Peru!

After returning from Australia, I moved into a new role at my job focusing all on Latin America and the Caribbean.  It was quite a change from what I was doing previously but it's been a great move and I loved getting a chance to get immersed into the markets.

Back in July we had a big team meeting in Peru to kick off our fiscal year.  Since I had never been to Peru before I thought we should take advantage and go to Machu Picchu the weekend before hand.  There was a group of five of us including myself that decided to venture to the ruins the weekend before our meeting.

Best decision ever!  Peru in general is a beautiful country.  Spending a short time in Lima, I really felt safe, the people were very nice and friendly and the food was delicious.

Lima is about a five hour flight from Miami, so the three of us coming from Chicago pretty much spent the entire day traveling from Chicago through Miami to Lima.  We stayed the night in Lima then were up and at 'em bright and early on Saturday morning to catch the first flight from Lima to Cuzco.  We met up with our two other friends at the Lima airport to begin our adventure together!

It's actually quite an ordeal to get to the ruins at Machu Picchu.  It's pretty much like planes, trains and automobiles... actually come to think of it - that's exactly what it's like.

So we arrived in Cuzco on Saturday morning and the first thing that hit me was the altitude.  I had read a little bit about the altitude and altitude sickness but didn't buy into it much.  Holy smokes, they weren't kidding!  As I was getting off the plane I could feel my heart pounding faster and my lungs working harder to get oxygen.  Crazy!  Cuzco is at a higher altitude than Machu Picchu so most travel books recommend spending at least a day in Cuzco to get acclimated to the altitude.

We ended up finding a great tour guide through the taxi we took to the hotel.  We didn't really have any plans for how to best explore Cuzco so it worked out well.  We drank lots of coca tea (it supposedly helps with altitude sickness) then headed out to see Cuzco.

Cuzco is a beautiful town in the mountains in Peru.  It has this amazing town square with lots of old storefronts, a beautiful church, and museums.  From their we ventured outside of town to a few other ruins near Cuzco.  As we climbed and zig zagged further and further up the mountains I could feel the lack of oxygen in the air.  One guy in our larger tour group actually passed out.  One of the sites we were at was at an altitude of 3765 meters which is over 2 miles high!  Twice as high as Denver.

We found a great little place for dinner with some traditional Peruvian food - they have this really cool purple corn that is unlike anything I've seen - then hit the sack early for another early day.

The train leaves a town of Poroy (about a 20 minute taxi ride from Cuzco) at 6:30 in the morning.  Hello early!  It sort of reminded me of Harry Potter waiting for the train to Hogwarts.  It's a small train station, but it had a nice food stand to grab some coffee and snacks for such an early ride.  The train arrives, we hop into our seats and we're off to Machu Picchu finally!  It's about a 3 to 3.5 hour train ride through the mountains to the town of Machu Picchu.  You actually head down the mountain and it's neat seeing the vegetation change with the altitude.

Upon arriving at Machu Picchu station, we then had to take about a 20 -30 minute bus up to the actual ruins.  Some people hike this instead of taking the bus, but let's be honest - I'm not exactly the hiking type.  That and we only had a few hours before having to catch the train back to Poroy.

So another zig zaggy automobile ride further up a mountain, a $60 entrance fee and we were there.  Yeah, it was totally worth it.  I've attached the link to the photos, but trust me, they don't do it justice.  It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been lucky enough to visit.  There were llamas walking around all over the place, and since it's such a tourist attraction, you could hear almost every language and accent in the world.  Quite an amazing place.  And we were fortunate enough to have a crystal clear, sunny day to top it off.

If Machu Picchu is on your bucket list at all I highly recommend it!  I can't wait to go back again and take Chris with me.

Cusco y Machu Picchu Photos

Jaime's Wedding

I met Jaime probably in1997.  I thought she was crazy.  Okay, not crazy, but I definitely, might have been a little scared of her.  Through the course of events of having several mutual friends, being in the same major, and both working for the engineering department we got to know each other really well.  And after the fall semester of our junior year we were pretty much in separable.

I don't think I valued enough how close we lived to each other for all those years.  I used to walk to Jaime's house every day before class so we could miss the bus and walk all the way to Benedum together.  Good times.  Now she lives in the Philly area and I'm out here in Illinois.  We don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, but we're still just as close as ever.

It was bittersweet getting the news that Jaime got engaged while I was away in Australia.  I was thrilled for her, but so sad that I couldn't be there in person to give her a hug and start planning all of the details of her special day.  Somehow she managed to do it all without me - how is that possible?!  :)

I got home from Australia in March so I was back in time for Jaime's bridal shower and of course the big day in June.  It's really special getting to watch a close friend get married.  Jaime has been there for me through so many things, it was nice to get to be there for on such a big occasion.  It was really nice too having one last sleepover with me, Jaime, and her sister Jordan the night before the wedding.  It was kind of like a scene from a romantic comedy - we should have done a dance routine or something.  At least Jordan and I would have liked that!

I'm sure there were a few things that went wrong here and there, but from my eyes, the day was perfect.  Jaime looked beautiful and Steve was handsome as ever, nervously waiting for his bride to be to walk down the aisle.  Jaime's a crier, but she made it through the ceremony and then it was time to party!  Being the music person that she is, there was an awesome DJ so needless to say we all danced the night away.

I'm so happy for Jaime and Steve and that they are sharing the rest of their lives together.  Steve - you have to take good care of her and just remember - she really likes brunch and she doesn't like fruit.  :)

Welcome back party.... I mean, my friends wedding

In honor of my return one of my best friends decided to have his wedding the weekend I arrived back stateside.  Uh, thank you!  No seriously, thank you.  It was perfect, I got to see all of my Chicago friends that I hadn't seen since my wedding and a few surprise guests from the best university on the planet.  Was there a ChemE dawg reunion?  Yes there was!  Does that sounds really lame 12 years later?  Doesn't really matter.

It's been almost a year (yikes!) since I've been back and Jay and Kirsten tied the knot.  They seem happier than ever, now settled in Seattle and I'm so happy that I was able to be back stateside in time to celebrate with them.

All the best you two!  And thanks for the party!!  :)

Homecoming

When I think of Homecoming, I think of the big, traditional, American homecoming festivities.  The high school dance, big football game with the weakest team in the conference so you can guarantee a win, basically a big rigamarole.  Is that what I expected when I landed back on American soil?!  I'm not going to answer that.  But...maybe.

The last few weeks before I was coming home I joked with Chris to make sure he made all of the proper arrangements at O'Hare  - wind machine, all employees and passersby briefed on moving in slow motion when he and I first see each other, you know - the usual.

There was no wind machine and apparently the airport employees are busy screening people and doing their jobs instead of starting a slow clap, but it was still an unforgettable moment.  My vocabulary is not nearly vast enough to explain the emotions I felt coming down the escalator and seeing my husband for the first time in weeks... and knowing I'd get to see him every day until forever.  Priceless.

The first few days back were a whirlwind.  Not only did I get to come back to my hubby, but my awesome hubby closed on our house while I was still in Australia and bought me a new car.  Life is good!!!  I gorged myself on all things Americana - Mexican food (obvs), good chocolate, pop culture (what's going on with Blair and Serena?!), and lots and lots of college basketball.  I also started to mentally prepare myself for all of the questions I'd get in the office:

"Did you see any kangaroos?" - No.
"Did you get an accent?" - I'm not Madonna.  You don't lose an accent in six months.
"G'day mate!" - Yeah, that's original and not annoying at all
"Put another shrimp on the barbie!" - Again original, and they call them prawns, by the way
"Did you go to the Outback?" - No.  Noone goes there but tourists - everything there can kill you

It was such an interesting situation.  All things were shiny and new in my personal life - coming back to my new hubby, new house and new car; and yet I was going back to the same office and the same desk I've sat at for the past seven years.  Granted, I barely recognized any of the faces in the office, and it had quite a different feel from when I was last working there, but my desk was still my same old desk.

This is it.  I'm back home.

The Longest Flight Ever - Part 2... The Return

I thought it was a long flight six months ago when I was on my way over to Australia.  Oh my naivete!  A long flight is when you're going home... for good... to finally see your husband.  Wow.

My flight left Sydney at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 1st.  And I landed in Chicago at 2:30pm on Tuesday, March 1st.  Wouldn't it be nice if was only a 2.5 hour flight!!  A girl can dream... unless she can't sleep on a 16 hour flight.  Yeah.  Fun.

So, I may have been a little excited (just a fuzz), and it didn't help that my flight left in the middle of the day so I wasn't tired at all.  Let's just say that 3 movies, and several episodes of Glee, Modern Family and 30 Rock later, we still weren't beginning our initial descent into LAX.  Sigh.  I felt like that episode of Seinfeld where Putty and Elaine are flying back from Europe and Putty just stares at the back of the seat in front of him.

Despite all of the odds, I somehow make it through, land in LA and get on my last leg from LAX to ORD.  I got excited that the seat next to me would be empty for that leg when at the last minute this ridiculously beautiful woman sits next to me (yes, she is a model and yes, I'll tell you who it was).

There was a lot of drama with finding space for her bag and I got stuck standing in the aisle for a while, but she was really nice and we starting chatting.  I told her that I was coming back from Sydney and how I was there for work, away from my husband.  She tells me how much she likes Sydney and how she couldn't imagine being away from her boyfriend for that long.  Her boyfriend lives in LA and she lives in the midwest but they still manage to see each other every 3 days or so.

While we're chatting, I'm racking my brain as to where I may have seen her before.  I couldn't figure out if she was an actress or a model... or I guess both.  I was petrified that I was going to flip the page in the Elle magazine I was reading and see her picture - wouldn't that be akward.  We continue chatting and she asks me what I do for a living and if I work in fashion.  Are you kidding me?!!!!  That is literally the best compliment ever, miss stranger super model person!  Thank you!!

We land in O'Hare, she tells me welcome home again and we wish each other safe travels.  In my drive home with Chris I mention, "I think I sat next to a Victoria Secret supermodel on my way here".  We get home start googling to try and figure out who she is.  I can't find any pictures of her, and then I remember.

"Oh!  I think I saw her last name on the luggage tag.... it was Mellencamp."

How I didn't think of that earlier I don't know.  It's not exactly like Mellencamp is a really common name.  Yep, I sat next to Elaine Mellencamp.  John Cougar Mellencamp's soon to be ex-wife (hopefully, given the boyfriend conversation).  Ummm... that's pretty cool.  I really would have appreciated her keeping me company on my long leg from Sydney to LAX, but she made it really interesting from LAX to ORD.  Thanks, Elaine!  Hey, and if you happen to read this - I thought you were really nice.  We should be besties.  Call me!

This could be the end

It seemed like it would never come, but this is it.  This is really it.  I'm going home!  Now that it's all over it seems like it went really fast.  While I was in it felt fast and slow all at the same time.  In the end it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  Not everyone picks up and moves across the world (literally... man, is Australia far!) - especially after just getting married.

So, was it worth it??  Hmm...  I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it?!  Let's just say this:

• I got to live in downtown Sydney, Australia.... in the spring and summertime
• I missed 'Snowmaggedon 2011' in Chicago while I was basking in the Sydney sunshine
• I spent Christmas in Fiji.  Yeah, top that. 
• While I didn't see it all, I saw some beautiful places in an amazing country - South Australia - the Barossa Valley, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Melbourne, all of the breathtaking beaches in Sydney....

So maybe the question is weather or not I would do it again.  And honestly, I really don't know.  There are things I loved about Australia and there are things I absolutely hated.  Ultimately, I'll never be able to recreate the amazing six months I spent here and the relationships I made along the way.  So, no, I don't think I'd do it again.  But I'll definitely be back.... but just for a visit next time.  

I have the coolest Mom on the planet

I'm sure everyone says this...well, I'm sure every girl that gets along with her mom says this, but in my case it's totally true.  My parents have always been really supportive of everything I've done and my mom has always been with me every step of the way.  I remember her getting directions to Pittsburgh for my first visit up to Pitt.  She drove with me all the way from Virginia to Ohio, when I moved to Cincinnati for my first job out of college.  And of course, there have been countless visits to Chicago, although I think those may have partially for a chance at an Oprah siting.  So when I moved to Australia for six months of course, I hoped that she would be able to come out to visit, but given the cost and the distance and such a relatively short period of time to come, I wasn't sure if she would make.  As always, Mama P didn't disappoint.

Not only is my mom the coolest, but she has some of the coolest girlfriends ever.  One of her friends that I think I've known all of my life is a flight attendant, and was able to get my mom a buddy pass from Newport News, Virginia to Sydney, Australia.  Now that's a friend!  The caveat with buddy passes is that you have to fly standby.  We didn't think there would be any issue with that, as mom was flying in the middle of the week.  What we didn't count on was the Oprah effect (man, she's come up twice already in the post... damn, that Oprah).  She had just done her shows in Australia and clearly it hit home back stateside, because everyone and there brother was on there way to Sydney.  Mom ended up getting stuck in LA for an extra 4 or 5 days, but eventually she made it.

The eagle has landed, the eggs are in the basket!!!  Mama P is Sydneyside!!!  Now, anyone that's seen me and mom my together knows that we're besties, but it was extra special to have her in Sydney as I was nearing the end of my assignment, was totally homesick, and basically just ready to get the heck out of there.  Having a little piece of home was exactly what I needed to get through my last three weeks on assignment.

So I've got Mom in tow for our Aussie adventure.  And an adventure it was.  One of the funniest memories of having here there was picking her up at the airport.  I pick her up, we walk to the car, load her bags in the 'boot', then I go to return the cart that her bags were on.  I walk back to my car and my mom is seating in the drivers seat... which is the passenger seat in the US.
Me: "Uuhh... you driving home?!"
Mom: "Huh?"
Me: "You're in the driver's seat.  You didn't notice the steering wheel?!"
Mom: "Oh!!!  Whoops!"

I had to work during the day obviously while my mom was in town, but she made quite the adventures for herself while I was gone all day.  Every day I came home it was a new story of a new friend she made at the Chinese Friendship Garden, or the QVB building, or the Opera House.  By the time my mom left back for the states she knew all of the door men by name (and their full life stories), she was besties with the coffee shop guy in my building (they exchanged email addresses), and pretty much knew Sydney like the back of her hand.

We had a great time together - the zoo, the free bus (mom LOVES anything that's free), the Australia museum, the Chinese New Year parade, our favorite croissant and the french bakery in The Rocks...

It was just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks again, Mom for being so awesome.