April 3: Surprises

Today is my sister's birthday and she's traveling.  However, I got a fun surprise in the mail from my mom and sister in celebration of almost being done! I got a couple of different things including a book for my upcoming trip to Hawaii!  Thanks mom & CJ!

January 30: Traveling

Since there were so many of us flying back into Atlanta at the same time, we were trying to coordinate rides.  Kara's husband Clayton was flying back in from a business conference in Florida about the same time I was, so instead of him having to wait hours for Kara's plane, we rode back to Athens together.  When I got to my car, there was still a good amount of snow on it.  Unfortunately, I took this picture too late and Clayton had already scrapped off all the snow on the window.  Anyway, the roads were much better than anticipated.  However, I am really glad I flew in Thursday afternoon as it was the first time the temps had reached above freezing (so the ice was finally melting).  I am sad, however, that I missed the snow in Athens.  I hope it happens again this year.  I do love snow.  Do you wanna build a snowman?  I do.

 

Back in Athens there was still some snow on the ground :)

January 26: Anti-Theft

When my car battery is removed from my car, an anti-theft precaution is that the radio shuts down.  This is done so that if someone tries to disconnect the battery in order to steal the radio, it will be useless.  You then must enter the code and then your radio (and all other forms of audio) will be restored.  Since I don't drive my car all that often, I realized I had put in the code since my battery had  been replaced.  This needed to change as I was about to drive to Atlanta and would want some tunes to accompany the drive.  It's a nice feature, but when you have to dig out the manual to find the code, it can become problematic.

January 23: Traveling Woes

Traveling is both fun and frustrating many times.  Tonight I got a call from my sister and somewhere during her travels from Pdx to Houston to Dallas she lost her purse.  She had retraced her steps, gone to security, and her purse was nowhere to be found.  Needless to say, she was in a bit of a panic and rightly so.  How do you get to your hotel without money or a credit card?  You can't rent the car you have on hold, you can't check into the hotel you have on reserve.  You can't do much of anything except panic and pray.  However awful this situation was, she was safe, and it did happen in a city where thankfully I know quite a few people.  I sent a text message to Kalie, Gretchen, and Allison, three former students who live in the Dallas area and asked if my sister could stay with them for the night.  I figured CJ and I could figure out something, but she needed to not be sleeping in the airport.  

All three of them volunteered.  Yes, all three.  I teared up reading the group text messages back and forth about their availability and willingness to help out my sister.  Gretchen seemed to have the best set of circumstances as her roommate was out of the country and had a spare car.  Blessing after blessing.  My sister was able to borrow Gretchen's car to get to work the next morning.  Moreover, I was able to electronically transfer money to Gretchen that she gave to my sister.  Gretchen fed my sister, took her out with her friends, and provided a place of rest and peace during this crazy stressful time.  I am so grateful for each of these women and their willingness to help my sister.  

December 19: Traveling

Traveling, traveling through the woods...okay, so maybe I don't travel through the woods to get home. But I do take a car, a shuttle, a plane, and more to get to mom's house.  When I travel for the holidays, I take two suit cases, one for clothes and the other (bigger) one usually holds my snow shoes and presents.  Yep, I bring my shoe shoes with me to Portland (it's about the only time I use them right now :).  While at the airport, I also got a cup of deliciousness-Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Winter Dream Latte.  Yumm.  It was a relatively uneventful travel day, albeit long (but that's to be expected).

November 28: Thanksgiving

Megan and I made a wonderful brunch on Thanksgiving.  That evening the eight of us went into town to have a nice dinner.  We ate at a great seafood place.  I have much to be thankful for this year (and always).

November 27: Excursion

The excursion may have been my favorite part of the trip to Cabo this year.  Megan and I got up early Wednesday morning to watch the sunrise.  Yes, I got Megan out of bed before 8am ;)  It was absolutely breathtaking.  As much as I love a good sunset, there is something about a sunrise as it breaks through the darkness bringing newness and new promises AND you have to be intentional to see them.

The first part of the excursion was a city tour.  Our tour guide (for just the four of us) included a glass blowing tour, shopping, lunch, glass bottom boat ride, kayaking, and snorkeling (which was my favorite).

November 26: Cabo Wabo

Today we went to the ocean.  Megan's cousin Lauren and her husband RJ joined us.  The water was a bit cold, but I got used to it.  The weather was perfect today, 82 and sunny.  After spending the late morning and early afternoon in town, we meet up with Megan's parents and her aunt and uncle to shop and hang out.  If you are ever in Cabo, you must visit Cabo Wabo.  The party at night is fun with a live band and dancing, but it's also fun in the day when you take in the ambiance and a good 2 for 1 drink special.

Ohhh, we also went to Senior Sweets (well, Megan & I did but that's another story).  Last time when I was in Cabo we had the crepes.  Unfortunately, we didn't see those on the menu, so I got coffee flavored gelato instead.  Yumm.

November 25: Amuse-Bouche

One of the greatest things about this location in Los Cabos is that you can watch the sun rise and set over the Sea of Cortez.  Monday we went into town for some shopping at Wal-Mart.  Yep, Mexico has a Wal-Mart.  We decided to cook a few dinners in the room as it is a great way to save some money.  The first dinner was cooked by Megan's parents, David and DeAnne.  Megan then decided she wanted to make an amuse-bouche which is kind of like a one bite appetizer.  She did a good job considering her resources and that her vision didn't come together like she had hoped.  She's fancy like that in the kitchen…me, not so much.

November 24: Poolside

Infinity pools are so neat, especially when they look like they run into the ocean (or in this case the Sea of Cortez).  It looks as though the bird is walking on water.  This is how I spent most of Sunday, listening to an audible book and watching the water.  Thank you God for a vacation that involves warm days and water!

November 17: Traveling

Sunday I traveled back to Athens from St. Louis.  The weather is St. Louis was kind of crazy…high winds, rain, and perfect conditions for a tornado.  Luckily for us, it only delayed our flight.  Unfortunately, other parts of the midwest were hit pretty badly.  Right as we were getting ready to take off, this panel above the overhead compartments fell down.  The flight attendant walked right past and did nothing about it.  It looked like the panel just came undone, but others in the cabin weren't as convinced as I about the insignificance of this panel.  When I awoke from my nap on the plane, the panel was back in place … clearly I was right about it's insignificance in regard to the airplanes ability to fly. Ha. I'm glad I'm not afraid of flying…because these minor things cause some people panic.

November 16: ASHE dash & City Tour

The weather on Saturday was suppose to be in the 30s and raining.  Fortunatley, it was absolutely beautiful weather for a 5k run.  The route took us around downtown St. Louis to many of the historic views including the arch, the courthouse, and Busch stadium.  The run was cut a cit short because another run with over 3,000 women scheduled.  Anyway, it was fun to get out and see some of the city.  Moreover, it was a great chance to run with people I didn't know, talk about my research, and meet new people.  I spent most of the time talking/running with a woman, Megan, from a small college nearby.  As you know, I don't particularly love running, but the ASHE dash (or walk) is a wonderful opportunity to connect with people I probably wouldn't have otherwise met at the conference.

That afternoon I went to my second most favorite session and heard the most fantastic discussant.  Dr. Dafina Lazarus Stewart…oh she.is.phenomenal. I was so so so impressed by her feedback for both the audience and the authors.  

Later that afternoon Kristin and I explored parts of St. Louis.

We also went on the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour.

That night a group of us went out to dinner and then Kristin, Dallin, and I went to the City Museum.  It was incredible.  It's a museum made out of recycled stuff and has TONS of slides … for adults.  It's like a giant jungle gym for big kids.  Below is the best picture I could get of one, yes ONE of the play areas.  I climbed up the silver spiral piping on the left, through the whale, and came out on the 2nd story.  It was fun and if I'm ever back in St. Louis, I'd like to explore it more (when it's not raining outside…because they have a ton of slides and things to climb on out there too!).

That's a 10 story slide that goes from the roof to the caves below! So fun!

Retreating in TN

I have always been better at writing when I have concentrated times to focus.  Now, I've read all (e.g., a few) the books that talk about writing your dissertation a little each day...but that just isn't as effective for me.

About a month ago, I was talking with my dad about the possibility of utilizing his timeshare in Florida for a writing retreat.  After going through options and possibilities, we realized it wasn't going to work.  However, a couple days later my dad got an email about some spots in Tennessee that were trying to get rid of their rentals over Labor Day weekend.

Perfect!

After working out some details, my dad was able to secure a one bedroom condo for my getaway.  Knowing a few others who also needed to do some writing, I invited Kristin and Mallory along.  Kristin (who is working on her PhD at University of Denver) found a flight from Denver to Atlanta and the plan began to come together.

Kristin flew into town on Friday morning, I picked her up and we were headed to Tennessee.  Although no good plan isn't complete without some hiccups, right?  On Friday as I was leaving Athens, I realized I had left the confirmation of the condo at home.  No biggie, just go back.  As I was yet again leaving Athens I realized I forgot something else...

Box of books (check)
Snacks (check)
Directions (check)
Blanket in case it is cold in the condo (check)
Clean apartment to come home to (check)
Backpack with computer & iPad... (ummm, no)

Yep, I really left without my backpack that had my computer and iPad.  How is one to write on a writing retreat without a computer?  No, paper & pencil will not do.

So I turned my car back around and picked up my backpack and hit the road (again).  Needless to say, I was a bit late in picking Kristin up from the airport.

We arrived safely in Fairfield Glad last evening.  We checked in, got keys, and were directed to the concierge.  The woman began asking me questions...

Concierge: Are you over 25?
Me: yes
Concierge: Is there a Mr. Dean?
Me: ummm, no.
Concierge: So you're single. (this wasn't really a question)
Me: (blank stare) uh, yeah.
Concierge: (proceeds to find my name on a list and mark a giant S beside my name)

Kristin and I looked at each other and laughed; not sure why that was necessarily.  After we got settled in the condo, we went to pick up some groceries before Mallory arrived.  On the way to the store Kristin and I both noted that the clock in my car wasn't right.  Strange, we thought.  Kristin mentioned she might have bumped the hour ahead when she was moving stuff into the condo.  We went about our business thinking nothing of it.

Later that evening when we were back and before Mallory arrived Kristin commented....

K: I thought we were two hours ahead of Denver time
Me: We are
K: So why does my computer say 9:11 (still set to Denver time) and your phone says 10:11 (supposedly set to the current time)
Me: Oh my...we're on CENTRAL time.

Clearly, it was the first time either of us realized we had crossed the time zone.  Now, in our defense, Tennessee is divided between Eastern and Central time zone...so it's perfectly logical we didn't know what time it was in Fairfield Glade, TN.

I digress.  Today has been a productive day already, and we're here until Tuesday!  You may be wondering what I'm working on since I recently defended my first three chapters...well, I'm revising based on my committees suggestions, working on my IRB form (which requests the university allow me to actually do research on humans), recruitment emails for participation in my study, and other things related to actually doing my research study.

Now I should probably get back to working on the other tasks at hand, but I needed a mental break.  I'm grateful for my dad's generosity in letting me (us) use this timeshare for our writing retreat!

Facing Forward to Fall Fun (LOVE an alliteration)

I realize it isn't fall yet, however, on Monday, we will welcome back the graduate assistants and on August 12th another school year will begin.

Crazy.

I'm looking forward to this final fall (Lord willing) at The University of Georgia for many reasons.  First, I love the season of fall.  It bring crisp air, vibrant colors, and lots of things to look forward to, such as:

On Sunday, my friend Tiffanie (from Baylor) will be moving down to Athens to begin her doctoral studies within higher education (another program, but still).  AND, we will be neighbors...literally, she is going to live right next door.  Super excited face (for those who know Tiffanie, you understand the reference).

Moreover, all the GAs will return on Monday for the Dean of Students orientation, for which I'm responsible.  We move students in on Tuesday (physically move them in), and next Monday classes begin. Yikes.

I'm also excited about a writing retreat with my friend Kristin over labor day weekend in Tennessee, a visit from my sister in late October, the ASHE conference in November, and...

Cabo for Thanksgiving!

Yep, I'm headed back to Cabo with Megan's family!  I'm so excited (and thankful I had frequent flyer miles to pay for the flight) AND for their generosity in the invite!

From there Christmas is right around the corner and that means a trip (hopefully) back to California and Oregon.

Like I said, lots to look forward to...and yet, I don't want to wish the weeks away.  In these moments, I try to practice presence, albeit my excitement!

Leaving Cape Town

On Sunday morning, June 17th approximately 80 students, Chase, Lori, Christina, and I headed to the airport for the trip back to Atlanta (Chase & Lori headed to France)!

Those rearranging to meet weight requirements

Christina and I are ready to head home (bitter sweet)!

I had to get a picture with Ish. Sad it was on the last day. He's a remarkable man.

Leaving Cape Town (this was actually taken by a student as we arrived; but still an amazing photo with the South African flag on the wing and table mountain in the background!)

On the way out to Cape Town, we had a 12 hour layover in Frankfurt. Thankfully, the layover wasn't that long on the return, however, it was still long enough to leave the airport and head into the city!
Sharanya and Claire in front of the train station

We found  a nice coffee and pastry place to have breakfast!

The pastry place where we had breakfast

Haha! Reminded us of home, even in Germany!

We were in the heart of the city

DB: a really large train station in the heart of the city

Random: but the walk and don't walk are green & red (no little white man telling you what to do)

Old fashion departure flight board; Frankfurt is one of the busiest airports in the world

Back in the airport with our train tickets.

And then we were on our way home.  We left Cape Town at 10:30am on Sunday and arrived home in Atlanta at 4:30pm on Monday.  Calculating time difference and travel, we estimate 38 hours of travel almost 21 hours on a plane.

Upon arriving in Atlanta, my luggage, however, was not there to greet me.  I took some comfort in the airline knowing it wasn't going to arrive :/  Yet, I was nervous because I brought back a couple of bottles of wine (and I was hoping the delay wasn't due to some sort of luggage catastrophe).  But the luggage arrived on Wednesday! WOOHOO!

All in all the trip was a great experience, but I was happy to have my feet on the ground and to sleep in my own bed...and even better when my luggage and me were both safely home!

Safari!

Since the academic staff was unable to go on the Garden Route, I knew I needed to find my own way to see some animals.  In part, because I love animals, and in part because I knew EVERYONE would ask me about what kinds I saw while in Africa.

It was a gorgeous, but chilly chilly day!

When we arrived then had tea, coffee, and cookies.  Since we hadn't had breakfast the lady had the kitchen whip up some breakfast sandwiches for us...it was so nice of them! Our tummy's were full and happy as we headed for the truck!

 Did I mention it was chilly?! They gave us fleece ponchos.

Our tour guide was fantastic. He knew so much about the vegetation, animals, birds, and anything else we had questions about!

 Lions, tigers, and bears...or just lions (three of them), two females and one male.

 Zebras!

 Ostriches!

 And giraffes!

The tour guide let us get out of the truck when we were near the giraffes. He told us to walk in a tight line, single file. He was trying to get us as close as possible to the giraffes. Unfortunately, some people didn't follow directions and we didn't get as close as we probably could have. Nonetheless, it was amazing!

 Click the picture to see the giraffe

 Christina posing next to the tree the giraffes eat. Check out those thorns! Ouch!

They have a cheetah rehabilitation program where they train the top male & female to run and hunt. They then release the animals into the reserve.  If they do well there, they release them into the wild.

 Beautiful animals.

 

After the safari they fed us lunch with all sorts of deliciousness.

 Yumm

 What a wonderful day!

One thing I've failed to mention thus far was how we got ourselves to Inverdoorn. The reserve is located about 2.5-3 hours away from Cape Town and we had some options in getting there.  The reserve offered a transportation vehicle, however, it cost about $160 per person. We did some research and decided we could get it cheaper if we rented a car. So on Friday night, Tiffany and I headed to the airport to pick up a rental car.  

Yep, that's me, driving on the right side of the car, and the left side of the road.

The drive was relatively uneventful and it was surprisingly easier to drive on the left than I thought it would be. There was only one time I thought about taking a free right from a one way road into oncoming traffic ;)  I was surprised how quickly I adjusted.

On the way back from the reserve, we used the TomTom for directions (instead of the Inverdoorn ones).  Well, TomTom decided to take us around the mountain instead of through it.  We saw some beautiful countryside, however, the mountainous terrain was a bit nerve wracking at times.

 These one lane passing roads were also a bit unsettling.

The trip was an adventure and I was grateful that we survived (didn't get eaten by lions or fall off the side of the mountain) and grateful for the company; fun to experience it with Christina & Tiffany!