A beautiful day in the neighborhood

So, I'm thinking of moving. I'm tired of the commute to work and church (two places where I seem to spend the bulk of my hours), and though I love my little apartment with it's open floor plan, breakfast bar and built-in desk, I don't love it's location.

But this is the joy of apartment living--when your lease is up (which mine is later this spring) you can choose to stay where you are, or embark on a new adventure elsewhere.

The pain and suffering of packing and actually moving is only a momentary trial, right?

The most exciting part is that I think I'll actually move to a "community"...sure, I'm in a community now (and really, community is what you make of it), but the areas I'm looking at seem to have a demographic that matches my own: young, smart, hip, etc. (Actually, maybe they'll rub off on me!)  Unlike many of my friends and colleagues, I don't need to live in a neighborhood suited for kids, families and dogs--that's not me. I don't need to live in a neighborhood suited to senior citizens--not me (yet!). I need to live someplace vibrant with life, someplace that will force me out of my comfort zone (in front of the TV or behind a book), someplace where people engage in living life together.

Don't get me wrong:
Apartment living isn't for everyone.
Apartment living in an urban, downtown environment isn't for everyone.

But I'm excited--I love old things and downtown has a lot of historic properties with unique architectural details (the photo above is from a property at 6th Ave & Roosevelt). Plus, there's a post office and coffee shops within walking distance--what more does a girl need?

Hello, hello? Is this thing on?

So...I haven't posted in awhile.

No single reason why...though the downward slide started when things got a bit crazy last summer.  I returned from Europe (without a tattoo or boyfriend). I changed jobs. I insanely tried to juggle several jobs. I wanted to run away and join the circus.

But now I'm back and have oh-so-many-things to post about.

An overview of my 2011 trip-a-month travels and plans for 2012.
My new car, new job, new plans to move into downtown Phoenix.
An update on my 101 list (my 1,001 days expires on Oct. 14, 2012 so I had better get crackin' on things!).
My adventures in babysitting, my so-called dating life, my love for all things book club & Downton Abbey related.
A short story about how Tastefully Simple has changed my "cooking" and gift-giving life forever.
My new iphone and exposure to the phenomenon of itunes.
Etc., etc., etc.

Let the fun begin!

Hello, hello?

Two-week vacation to Europe? Check.

Starting new job with longer commute, more responsibilities, and a cubicle? Check.

Still working at old job, trying to fit a 40-hour work week into an 8 hour day (which today stretched to 14 hours)? Check.

Co-leading a summer Bible study without a clue as to what I'm doing? Check.

Trying not to go completely crazy, or develop a worse drinking habit? Check.

I'm learning some challenging life lessons about letting go, distancing myself from a situation, and taking the high road. Valuable, absolutely. Difficult, extremely.

I think I need to start planning a big trip for summer 2012. I envision a beach, with lots of sun, and lots of umbrella drinks. Who's with me?

The difference a decade makes

It's time for trip-a-month #3! This month I'm headed out to my old stompin' grounds...a city in western Colorado where I spent most of my formative years (middle school, high school and college).

On a side-note, if you're looking for some fun, I highly recommend this traveling thing--even though I've taken winter clothes on all my trips this year, it's still fun to pull out that suitcase!

The funny thing is, I couldn't wait to get out of Grand Junction and I left less than a week after graduation. I hadn't wanted to stay there for college, but received an offer I couldn't refuse, basically went to college for free, and when my parents moved away after my freshman year I still had that early opportunity to "be on my own."

I never lived on campus. I never did anything terrible. I never had any wild and crazy drunken nights (my very first shot of Goldschlager during karaoke night was fairly tame). I think I went to one football game and one basketball game. Though I spent a lot of time at school, school spirit was most definitely not my middle name.

I'm planning to take a stroll down memory lane at my alma mater...which this week has proposed a school name change. Even the old building where I took all of my business classes is being demolished to make way for something. Change is good and progress is important, but the whole thing just makes me feel old (though I suppose my diploma is even more one-of-a-kind now than it was before).

The other great thing about this trip is that it's brought to mind some of the great experiences of my senior year. Nights spent with great friends having some good 'ol fun...

• Blizzards at the local DQ
• Catchphrase and a rousing rendition of our own version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
• Fajitas and watching the TV show Ed
• Karaoke at the local hotel bar
• Matt & Tiff's pancake breakfasts, Ali's homemade pizza, and Rhonda's 25th birthday party that included 25 lbs of flour, 25 pennies, and 25 pairs of underwear
• An end-of-year party where our friends Sally & Jay totally schooled us when they unveiled their "secret" friendship (and then we followed them to campus and totally spied on them in the coffee shop and parking lot--not my finest moment, I will admit)

From a social aspect, my final year of college was great--it was certainly challenging to try to figure out next steps (I still only have a flippant response to that "what do you want to be when you grow up" question), but I had a fantastic group of friends. Looking back, if I have any regrets it's that I worked too hard (a full class-load plus a retail job at the mall, a work-study job on campus, and an internship with the city), and didn't play hard enough.

I'm hopeful I've had a lesson-learned in all of this. Some days I remind myself that it's important to have an equal balance of work-hard/play-hard (with emphasis on play). I've found that sometimes you can become so consumed with the pushing ahead, that you forget to enjoy the now.

And though I'm living in the now, now, there's nothing wrong with taking a look back every once and awhile.

Oh, and the best part about this trip? I'm planning to see LOTS of old friends (including all 4 of my college roommates!). The best part about getting together with old friends? Despite the years gone by without seeing each other face-to-face, and the marriages, divorces, kids loved and lost, it's like no time has passed at all.

Bookstores, rubber boots & a day in Boston (where everybody knows your name)

My trip-a-month goal continued in March with a quick weekend trip to Boston. The two goals of the trip were as follows:

1. See Boston.

2. Spend time with my friend Deb (who drove down from Vermont for the weekend).

Deb's a good friend from my Bangkok days, who I see every couple of years--when we meet up in exotic locales like Philly/NYC, Waco, Texas and now Boston.

Day 1 found us wandering the streets of Cambridge and touring the Harvard campus...in the snow, sleet and slush. Despite my winter coat, gloves, scarf and multiple layers, I was freezing (this desert girl isn't used to cold weather anymore!). Thankfully there were lots of little shops and bookstores for us to stop in and warm ourselves. I especially loved the bookstore where I found these two cards.

We took a free tour of the esteemed Harvard campus (established in 1636 making it the oldest institution of higher ed). Our tour guide Adam was a hoot and the students we passed looked just like ASU students (except for the winter coats and what looked like rubber gardening boots--some sort of east coast craze that we saw everywhere we went).

Four things I learned about Harvard (but have not fact-checked):

1) The office of the Harvard president is housed in a fairly nondescript (old) building...which also houses dormitories on the top two floors.

2) The woman who donated funds for the humungo library building required that all Harvard graduates know how to swim (this has since been changed due to the ADA laws).

3) Until 1999, only men received diplomas conferred by Harvard University....women's diplomas were from Radcliffe College.

4) Only two movies have been allowed to film on-campus...The Great Debaters (yea for Denzel!), and....Love Story (what?!?!).

Day 2 found us 'following the yellow brick road' in Boston (otherwise known as The Freedom Trail). The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile walking trail through the streets of downtown Boston, marking 16 different historic sites (churches, graveyards, parks, monuments, shopping, a big ship, etc.). As long as you stick to the red brick line, you know you're headed in the right direction. It was a great way to wander and see the city (along with some more bookstores!). Also along the trail is the USS Constitution--the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. Now I can say I've been on a Navy warship, though it's hard to believe its been almost 200 years since she earned her nickname Old Ironsides.

After visiting the harbor, we decided to head 0ff-trail and made our way westward to the Boston Public Library (which is gorgeous and definitely deserves a stop if you're in the area). We even stopped at a used book sale they were having. After a quick coffee break in the library atrium, we headed out to visit the Boston Public Gardens...I was on the hunt for the 'Make Way for Ducklings' statue, but we were soon sidetracked when we realized how close we were to Cheers (or at least the spot where exterior shots of Cheers were filmed).

Day 3 found us enjoying a morning of worship at the Greater Boston Vineyard church, which just happened to be around the corner from our hotel. Check out this picture of their sanctuary--quite a traditional physical space for the significantly modern worship service! We also stopped at the church's bookstore (anyone noticing a pattern here?!) before enjoying a great service. The structure of the service was interesting as well--sermon first, then singing (which actually worked well).

I had a great time on my Boston adventure and I'll say this--among other things, Boston does four things really well: history, 'green' space, seafood and beer. And, I'm not ashamed to say, I enjoyed all 4!

This also completes #26 on my 101 list. Sort of. Given that I had crossed out 'visit Boston' (check) and replaced it with 'read Jane Eyre' (not yet started).

Here are some more pictures from along the Freedom Trail (I had this fascination with 'looking up').

Things that make you go hmmmm....

I'm on one of my trips-of-the-month and while traveling I've seen and heard some odd things....

Sitting in the airport, waiting for my flight yesterday, I overhead the following (via a man on his cellphone): "Be sure to put the food away, and watch out for the skunks and possums."

From the young woman seated in front of me on my flight, to the middle-aged gentleman seated beside her: "Have you ever read Playboy? They have really great articles. Really, they do!" (I'd like to point out that this young lady was beautiful and I'd have to say the gentleman next to her enjoyed every minute of the 5-hour flight.)

Then today, waiting for a local walking tour to start, I noticed a gentleman who took out his dentures and put them in his pocket. That's right--just took them out of his month and popped them in his pocket.

Huh.

Hazard

Earlier this month I blogged about how my daily commute is starting to bug the heck out of me. Well the other day I was driving up to my local Wal-Mart (via my local freeway) and saw the following sign:

ROAD WORK NEXT 30 MILES

Lovely.

This is the 'local' freeway that I take, not only to visit Wally-world, but also to visit my parent's house and the mall (both roughly about 15-miles away). Plus, it's an alternate route to church that I normally take for my Tuesday-insanely-early-morning Bible Study gathering.

Stellar.

Speaking of Bible Study--our lesson this week was on patience. Endurance. Tolerance. Long-suffering.

Me thinks the Lord is speaking to me through my Bible Study lesson this week and that highway sign.

But, a sign like this seems almost more appropriate.

Trip-a-month club

This weekend I'm in western Pennsylvania for a little winter vacation. Some might think I'm crazy, given that I'd leave the 70-degree weather of Phoenix for a cold dose of frigid temps, but honestly, the warm gets old after awhile and I was ready for a break. The Pittsburgh area might not be everyone's idea of a go-to vacation spot, but I have family in the area, have actually been here once before, and love all the trees and open spaces.

This is the view outside my cousin's front door--isn't it great? Yesterday morning I went out for a short walk--enjoying the peaceful surroundings and the cool (well, more like really REALLY COLD!) morning air.

I recently decided that I need to start traveling more and to do so, I'm starting a trip-a-month club. So far I'm the only member, and this is my first trip (I got a slow start and January was a bust), but I have several adventures in the works and feel confident that I'm already on the right track.

As for this weekend, I'm having a great time. Its been wonderful to be with people that I love (but don't get to see that often), to share stories and life and plans for the future. And though it's just a quick weekend trip, the change of scenery (in more ways than one) has been refreshing for my soul.

(Update--just looked outside and it's snowing--woohoo!!!! Though I'm probably more excited about this than anyone else in the region!)

Hitting the slopes

A week ago our family trip to Colorado found us driving the winding road up the Grand Mesa to Powderhorn--the local ski resort about 45 minutes outside Grand Junction.

I learned to ski at Powderhorn when I was in 7th grade--I remember I took a bunch of ski lessons with my BFF Megan. Our parents would take turns driving us up on Saturdays--we'd have lessons in the morning and then in the afternoon we could free-ski (not that we skied for "free," just that we were allowed to ski on our own). Those were good times and looking back I have no idea how I talked my parents into the luxury of allowing me to participate in a several-session-ski-lesson adventure...

Anyways, when we arrived on the slopes a week ago, getting back on the skis was like riding a bike...given that I haven't been skiing in more than a decade. But I was in good company with my brother and his wife who also hadn't skied in a very long time. And my 4-yr-old nephew had never been skiing (much less spent much time in snow!).

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day--clear blue skies and no wind. I'm sure it was deja vu for my parents who hung out in the lodge with my 2-yr-old niece (they don't ski and would often hang out in the lodge when they took us skiing years ago).

I had always been under the impression that Powderhorn was more of a "regional ski resort"--it's small, doesn't get a ton of snow, and is a bit off the beaten path (though it's the closest ski resort to the Colorado town I lived in). But riding up the lifts I met folks from Delaware and Pennsylvania (the woman from DE had just spent big bucks to ski Telluride for two days and the gentleman from PA was trying to figure out where he would ski the next day--"either Vail or Telluride"). And, when I was in line to rent my skis, I got to talking with the woman behind me, who had driven up with her family from Yuma. And my sister-in-law mentioned she had ridden the lift with someone who was visiting from Gilbert! Apparently Powderhorn is more a destination place than I realized (though I suppose it was the holidays)--yea for supporting the local economy!

Powderhorn is the only place I've ever skied and it was as great as I remembered it. I think my nephew had a good time too--by the end of the day he had done a run on the bunny slopes without any falls!

I can't wait to hit the slopes again--hopefully it won't be another 13 years before I get back out there!

One of my favorite places

One of my favorite places in the world is Ouray, Colorado. Ouray is a small town, about 90 miles southeast of Grand Junction (where I spent most of my influential growing up years--those between middle school and college).

In the early '90s my family took a road-trip to Ouray for a weekend away to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was a little like the Christmas story--we arrived under darkness, only to find there was no room at the inn--literally. Even though it was late in the summer tourist season (end of September), there was a big Jeep Jamboree in town and all the hotels, B&Bs and inns were booked solid (and my parents hadn't called ahead for reservations--totally out of character for them). Thankfully, an inn owner took pity on us (I think he listened to my dad's request and then looked out the window and saw our sad faces in the car), and offered us the use of his rental cottage--right on Main Street. We totally hit the jackpot and after a worrisome start to the weekend, ended up having a wonderful adventure.

The trip to Ouray became an annual tradition and a special weekend getaway for our family. On every visit we'd stop by the Ouray Candy Co., the Rock Shop, the Ouray Glassworks, and a souvenir shop or two. One time we went horseback riding, and another time we took a jeep tour through the back country (beautiful!). Sometimes we'd go hiking, or take a drive up through the mountains. Ouray is nestled in a valley, surrounded by towering peaks, and the scenery is truly awe-inspiring. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the hot springs pool!

Our Kappes Family Vacation 2010 to Grand Junction wouldn't be complete without a stop in Ouray (actually, I don't think my mom would have left the state without a stop in her favorite place). It was fun to share the city with my brother's wife and kids--they especially enjoyed the hot springs pool (Carter and Halle swam for hours with Auntie and Papa helping them race across the pool!).

(Waiting for lunch at the Pub on Main St--Halle was entertaining Nana and Papa)

It was a wonderful day filled with special memories--both new and old!

Ouray is one of the those places that I could definitely see myself living one day...I could see myself working at the bookstore on Main St., running out on my break to grab a latte from the coffee shop down the street, then heading home at night to my log cabin (complete with wood fireplace). The only downside would be that the nearest Target is 36 miles away, and I'd probably have to shovel snow...but even those things would be manageable (I'd just need to have the funds to be able to afford living there!).

If you've never been to Ouray, I'd highly recommend a visit--any time of the year! Not all the shops are open in the winter, but the hot springs are great and the views are spectacular!

A message from God in an un-holy city

My family doesn't gamble, but for some reason, we enjoy visiting Las Vegas--strange, I know. And, it just happened to work out that for our family trip to Colorado (between Christmas and New Years), my parents and I found a good travel deal that would route us through Vegas....and then, through an unplanned turn of events, we ended up spending the night in Vegas. On Christmas Day.

After a morning spent opening gifts with my niece and nephew and the rest of the Kappes clan, my parents and I flew out to Sin City. We arrived in early evening and though Dad elected to stay at our hotel (off the strip and near the airport), Mom and I decided to hop the shuttle and head down to the action.

And action we found. I've been to LV several times, but I've never seen the strip as busy as it was that night. Wall-to-wall people and most of them were foreigners! Bring it on! Help us boost our American economy!

Mom and I had two stops we wanted to make (three if you count a stop to eat dinner). One--we wanted to stop at Tiffany's to check out their 'charm bar' to see if there were any have-to-get charms (to add to the charm bracelets we purchased during a trip to New York City a few years ago). And two--we wanted to stop at the Bellagio Hotel to see their dancing fountains (set to music) as well as their arboretum (decorated for the holidays).

After we left Tiffany's and were waiting for the dancing fountains to start, Mom turned to me and asked "Are we bad?" I immediately knew what she was asking...were we bad to be in this city on Christmas Day, shopping at expensive stores and standing in front of expensive hotels? I said, "No, we're not bad...we do good things, we give, we love others...." It was a pretty flimsy answer--which we both pondered for a few minutes.

But then the dancing fountain show started--the fountains at the Bellagio are amazing, choreographed, shooting high into the sky, turning and twirling. It's hard to explain (or justify) if you've never seen it in person, but of all the sights and sounds in the Las Vegas--this one is a must see. They do different "shows" every 15 minutes, and the show we just happened to see was set to the music of....the Hallelujah Chorus. Yes, that's right. A secular hotel in a very secular city choose a very non-secular piece of music for their dancing fountains display--and it wasn't just the orchestration--the music included the lyrics, drawn from the book of Revelation.

It was amazing and my pictures do not do it justice. Suffice it to say that Mom and I were in complete awe. The flash mobs and silent monks have nothing on the fountains at the Bellagio.

After it was over I joked that the musical choice was God's message to us that we were "ok" and that "He's here too."

Hallelujah Chorus by George Handel, from Handel's 'Messiah'

|: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

|: For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
|: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! :|

The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,
|: King of kings, and Lord of lords, :|
And Lord of lords,
And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

And He shall reign forever and ever,
|: King of kings! and Lord of lords! :|
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Fair weather fan

I live in Phoenix. We pretty much have the same weather all year long. It's called sunny and clear skies and we rarely experience "severe" weather (well, outside of the deathly hot summers that last until October). Sure, we have the occasional dust cloud, or spot of rain, but most of the time what hits one side of the valley, doesn't make it to the other side before dying out.

When we do get rain, the weather forecasters treat it like a miracle event.
"This is Kristi Kappes, reporting live from 1st Avenue and Van Buren. I confirm there have been rain sightings. And yes, what is that near my foot? It's a PUDDLE! Yes! Go in for a closer shot!"
Really. I'm not joking about this.

So this week our fair city actually experienced some REAL "severe" weather--we even made CNN with some tornadoes that touched down near Flagstaff (you know its big news when CNN covers it--they don't usually cover "puddle" stories).

Yes, I did get caught in the rain and the hail and the limited visibility last night. Thankfully I was in my vehicle (rather than out without an umbrella). Unfortunately I was already running late for class and my commute across two major freeways took more than twice as long as normal. But I was proud of my fellow drivers--people who aren't used to driving in any kind of condition other than sunshine and clear skies. Drivers were cautious and courteous and I arrived at my destination safe and sound and was thankful for that.

The skies had cleared (well, it was dark, so I can't say for sure) and it wasn't raining when I left class and drove home-- though some areas of the freeways were dark due to power outages, there were, thankfully, no long lines of traffic.

I don't think I realized until this morning, how much yesterday's storm impacted our city. For example, on the news this morning the traffic reporter on local TV recommended avoiding the freeway I normally take (due to an early accident) and provided two surface street alternatives. I headed out on one of the surface streets, drove 66 blocks (it's about 95 blocks to my office), and found that the road was closed due to fallen power lines. I headed south to the other surface street and a long 4 blocks later discovered that the stoplights were out and a major intersection was being managed by a 4-way-stop. And I had to turn across traffic. Super fun (but I did see some new sights, as recommended in this post).

But the real impact came later in the day when I received an email from my car insurance provider that said that their claims experts "are on alert" and "here for me" as a result of severe storm damage in my county.

Now I'm paranoid that my car has hail damage and that because of my sever-weather-history (trips through blizzards to North Dakota and over snowy mountain passes in Colorado), I brushed off the events of last night. Maybe I need to embrace the frenetic-Phoenix-weather-phenomenon.

Then again, maybe not.

Mixing it up (Kristi-style)

Lately I've been feeling a bit of discontent with my daily commute/the amount of driving I do--which is odd for me because normally I don't mind driving all over the city (because I love the things I'm doing and/or the people I'm going to see!). I drive more than 300 miles a week (almost exclusively freeway driving) and I usually try to multi-task the time spent in the car (ie, using my cellphone to reach out to friends/family, listening to an audio book, spending time in prayer, rocking out to the radio, etc.), but lately even those things are starting to irritate me.

So, I decided to mix up some of my normal driving routes--my route to work is pretty set in stone, but I've been mixing up the routes I take home from church on Sundays, choir practice on Wednesdays, and class on Tuesdays.

And though it's still freeway driving, the change in "scenery" has been refreshing. (I know, I know--I need to get a life.)

I came across this post from a blog called "Get Lucky: Bite Sized Pieces of Luck For Every Day" and thought the author's view on taking a different route to work were right up my alley. I've included a portion of the post below.

People often take the same route to work and back every single day turning every commute into a routine. After a while, they don’t notice anything around them and could probably make it to work with their eyes closed. People get so used to the same thing that they shut out anything that is going on, even right in front of them. If there is an accident on the road, the only reason many people notice is because it causes traffic, otherwise, it might not even register.

By taking a new route to work, it forces you to pay attention to what is around you so that you know where you are going and you head in the right direction. By paying attention you notice many things that can lead to opportunities such as learning about a new local business that offers a service that you were never able to get in your neighborhood.

Taking a new or different route lets you see something different than you do on a normal day and can put you in a better mood. When taking the same route everyday and seeing the same things every single day, you can get bored, tired and frustrated which will lead to a worse mood.

I'm not sure that diverging from my normal driving habits has increased my luck, but I definitely agree that I'm paying attention in a different way, and that my mood has been improved. And, I've discovered that the city is beautiful--even when I'm surrounded by the cars and concrete of freeway driving. Of course I'm watching the road and traffic in front of me, but I'm also noticing the beauty of the skyline before me--whether it be the numerous mountain ranges (Phoenix is said to have some of the best urban hiking in the nation), or the different buildings of downtown and central Phoenix, or the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

So, though I'm not taking "a new route to work," I am trying to try new routes to other places--and I'm enjoying the change from the hum-drum of my normal routine--and who knows, maybe I'll discover a great new restaurant or card shop along my route!

Montreal - Day 2 (4/8/10)

Day 2 began with a stop at the concierge desk (which was empty), but thankfully a very helpful bellhop (Patrice--our new BFF) came to our rescue and suggested we stop for breakfast at Au Pain Dore--a yummy French bakery (I'm thinking this can count as #52 on my list)! I had coffee, Deb had a latte, and we each had a chocolate croissant--heaven! We sat upstairs, enjoyed our decadent delights, and watched the bustle of downtown Montreal (what's not to love about vacations with lazy mornings!).

The weather was windy and chilly, but we bundled up in our winter coats, scarves and gloves and warmed by the coffee and croissants, headed out for some sight-seeing and shopping.

A first stop was to head up to McGill University on foot--of course we had to stop in at their bookstore (we're two academic geeks--and a bookstore is very much like a souvenir shop!). Patrice had also mentioned we should walk through the McGill Ghetto--we thought he was joking and throwing out some slang, but turns out that it's a real area. (The shopping won out over the historic neighborhood walk.)

A second stop was at our favorite clothing shop--H&M. I love this store--sure, some of the clothes are a little "out there" for me, but they have great prices and I often find things suitable to both work and home. Deb and I both made some purchases and headed down Rue Sainte-Catherine (a great shopping street in Montreal).

We eventually headed back towards the hotel--the conference that Deb was attending was hosted at a hotel just down the street. We stopped there for lunch and for her to pickup her conference materials. Then Deb went to a session while I headed back to the hotel room for a quick nap and some more shopping. This time I stopped in at Roots, a Canadian mainstay. Super expensive clothes but I found some great deals and gifts on clearance. Yea for sales!

For dinner we headed out to another area that Patrice had recommended--the Plateau--another historic part of the city. We wandered the streets searching out a place to have dinner (Thai, French, Italian anyone?) and enjoyed the cute confectioner shops, book stores, and papeterie (stationery stores--I was in heaven). We eventually settled on a small Mexican restaurant for dinner that served tacos al pastor. This was something new to me, but my cousin Deb, the Spanish professor and fluent-Spanish speaker, assured me I wouldn't be disappointed. And I wasn't--super yummy and I ate too much (even though the tacos were small!). After dinner we continued walking around Le Plateau, making a quick stop at a convenience store so we could pick up some Mackintosh toffees--another Canadian mainstay and something I always try to pick up while in Canada.

Then it was back to our hotel to get some shut-eye (did I mention the hotel had an elevator with a direct connect to the subway/metro tunnel--how cool/convenient is that?!?).

[I may have overdone the wikipedia citations in this post...but since it's not a paper for my class, I think I'm safe.]

Montreal - Day 1 (4/7/10)

Many months ago my cousin Deb invited me on a trip with her to Montreal, Canada. I love traveling, I love spending time with my cousins--the easy answer was an immediate "yes!". Deb needed to attend part of a work conference and I would tag along for fun, shopping, and more fun.

For months I anticipated the trip--a chance to get out of town is always exciting, but a chance to get out my passport and add another stamp--woohoo!!!

Two weeks ago I woke up before dawn (after finishing a paper that was due for class and only getting an hour of sleep), caught a ride to the airport from my favorite taxi driver (my Dad) and learned that my flight had been overbooked. Well, sure, I'd be willing to bump (really)--I'm on vacation and the free flight credit means another trip sometime soon! The very nice gate agent wasn't sure she'd need me to bump, but she booked me on flights later in the day so I'd be sure to make it to Montreal that night. She had me wait to board the plane until the very end. I actually got on the plane, and then not 5 minutes later, the nice gate agent came to find me and asked if I'd be willing to get off--sure! I'm on vacation! I've got nothing but time on my hands, books to read, and a Starbucks card waiting to be used--bring it on!

I'm sure it's hard to imagine spending two hours, much less 6 1/2 hours at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, but it actually went fast. I took a nap, drank some coffee, had some breakfast, did some work on my laptop, started a new book, took another nap, read part of a magazine, drank some more coffee, did some shopping, then got ready to board my first flight. To Detroit. Where I had a 4-hour layover. Don't feel sorry for me--I was on vacation!

When I boarded my flight I realized that I had been re-booked in first class. FIRST CLASS. I have never flown first class. Ever. First class rocks. My new BFF Sharon (head flight attendant) was there handing me a bottle of water and offering to take my coat. In a way, I felt like I was at one of those fancy restaurants. And, if I’d caught on earlier (ie, that I was in first class and that everything was FREE), I would have taken her up on her offer of a pre-flight beverage.

First class passengers have it made. Free food, free drinks, comfy seats, our own little bathroom (though that was just like all the other airplane bathrooms I’ve been in!), etc. And the food was GOOD. I chose the fiesta chicken salad for lunch. People—it had cilantro in it—CILANTRO. And it was yummy, as was the fresh fruit that came with it. And the glass of chardonnay I had wasn’t half bad either (I mean, I’m certainly not going to complain since it was FREE).

I did feel a little bad when we hit some turbulence and they had to suspend beverage service in the “main” cabin (though they continued it for us first classers). I almost wanted to take my glass of ginger ale (we’re talking a REAL glass, not that plastic stuff) back and share it with some of the other passengers…but I didn’t.

For taking the voluntary bump I received a flight credit to be used on future travel—that’s great and why I was so willing to turn my 9 hours of travel into 17 hours of travel. The first class travel experience was a completely unexpected, but totally appreciated, bonus.

If only Day 1 could have ended with the first class experience...but it didn't. We arrived in Detroit to a rainstorm and my 4-hour layover. The Detroit airport is nice. Since I had the time I decided to get some exercise and walked the A, B and C terminals (I was missing my Zumba class at the Y so the walking was good--though my shoulder-bag got heavier with each terminal!). The Detroit airport also has this cool connector tunnel with ambient music and lighting--a picture wouldn't do it justice, but it was sort of like being in one of those aquarium tunnels with the water and fish all around.

Though I was ready for my flight to leave, the airport was not and declared a state of "ground stop"--something about it lightening outside and taking the ground crew off the tarmac. That delayed us another hour but I finally boarded the flight from Detroit to Montreal with several French-speaking fellow travelers. Woohoo!!!

Unfortunately this flight was almost a complete opposite from my first one. I was seated in an exit row (ideally allowing me more leg room), but had a seat-mate who had no issues with "spilling over" into my seat area. Really? Your legs are on my side buddy! And then our flight attendant Denise came down the row to get our consent that we could operate the doors in the event of an emergency.

Denise: Do you confirm that you are physcially able to operate the doors in case of an emergency?

Us: Yes.

Denise: But most important...do NOTHING unless I TELL YOU TO. Do you understand me?

What other answer is there??? I think Denise had had a long day--she had an issue with a passenger who refused to put her purse under the seat in front of her. Then that same passenger tried to get out of her seat while we were still ascending (I was afraid Denise was going to turn the flight around!). The flight got even better when my seat-mate started whistling. That's right people--he was WHISTLING (and not because he was listening to an ipod!).

And then we arrived in Montreal. Whew! But my luggage wasn't waiting there like I'd been told it would (since it should have arrived hours earlier). Then I had to wait almost another hour for the Delta gate agent to return to the baggage area and complete my missing luggage form (I was assured it was in hanging out in Detroit and should arrive the next day).

Thankfully I made it out of the airport and with the help of my French taxi driver, made it to the Marriott Chateau Champlain, my home away from home for the next four days. Vacation--here I come!

Thanks, Delta, for the best and (almost) worst traveling experience of my life--I'll see you again soon when I use that flight credit (maybe even on first class!).