Three times a charm

Three weeks today I am going to Manchester for a conference. Afterwards, we have a free week. Hmm… free. Too many choices, too little time. But, time is running out so after months of procrastination we have FINALLY made a decision where we are going and booked our trip. Three days in Edinburgh. Three days in Belfast. We are splitting the difference and incorporating my fly guy’s desire to golf in Scotland with my desire to visit Northern Ireland having already been to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Our little circle tour is being made possible by the fact that airfare in the UK is so flippin’ cheap!!! I had always heard this, but it really is true… I even found a flight from Manchester to Belfast for ₤0.00! Zero. Unbelievable. I love a great bargain as much as the next gal, but with prices like that it does make this white knuckle flyer wonder exactly what we'll be travelling in... an empty Guiness can?! Anyway, it will be a quick trip, but armed with a good pair of walking shoes and a crash course in pronunciation from my friend D who lived in “Embra,” we'll do our best to blend in with the locals. Now, where did I put my kilt...?

Straightened out

I am no supermodel. That I am well aware of, but I know that I can turn it on when I need to. This doesn’t mean that I “dumb down” to get what I want, but c’mon… who hasn’t flashed a smile and batted their eyelashes to get out of a speeding ticket? This week I travelled to sunny (and humid as hell!) San Diego. Unfortunately this business trip was somewhat unscheduled and I am currently without my passport. But, luckily I have Nexus Air which can be used in lieu… or so I thought. Wrong. Long story short, I put my best female foot forward to the male customs agents and was allowed to travel anyway. The event I attended was the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Convention and I quickly found that the delegates, although extremely congenial, had absolutely no interest in me or what I had to say. Well, duh... I’m not gay. I was shocked to realize just how much I rely on female charm to do my job. This crowd wasn’t having any of it except for one lone lesbian who thought I was cute and bought me a drink. I felt terrible guilt, however, as she was so sweet and I was so straight. Oh well, I made the best of the weekend and tried to learn and absorb all that I could from this inspiring community. Boarding my plane to return home, the male passenger in front of me chatted politely and then turned to me and said, “Why don’t you go ahead… you have pretty hair.” A bizarre comment, but I thought, “I’m back, baby!” I’m going home… straight home.

Bon voyage

Today, the fly girl left on a three week holiday to Europe. Not bad for a 5-year-old. She will visit The Netherlands, France and Italy. It has been 10 years, but I have visited all of the places she is going so I am looking forward to hearing her impressions and travel tales from the perspective of a child. She will even celebrate her 6th birthday while in Verona. What a birthday present! Since she is obsessed with princesses I anticipate she will come home with a love of the story of "Prince" Romeo and "Princess" Juliet. If you've been to Verona you know that she'll also likely rub Juliet's boob for good luck... I'm sure this is appropriate within the context, right? On top of this adventure she will not only get to skip out of the first day of school, but essentially the first month of grade 1. But, what an education. She is in French immersion so hopefully some of her early learnings will be applied. While she is away, I on the other hand will enjoy a month without any whining, without any crying, without... Hmm, I miss her already. I think I'll go and watch Dora the Explorer.

Breakdown

When you travel frequently the chance of experiencing mechanical difficulty is high… engine trouble, a flat tire, a delayed flight. The same is true in life. When you are constantly thinking and moving at wharp speed you are bound to reach your breaking point. I don’t travel over the summer so you’d think I would be recharging my batteries, but instead I feel like a train wreck. Work has been unmanageable, the weather disappointing and the household a handful with stress running high instead of the temperatures. Summer (my favourite season!) is ending and I feel like I am still waiting for it to start. Thankfully I somehow managed to get a tan or I’d really be blue… or at least pasty white. I know, I know… boo hoo. But, it’s my blog and I’ll cry if I want to. I even avoided going to the lake this weekend. Instead I’ve been in quarantine. I’ve gone days without virtually talking to anyone, having the house to myself, eating take-out, watching re-runs and sleeping late. I began to miss my family, however, so I knew it was time to re-enter society. I begin travelling for work again this week and although I am resisting the fact that summer is over I think the change of season will be good for my mental health. Being on the road has become my routine, my reality. And, I’m looking forward to getting back to my insanity.

Remembering Lima

Last weekend, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 hit the area of Lima, Peru. Over 500 people have died, more than 1,000 people are injured and nearly 17,000 houses have been destroyed. Immediate needs for earthquake survivors include shelter, as it is winter in Peru and people need to be protected from the cold, and access to clean water. I was fortunate to visit South America last fall and fell in love with the culture. Everywhere I visited held differing yet special experiences, but it was Peru, and especially the people of Peru, who truly moved me. We enjoyed being witness to every day life, but the poverty was staggering. I returned home determined to sponsor a child and make a difference, but here it is almost a year later and I’ve done nothing. When something happens half way around the world often we turn a blind eye, but when we have visited that place it becomes personal. So, when I heard about the disaster this time I had to do something to help. Please join me in donating to the relief effort at www.redcross.ca.

Floating away

I am an only child, but have one sister… my best friend of 20 years, Jenni Hampe. Oh my God, 20 years?! That is a lot of bad hair, fashion trends, boyfriends, laughs and tears. She is the one person I can call at 2:00 a.m. or not see for 2 years and feel like not a day has lapsed between us. Jenn and Bob ended their 10 day tour of BC at the Lake House this past weekend. After moving around from town to city and bed to couch (apparently Jenn hasn’t been in so many beds since her early 20’s!) they stopped in for a reunion and a little R&R. Not much has changed over the years, but admittedly Jenn is not as outgoing as she used to be and took a little coaxing to give waterskiing and wakeboarding a try. And, we even had to water down her margarita?! But, she did readily agree to spend an afternoon tubing down the Cowichan River… a summer right of passage. Now, the roar of the Cowichan River didn’t exactly live up to its reputation and we floated, or more accurately, awkwardly struggled to paddle our tubes down the river for two hours (it’s hard to swim while holding a drink in your hand!). But, we finally reached the promised rapids and the last portion of the run delivered smiles and squeals and by time we pulled our tubes and sunburned bodies out of the water we agreed that it was a worthwhile way to spend the lazy days of summer. Jenn and I have lived miles apart for almost 10 years now, but I still felt deflated as she drove away. But, when you are soul sisters you may drift apart in distance, but never in your heart.

Set sail

Lake Cowichan is infamous for being calm in the morning and conducive to waterskiing, but the wind gets up in the afternoon... you can almost set your watch by it. The wind makes it nearly impossible, or at least relatively unpleasant, to go out in the boat. Unless, of course, that boat is a Nacra 500 catamaran. This is the brand new “toy” that arrived at the lake this weekend. My fly guy has a love of sailing that bloomed late in life (given the Prairies aren’t exactly known for their excellent sailing) and the purchase of the new cat was a dream fulfilled. Now, I on the other hand have no sailing experience and am a little apprehensive of the entire concept. It’s not very often that this type-A Travel Girl literally throws caution to the wind, but in the spirit of trying something new and any excuse to be in the sun out on the water, I climbed aboard. I quickly learned, however, that this was no toy and that I wouldn’t be sitting back and relaxing. There was rigging and ropes, jibs and mains, tacking and jiving. Phew! I'm still trying to remember that port is the lefthand side of the sailboat and not a tawny dessert wine. I clearly have a lot to learn. But, am up to the challenge. Besides... who hasn't dreamed of sailing off into the sunset!