European Traveler

So, perhaps the most funny and random travel experience happened to me during my flight from Seattle to Michigan on Saturday...

First, I was on a flight filled with priests and nuns (and some friends) headed to Rome for a week. Literally, it was the entire back of the plane filled with these folks and me. Now, some of you know I have a small obsession with nuns, priests, monks and the like who are out in public wearing their specific garb. I LOVE it! And more often than not there is at least one of the above on any one of my flights. I find it a little weird, but comforting. So, that's where we begin---surrounded by many foreign travelers and foreign-bound travelers and me.

As we getting ready to exit the plane (after a rather smooth and work productive flight), this woman was staring at me and saying, "Heidi? heidi?. Of course, I did not even acknowlegde her for a bit because my name is not Heidi nor does it even remotley sound like Heidi. After the third time she said it, I finally realized that she was in fact talking to me. I looked at her and she said something to me in german (I know no German...my ancestors are rolling in their graves). She realized I was not Heidi and while odd, the incident of mistaken idenity was complete (or so I thought).

I went to grab my bag from the Luggage claim area and all of sudden, this group of people with balloons and signs came rushing toward me exclaiming-- "Heidi! Heidi! Heidi!". At this, everyone in the area turned to look, I turned a nice shade of tomato and explained that no, I was sorry but I was not Heidi. While sad, they too were slgithly embarrassed for making the error. They had mistaken me for Heidi their foreign-exchange student*. No joke.

After that excitement, I was a little sad to arrive at my rental car and not have a crowd waiting with signs and balloons. And even more sad when my family hadn't thought the same thing... (just kidding, mom)

**I did meet heidi and she did resemble me quite a bit. But, seriously, who else does this kind of thing happen to??

To pack or not to pack...

Ugh. Today I am packing and unpacking a bag in the same day. And that means laundry and organizing and re-evaluating the need for a traveling girl to have so many clothing items. I mean, my bag is still full of dirty garments from Phoenix and my closet is still full of clean and lovely things. I just got back Tuesday and have had a full work and social calendar so have not had lots of extra time to unpack and launder things. Plus, I was not home during the day to do laundry while working due to massive boulder crushing next door (wish I was kidding). So, today was the day. I unpacked and started to do laundry because I need to pack everything back up for my next adventure that starts at 7am tomorrow. (Note that it is 5:30pm...)

Anyway, as I started to say above before my lovely tangent, I realized just how many clothes I have. I could pack a different suitcase full of clean things and not even unpack the PHX bag. I mean none of my favorites would be packed, but I wouldn't be naked (or in ugly clothes). But, I will do laundry and re-pack the good stuff, the favorites and be a happy (well-dressed) traveler.

While starting this thought process, I also realize I have a love- hate relationship with my suitcase. I love it when I am taking a new adventure and am putting fun, exciting items inside to visit a new land or come home after a wonderful adventure. I hate it when there doesn't seem to be enough space for all the items I just might need during a 3 week trip, or when it's full of dirty items from weeks on the road. I do love that I have leanred to live with just a few items and can literally live out of bags for weeks (my office included). It really makes me think about the number of things I own (and really need for that matter). Is it that I just make do on the road or that I am over-indulged in my home life? Really, I think it's a combo of both. When I travel, I do live without certain comforts of everyday life. It's just part of the deal. And at home, I have all my basic needs met and maybe indulge in some extras. I feel lucky that I can!

Summer Solstice!

Oh happy day--summer is here! It did not get dark until 9:55pm last night. What?! That is some sort of craziness....and I love it!

I am delighted to have been home in Seattle to enjoy the glorious sunny longest day of the year! I enjoyed some outdoor time in my garden (it's starting to grow....hooray!) and took a little walk after working a full and somewhat long workday.

As the paragraph above says, I was traveling in the morning yesterday. I returned from Phoenix, just in time to miss the first day of 115 degrees (oh thank goodness!). Whilst traveling, I could not believe the sheer number of travelers! Then it occured to me--summer travel time is here. My heart sank. Ugh- the summer travel season. is upon on us. It may be worse than the Christmas holiday season.

So, here's my rant and suggestion list for those raggety summer travelers--

1- Although it may be hot in both your departure city and arrival destination, having your booty shorts on and sitting in an airline...EEEWWW! Girl- none of your bits should ever touch a seat that 100s of people sit on in a short amount of time.

2- And on a similar note. Gentlemen, read above about the heat. For you, it seems sleeveless shirts seem to be a trend. No matter how buff you are, I just don't want to see your pit hair on an airplane. Or smell you, for that matter!

3- Just because you don't travel regularly does not mean you can be put out (read: yell, rant/rave at nearby passengers) by the rules of airline travel. I'm sorry, the TSA is just doing their job and PS- the rules have not changed in many, many years!. Yes, it is annoying and yes, I, too, would prefer to not have to do the "TSA Striptease" each and every time I travel. But it is, what it is. Just roll with it. And think about those rules before you pack your carry-on.

4.- Once on the plane, please remember if you are seated in an exit row you really are going to be asked to help in the event of an emergency. So, no joke, take it seriously. A shug of annoyance is not what your fellow passengers are looking for in an emergency row seatmate.

5- For those seated in the first row of first class or coach you do not get under seat storage. The person behind you gets to use the storage space beneath you. Those are the rules, even if you think your bag is the most precious item in the world. (No kidding on my recent flight, I witnessed the woman in the front row turn around and scream at the woman behind her for putting her bag underneath her chair.) Um, that is where the back person's feet go---do you really want your precious bag to be marred by the dirty, possible bathroom germ-y feet of your fellow passenger? I'm thinking not so much. I would suggest that the overhead bin would be a better bet.

Even with the crazies, I AM looking forward to my travel this summer season. There are "favorites" to be seen, beaches to play on (or sleep on), and a tan to be worked on.

Welcome, summer!

(I would appreciate some slightly warmer days in my home state...maybe a few 70s in a row? Thanks!)

Somewhere over the rainbow..

For some reason- thinking about Dreams coming true makes me hum, "Somewhere over the raindbow". It;s one line- And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.".

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow.Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

I love that song. It's right up there with, "A few of my favorite things." And this one I vividly remember singing with my dad in the kitchen....random, but very happy.

Anyway, I am sure you are wondering why I am bringing up dreams. Not dreams you have while sleeping, but the kind that you think when you are alone with your thoughts. Well, in the recent few weeks I have been able to witness some friends dreams come true. It has been beyond awesome to be able to take part in or witness these magical moments.

While in Alaska, I played on a zipline (a favorite activity). That zipline was the dream of two friends. They worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and now they made it happen. And it is amazing! They have a staff of incredible people who takecare of things, while they can enjoy time with their new baby girl and don't need to sweat the small stuff. While zipping, I was overwhelmed with a sense of pride that I knew them! That this was theirs and it was a HUGE success. My heart swelled with pride when another participant shared high praises. I was so proud of them! And so happy to be part of their success, even if it was just to play! :)

The second dream come true was for songbird. She has dreamed of being a musician (er a rockstar) since she was a little girl. When we first met, she joked that when she was rich and famous, I would be her PR person. Well, years have passed and I am no longer in that realm of a career, but she is still pursuing her dream of musical success. On Friday night, her dreams came true. She (along with her band) sang to a crowd of over 300. It was their CD release and it was a huge success! During her last song, I couldn't help but choke up when witnessing her incredible success. It wasn't an easy path and definately doens't end there, but this was huge. She was wonderful. The crowd was clearly in awe during the last song, (the one that made me well up.) Even days later, I still get a little teary thinking about seeing her up there. Her dreams came true! And I was lucky enough to witness it.

I was part of neither dream's success or frutition, but it sure has been awesome to be a witness to both. I am so proud of my people for making it happen in their own ways and in their own time.

Somewhere over the rainbow...dreams really do come true.

Mary, Mary

Mary, Mary, how does your garden grow? With silver belles and cockle shells. And pretty maids all in a row.

Well, my garden doesn't grow with anything right in a row. And I don't even know what a cockle shell is? (Does anyone, really?) But my garden is finally planted. And just in time for me to head out on another road trip! Here's hoping the flower food and watering with hold until well into July.

Last year, I had a garden for the first time in more than 6 years- delightful! And this year's is a little bit better. I grew up with flowers galore. My parents spent time on weekends maintaining their lush green grass (a grass carpet one would could say) and the pretty flowers that seemed to bloom from the first warm day all the way until that first frost in the fall. My grandmother had the most beautiful gardens (in my mind anyway). There was always a little magic when wondering through her gardens. Having a garden runs in the family. It is something you just do. And something I do enjoy.

This year it's impatiens, and gerbera daises with a few bell peppers on the side. I also got a little excited and bought some seeds---we'll see if those turn out. And who knows maybe their are silver belles or cockle shells in that mix?

a good reminder.

Today I had the pleasure of catching up with an old friend. We live far apart and have for a few years now. I only get to see her on a rare occassion when she appears on one of my events or when our company hosts an all-company meeting.

When we first met and began to work together, I have to be honest, I was a little concerned. She was going to be replacing one of my favorite people ever, so I was a little skeptical. How could this woman be as great as the the person before her? Well, my first impression was off- WAY off! She turned out to be one of the kindest, most generous, wise and beautiful people I have ever known. She welcomed all of us with open arms into her home, into her family and into her giving heart. She often hosted meals for work, which always resulted in lots of laughter and maybe a glass of wine in the afternoon! ;) When her family moved, she and her love followed them so they could be close to grandbabies. They needed to follow their hearts. It makes sense. Family is everything to them.

Well, today she shared two of their miracles with me- a new baby and new senses! Two miracles- different and profound each in their own right. My heart swelled for her when I heard the news a new baby was to arrive this year. And it burst with happiness while tears sprang to my eyes when she shared the news about the ears. It was the kind of the news that can make even the darkest day bright again. You see her love had lost his hearing years ago in an accident. Initially, he could hear some things but as the years progressed so did the hearing loss. They learned to communicate in their own ways, but once the grandprice arrived, her love could not hear the baby's cries. That meant he couldn't stay alone with the babe, another adult always had to be there. It broke all of their hearts. They researched and checked and calculated risks and made the difficult decision to do surgery to add an implant. And her love finally had a date with the grandprince. The first in his four years.

Most people would take for granted a day spent listening to a rambling little one. Some might even get annoyed. But to this woman's love, I can only imagine it was the best day ever! He could finally hear the sweet giggle that accompanied the bright smiling face and hear the funny things said that made others surrounding them laugh.

To me, that is a miracle of infinite proportions! It's an irreplacble memory and a great reminder to not take the little things in life for granted. I can't imagine not being able to hear my dad's whitsle, my mom's laugh, or any of the other incredible sounds that mean love in my life.

Thank you, my sweet friend for sharing the miracles in your life with me. It made my week!

Just Because

Recently, other people in my life have been venting to me about aches and pains. Immediately after they start, they apologize to me. Saying it's not that big of a deal. Or it's nothing like what I deal with. Well, I am putting it out there now and saying for all to see-- that is bullshit*!

Yes, I am hurting more right now than I have in years. Yes, I am frustrated by this downswing in the pendulum that is my health. BUT (and this is a big but). My aches and pains do not take away from the fact that other people have aches and pains! Pain is personal. Each person carries it differently. We all handle things differently. And just because I hurt does not take away from the fact that someone else does. Just because I hurt does not mean that someone else can't too. I wish no one did, but it's life. Without pain we wouldn't know pleasure. Without frustration, how could you recognize joy? I for one am not willing to give up the positive to be void of the negative. That's too big of a risk for me. Where would I learn a lesson? be challenged? or make a discovery? No thanks.

In fact, one of my favorite things about having close friends and family is that you can share both the triumphs and the tribulations of life. Being hurt physically (or emotionally) and needing to talk about it is so good. And trusting me enough to share those things with me is a gift. Really.

*(when I type that I hear a combination of my Aunt Chris and Uncle Tim's voices...makes me smile).

The Voice

Following my vacation I have been catching up with my DVR shows. The best one is the Voice. I don't usually like shows like that, but this one is just super fun. And I decided that I really want to be friends with Blake and Adam (their sarcastic banter is awesome!).

As I was catching up with the last 3 episodes, I started to think about talents and passion. These people just know that they are meant to be singers.

I began to wonder if it is specific to singers (musicians) or what. My singer friend (we'll call her songbird) has frequently said the same thing-- she just knows no matter what else life brings her way, that she is meant to be a singer. Songbird had a rough year this past year, but has come out and pursued her dream. I am so proud of her for finding her way and making a career out of her passion.

And there's the friends I have that say they just know they were always meant to be mothers.

This passion and confidence about what they know they are meant to be is envy-worthy to me. It's pretty cool to see someone become exactly what they were meant to- whether it's being a singer, a mom, a teacher, or a technician.

I don't know anything about what I am meant to do. I like what I do, but I don't know that it is a passion. I am confident that it makes me happy (most of the time) but it definately doesn't complete me as a person, like someone whose passion is their job. Something to think about...