl who is probably about my age, cackling about how hilarious it is that a friend of hers joined the air force and "became" a lesbian. Joyous.

The check-in process wasn't as smooth as I had hoped. First my passport wouldn't scan and then the woman couldn't find my reservation in the system. It took probably 20 minutea to complete, and when they finally took my bag (I checked my pack), the woman told me I travel light. 22 lb pack for my 30 day trip. I'm pretty impressed with myself for that one.

I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off this morning trying to get ready. Rei, grocery store, best buy, post office. Fun stuff. I bought a new camera, and got a spiffy backpack from rei that weighs less than three ounces.

Jace and mike dropped me off at the airport. Jacey brought me some if her amazing cookies so I sat here moping, eating one earlier. I really am going to miss them. I know I will see them in September but going from living together and seeing each other every day to not seeing each other for almost two months makes me sad just thinking about it. They have been such amazing friends, I don't even know how to put it into words.

I packed the rest of my cookies I made yesterday, and they are already squished in my little pack. Oh well! Still tasty.

I think I'm going to sign off here and pack up. We should be boarding soon. I will try to update often!!

My life rocks.

That is all.

Also, since I'm probably going to start spreading the word and using this as a travel blog once I leave, here is a warning. Mostly for my parents. If you encounter anything here that disappoints, upsets, angers you, or gives you any other negative reaction - my apologies in advance. This blog is for my own personal reflection and memories more than anything else. I don't censor myself as I might normally. Just a heads' up.

Had a meeting in the clubhouse today. Got seven surveys out of it and it looks like at least half of them will turn into customers. Awesome!

Also, Wildflower blackberry orange lemonade is freakin' delicious.

Battery is dying again, so I should head home. Arizona nights by the pool are gorgeous, but there have been one too many bugs out tonight for my liking. I'm staring down a roach right now, which probably means it's time to go inside.

Quick update

Don't have internet at the house, so this will have to be quick since I'm on my laptop out by the pool. 

I'm back at the house! It's not finished yet but good enough for me right now, as I am LEAVING FOR EUROPE IN FOUR DAYS!!!!!! and Mike & Jacey are also in the process of moving. I have to get my crap in line to have a home-sweet-home environment to return to since my flight lands 9 hours before classes start, and the most convenient place to be doing that right now is obviously the house. 

Got my super cute new Coach glasses in the mail yesterday.

Went to REI and spent another 100 bones tonight on trip accessories. I ended up going with the silk/cotton blend sleep sack rather than the 100% silk one. And I got an inflatable travel pillow. And other things, obviously. 

My goal for the week is to eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. I have 2.5 lbs of peaches in the fridge along with a pound of pears, 2 lbs of tomatoes, 4 apricots, a pint of blueberries, 2 mangoes, and 3 lemons. That goal certainly won't be difficult to achieve. 

I had my biopsy done today. Didn't think they were going to do it at the office, so I had to drive home afterward in 4" heels. My foot freakin' hurts. 

I have the biggest mosquito bite I've ever seen on my left arm right now. 

I can't think of anything else terribly important! I have been slaving away at the house trying to get everything ready, and now I think I'll be jumping into overdrive here in the next few days. I probably won't be around much for the next month! I will try to post updates from overseas when I can. 

xo!

Well the house is done! ...Sorta.

More importantly, I leave for Europe ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!!!!!

The rest of the week will be spent putting my house together and getting rid of crap online. I need to make room in my bank account for some non-discretionary spending. I thought I had more at my disposal than I actually do. I completely spaced financial aid and was counting on a loan of $6000 more than I can get. So! Books, clothes, textbooks, games, Passion Parties stuff - it will all be up soon! Be on the lookout. :)

Another sunny California update!

...Again. :)

Saturday afternoon, Kris came over and helped me move some stuff into the kitchen and bathroom. We went wine tasting and then went back to her house for dinner. After dinner, I headed off on the drive to Camp Pendleton.

Five and a half hours later (at almost four in the morning), I got to the main gate. First, I pulled up to the side visitor's office to grab a pass, and the guards at the open gate station told me that not only did I not need one, but they don't issue passes, so I turned around and drove down to chat with them. I said I was there to pick up a friend from the barracks, which got me a few funny looks at 4AM on a Marine base. I was even asked if he was a "friend" or a *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* "friend, friend." I told them that he was a "friend, friend," but that I had already been denied since we've known each other 18 years and nothing is going to happen. So then I was told how foolish I was for being the one to come see him. Mildly entertaining 4AM conversation. I'm quite confident the gate guards didn't believe me and thought I was a booty call.

I called Ryan and got directions to his barracks. He came down and got me, carried my purse upstairs, stayed up while I showered, and then we chatted a bit in bed. Woke up the next morning and headed up to Hollywood!


We walked along Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd. Stopped in some bar with all-day happy hour for a 4PM beer. (ShockTop raspberry wheat. Subtle raspberry flavor. Pretty good.) Saw the Scientology Museum (L. Ron Hubbard's works and life), and the trio - Ripley's Believe it or not, the Guinness Book museum, and the Hollywood Wax Museum. The Scientology museum was interesting, but the other three were mostly disappointing. I did however get a photo with Capt. Jack himself, as did Ryan.

  

We left Hollywood fairly late in the day and headed down south. We had The Conversation in the car, and it went pretty well! I informed him that we should probably stop for some dinner before I turn into a raging bitch, so we ended up at BJ's in Carlsbad with Sam. Delicious, as always! I tried their berry burst cider mixed with the irish red they have. It was pretty good! Ryan got something dark and delicious. It tasted like coffee. Very rich. Yum.

Headed back to his room again. Retired a little early. Got up Monday and went to breakfast with David - a friend of his from Louisiana. Then we went to the archery range. After what was probably a 10-minute explanation of the intricacies of the compound bow (I've shot before, but not compound), Ryan handed his over. I got my wristband all set up, finger release in place, lined up everything... and the string pressure was set to 60 lbs. I'm a wimpy girl. I tried a few times and couldn't pull it back all the way, so I gave up. Sad! Ryan and Dave shot a bit, and then we headed back to the room again to change for the beach! Ryan grabbed his sunscreen for me (SPF30) and we walked down to Del Mar Beach.

Mistake. First, I brought a Lonely Planet guide and a can of sunscreen. I was laying on my tummy for the majority of the time. I had Ryan spray my back, and then when he noticed my shoulders were burning, he sprayed them again. I sprayed my calves once. That's it.

This was the result of nearly two hours at the beach with no sunscreen on my chest.

And I wasn't even exposing my chest most of the time. I flipped over on occasion to read on my back with my book above my face, but the majority of the time was spent on my tummy. I'll leave my back and legs to the imagination. I had welts by the end of the day on Monday, and I've been blistering ever since. Gross. I also lost out on $450 in modeling work since no one wants to shoot a dumb broad who is too stupid not to burn. Learned that lesson.

Made some pasta salad at Grandma's and took it up to the 4th of July party at the Watsons' house. Met some cool people. Sat on bags of frozen hot wings to try and numb my legs. Stayed the night there.

Tuesday, hung out with Sam. We went to lunch, went to the beach and wrote my name in the sand (another goal to cross off!), then went back to her house and made red velvet cake balls. They turned out okay. Definitely better after a day or two. SUPER sweet.

Wednesday, I went out to Breakwater Brewery again with Mike and Ryan. Too bad we didn't get a second photo to compare with the first one. Then we headed down to the Beach Bar (or something like that), across from the CrossFit place, for some more libations. More beer. Jello shots. Watermelon Kamakaze shots. Beer pong. Good night. I danced. Probably inappropriately, because I have a tendency to do that. Thankfully I restrained myself and I was not all up on anyone. The boys laughed at me when I had difficulties getting in and out of the car... and in general, really. My sunburn was pretty entertaining. Ryan drove us back to the barracks, where I promptly turned into a drunken hooker. I wanted him to rub lotion on my sunburnt back, and it turned into a drunken female mating call of sorts. My apologies. Not that I did anything inappropriate, but I definitely was not being subtle either.

Next morning. He woke up and headed out to the range. I slept in and then went to spend time with Grandma & Grandpa, and went hiking through Cuyamaca with Jessy and Sam. Made dinner (chicken piccata!!) for everyone. Then went out to the bar with Jessy and one of the bouncers ended up driving us home since our cab never showed.

Friday morning, went out to breakfast at the Armenian Cafe in Carlsbad. ZOMG. Best breakfast ever. I was texting Alex and he had breakfast there, so we were going to meet him, but got around too late. So we did a late breakfast there ourselves, and Sam joined after she got out of class. That place has been voted best breakfast and best lamb in all of San Diego county. I believe it! Holy cow, it was tasty. Super expensive (no thanks to my $7 mimosa), but delicious and worth every penny. Spent all day Friday with the grandparents before I left. Grandma made corn chowder (yum!) and then I headed home!

I'm updating from Kris's netbook right now. I'm staying here watching the dogs since she and Dave headed west around 3 or 4 this morning. I'm about to head out and see what the status of the house is. It should be finished by now, so hopefully I'll be able to do some dishes and start putting things away this weekend!

I'll update with more photos as soon as I get around to uploading them. There's an update on Europe, too, but I'll wait for that one since it's super long.

365 thought-provoking questions: Questions 21 - 40

21. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?  Math or music. Those are my two passions. 

22. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?  I would regret not living life to the fullest. Not leaving a positive legacy. Not laughing enough. Not spending enough time with my family and with people who are close to me. 

23. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?  Things, yes. Hoarding runs in my family. :) Emotions, no. I am happy and content with where I am. 

24. When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most?  I hope that what matters to me most will be family and friends. Surrounding myself with the love of people I love.

25. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards and just do what you know is right?  Now. The time is always now. Life is an adventure! Don't take it so seriously. 

26. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?  Probably 25. I feel 25 sometimes. 

27. Would you break the law to save a loved one?  It depends, but more than likely - yes. 

28. What makes you smile?  Many, many things! Sunshine on my face. Freckles cropping up on my nose. A bird singing. The sound of crashing waves. Time with good friends. A beautiful sunset. A good song on the radio. Beautiful memories. 

29. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?  I sure hope not. I hope to be remembered by what I have accomplished. 

30. If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be?  Live life to the fullest, and with no regrets. Life is an adventure. No one gets out alive. Create memories that you will cherish. Add value to others. Live in the present and look to the future. 


31. If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?  I probably wouldn't have spent the last six years in school. I would have hoped the ACN opportunity dropped in my lap a few years earlier. I would travel more and spend more time with people that I care about. 


32. What do we all have in common besides our genes that makes us human?  I think all (mentally healthy/stable) people desire to be wanted. 


33. If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose?  Wow! That's a hefty responsibility. I don't think there's one book that I read in high school that really stands out as stellar. However, I would choose something either fiction or a well-written biography, that is motivational, inspiring, and full of personal development tidbits. 


34. Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing?  I would prefer to be self-employed! But given those options, I would rather have more work that I enjoy. 


35. What is important enough to go to war over?  Stolen liberties. 


36. Which is worse, failing or never trying?  Never trying. If you never try, you can't possibly succeed. If you fail, you have the opportunity to overcome failure and strengthen your resolve. 


37. When was the last time you listened to the sound of your own breathing?  I spent some time running on the treadmill earlier this afternoon. It was pretty hard to miss. :)


38. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?  I organize my closet in a strange way. I also answer the questions, "How are you," and "How was your day," differently than most people.  


39. What does ‘The American Dream’ mean to you?  Freedom is paramount. Freedom is more important than safety. Freedom is also something you earn. It is something you work for. And if you work hard enough, it is something you can achieve. 


40. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?  Wow; that's a tough one. I am not a worrier, nor am I a simpleton. And I would prefer not to be either. However, I suppose I would rather be happy than worry all the time, simpleton or not. 

Honey; I'm home!!

I got back in town Monday morning around 4 o'clock. What an amazing two weeks, and a total whirlwind! I had such a wonderful time in Alaska, catching up with family and friends. Then Thursday, Mike, Jacey, and Josh piled in the car, picked me up at the airport, and we headed off to Walnut Creek again! The ACN International event started in San Jose on Friday and lasted through the weekend.

What an inspirational, uplifting, and motivational time! And not all of it was part of the leadership. I was in bed Saturday night, and Josh asked from across the room - "What is holding you back from reaching your full potential?"

Wow. It's like I told him the next morning - that was probably the most unintentionally motivational question anyone has ever asked me. I answered him when he asked, and then thought about the question for probably another fifteen minutes before responding thoroughly. What really struck me about that, perhaps even more than his question, is that in 36 hours, Josh saw in me something that I didn't see in myself. He believes I can move mountains. He believes in me more than I believe in myself. That realization was powerful for me.

And now this week has been a tornado of sorts, too! Got back Monday, obviously. Tuesday, went to my Ballet Aerobics class in the morning, and then stopped by the office since Tami wanted to see me. Was given the option of being terminated or resigning, since my Europe vacation is "too disruptive" now that Tami knows she wasn't the first one to be told about my travel plans. Curious that she was willing to hold my job for the entire summer when I was going to visit family, but now that I'm going to Europe with a man, she wants to replace me. Oh well! Then I did my first hot yoga class Tuesday night. Love it! Wednesday, my birthday coupons expired, so I got my free flatbread from Boston's and some $0.65 nutella crepes from IHOP. Thursday, I spent two miles on the treadmill, and I did leg weights for the first time since 2003. We'll see what today has in store! Probably some more hot yoga, some more ballerobica, and perhaps some more time on the treadmill.

In other news, I called the project manager for the house today to see what the deal is with the flooring, since the cabinets were installed on Monday. I had hoped the flooring would be completed tomorrow, so I could move in on Saturday. No such luck, though. Apparently the linoleum we chose is special-order only and will take two weeks to come in, so we have to choose something else. And they don't want to do the carpet in one go and come back for the linoleum, because the flooring contractor would charge extra. So instead of being able to get my bedroom ready this Saturday as I was hoping, I'll have to wait until I'm home from San Diego next weekend. Eight days to move into my home, unpack all my boxes, get settled, pack for Europe, and head out again!! Thankfully Kris and Tony have both offered to help, because I have a feeling I'll be a little overwhelmed doing everything myself.

Life is one big adventure! I love that I can smile at whatever life tosses my way, and know that I'll make do, no matter what.

Live a life of permanent purpose.