guiness and stew on turkey day

11.27.08
ok, well maybe not the stew - it's good but more of a very rare thing to eat, but i will definitely be celebrating with a guiness or 2...maybe some irish coffee as well! the weather has been what i expected, cold and some rain, though today (our last day in dublin) it's been warmer and somewhat sunny! i've done my fair share of drinking to be sure, and managed to visit the guiness and jameson factories - go me! i can even tell the difference now between scotch and irish whiskey (everyone is impressed right)? i was also surprised to learn how closely everyone here followed the election and how they follow our politics on an ongoing basis - everyone also wants to know what we think of our new president...it's been a definite learning experience. well, tomorrow mom and i are off to london and meg goes home. we'll be there for a few days and leave on 12.3.08. mostly i am super excited to see jen, my roomie from my switzerland days whom i haven't see since summer 2000. hopefully this time there will be less cows/troughs, crazy americans, more showers and more overall sophistication (if you have to ask, it's best you don't know :)). ok, well off to do some more shopping then meet up with the rest of the fam. happy thanksgiving wishes to everyone!

12.6.08
check out the slideshow - all 400+ pictures from the trip!

let the traveling begin

11.19.08
ok, so now i am officially in travel mode. actually, i've already done a bit of "mini-traveling" as i spent thurs-sun in charlotte hanging with meg. but later today i leave for ireland and england for 2 weeks, which i am VERY excited about! when i get back i should know where in ghana i will be going and more about the family i will be staying with. i am slowly getting more and more prepared for this trip - i visited the health department yesterday for my vaccines (yellow fever, typhoid, polio booster, malaria pills, and hepatitis A). sadly there is a rabies vaccine shortage for i only got 4 shots...and yes, my arms are both very sore today :)
i will try and update this while i'm gone...happy thanksgiving in advance to everyone!

endless saturdays

11.7.08
ok, so i think i might have written in my last post that i leave on 1.4, nope i leave on 1.3...this is one of many things i have discovered during what i am now (yes, after only 2 days) referring to as my endless saturdays. it's kind of fun right now, not having to get up, shower, rush to get ready etc and head to work but i can see quickly how it will lose its novelty/appeal. thankfully i have lots of travel stuff to organize/plan and am heading to my mom's house in the shenendoah valley this weekend and to charlotte next week, then it's off to ireland and england. it's still wierd to think i'm not working and even stranger to realize that i really am going to africa, but exciting all the same...

wow!

11.05.08
ok, well as of yesterday, i leave for ghana in 2 months and i start my placement 2 months from today...i really cannot believe it! i am so fortunate to have these opportunities and am getting VERY excited. also, today was my last day at work - which was very surreal. as i had transitioned everything to my replacement i had very little to do, and since i'm not good at goodbyes (is anyone really?) i ducked out before 1. my staff threw me an awesome potluck lunch yesterday and gave me a really nice (well thought out, useful, AND entertaining) going away gift :) thanks ladies! i will definitely miss my co-workers but have promised to come back and visit. in the meantime, i have already been very productive in my unemployment and started making my infamous to-do lists for my europe trip, africa trip etc. ok, well off to a very delicious dinner w/ kory at the cheesecake factory...