updates pending

in the meantime, pics are here!

and we're off!

greetings from germany!

yesterday was one of the smoothest travel experiences i've ever encountered. i can attribute that partly to my over-researching tendencies, partly to my new gold status on american, and partly to sheer luck.

when jenny dropped me off at the airport, i headed straight for the first class ticket counter - one of the gold status perks. i checked my two bags and headed to the security line, also the first class lane, and breezed through. when the plane boarded, i was thrilled to discover that the flight was empty, and i took advantage of the row to myself to catch some zzz's during the 3 1/2 hour duration.

we touched down in chicago on time, and, miraculously, my flight from chicago to frankfurt also departed on time! not only that, but it seemed my luck would hold, as the flight was again, nearly empty. i again had a row to myself, and between that and the benadryl, i slept for most of the 8 hour journey.

my arrival in frankfurt was the most frought with potential disaster. i don't speak a lick of german, and i had to figure out how to get to the train station and take the right train to bamberg, where arika would be picking me up.

i can't tell you how i stressed about this beforehand. stressed and researched. i had copies of the airport map with me, as well as step by step directions i found on some random school group's reunion blog to get me to the right place. and as a result of that research and the german country in general, it all transpired beautifully.

when the plane touched down, the 'welcome' sign on the building visible from the tarmac said simply 'welcome to frankfurt,' and i knew then that i would be just fine.

i breezed through passport control (a new 'germany' stamp added!) and customs, both of my suitcases had arrived no worse for the wear, and i was able to follow the signs in german AND english to the train station, without difficulty. i stopped at the deutsche bahn ticket office to confirm that my pre-purchased online ticket was all i needed, and as the agent was already speaking english to the customer in front of me, i didn't even have to whip out the 'sprechen zie english?' card.

the agent confirmed that i was good to go, complimented my new manicure, and i settled in to wait for my train. it arrived promptly, as i understand german trains typically do, i boarded without incident and only minor awkwardness as i tried to maneuver my two suitcases to the luggage rack.

now, lest anyone think to themselves "she took two suitcases? she's only gone for a week!" i'll explain. first and foremost, i could. you can take two bags on international flights without cost. secondly, winter coats and sweaters take up a lot of space. and lastly, i actually needed a second bag (a hiking backpack i borrowed from the d family) for my mid-trip hiatus in venice, as i didn't want to worry about rolling a bag through cobblestone streets.

i spent an hour on the 'fast train' before arriving at wurzburg, where i would change to a regional train for the rest of the journey. also not sure what to expect of this transfer, and knowing i had only 5 minutes to make it, i was pleasantly surprised to be able to deboard the ice, walk across the 15 foot wide platform and board the regionalbahnof. i was also relieved to alight the train on the car reserved for handicap, bicycles, and strollers, as it was completely open space with seats that folded down as needed. what that meant is that i did not have to maneuver my two suitcases uncomfortably down narrow aisles.

at that point i counted my journey a success. since, from here on out, all travel will be car and plane, i felt like i had safely, and dare i say it, easily, made it through the most difficult part of the journey!

arika and her toddler, annabeth, greeted me at the bamberg train station and we wandered for a bit before landing on a place, recommended by her neighbor, for dinner.

it was very german, and not in touristy way. the tables were wooden, as were the seats lining the walls, and the place was tiny, but warm and cozy. no judgement here please, but i ordered the 'chicken snacks and fries.' don't worry, i won't leave without triyng schnitzel and brat, but i'll admit, i need to work up to it a bit. and despite being the most american choice on the menu it was very good!

after dinner we made for arika's new bmw, hit the autobahn, and headed to her home in lupburg - about an hour and a half from bamberg.

i was surprised (as was she, i understand) to see just how much space she and her husband ended up with. one of the perks of his being an officer i suppose, but the house has a lot of room, and i enjoyed the large guest bedroom last night. until 4am, when i woke up and couldn't go back to sleep:) - hence the blogging.

we have a big day today, so i'm hoping that 5 hours will be enough to get me through. and by this time tomorrow i'll be on my way to munich airport, ready to board my flight to venice, where i'll meet deb and we'll spend the next three days exploring the island!

thank you, matt hampsey

my dad tipped me off a few months ago that you could send emails to national park service sites requesting they send cancellation stamps. since then, i've been randomly contacting some of the sites i've visited, and for whatever reason, was not able to get stamps for.

today i got an envelope with the following items enclosed:







usually i get the stamp, but this time i got the stamp, the site guide, and a postcard from matt hampsey, a helpful national park service employee. i <3 the nps and their helpful employees!

happy october new year!

alright, alright, i realize that it's november (how'd THAT happen?!) but i've been thinking about this post since september and just didn't quite make it to the posting stage in time.

october, you see, has become my own personal new year's. a time for reflection, reconnection, and resolutions. two years ago in october i moved to california and life changed more drastically than in any of my previous 31 years. october has had its share of other mile markers, so it seems like a good jumping off point for self-evaluation.

you may remember that last year at this time, i posted about some of the things i'd seen, done, and participated in in the prior year. well, it's that time again. this year's list seems different, but it's probably due mostly to the varied locations in which some of these things occurred:) i've categorized the highlights ('cuz i'm anal like that):


athletics
baseball - multiple angels games, including alcs game 6 in NY and two mariners games at safeco field (may and july)
basketball - cousin spencer comes to town with the utah jazz to play against the la clippers
hockey - oh i enjoy the mighty ducks!
soccer - i finally get to see david beckham play, and he scores two goals, winning the game (just for me)
horse racing - breeders cup

arts & culture
emerson home (and grave)
experience music project
hawthorne's grave
huntington library (while deb is visiting)
joshua radin at house of blues (i finally get to see this favorite live!)
louisa may alcott home (and grave)
sheryl crow at the shrm conference
thoreau's grave
walden pond

church sites
adam-ondi-ahman
boston temple
far west
haun's mill
independence visitors center
liberty jail

cities visited (outside california)
baltimore
boston...and again
cedar city
chicago
kansas city
national harbor
new orleans
new york...and again
orlando
phoenix...and again
portland
salt lake city
salem
san antonio
seattle...and again
vegas...and again

milestones and big stuff
got a dog!
moved three times
celebrated two years of living california (october 12)
marked the one year anniversary of my current job (october 20)

national parks (system)
arches national park, utah
boston national historical park, massachusetts
brown vs. board of education, kansas
bunker hill national monument, massachusetts
burney falls, california (not a part of the park system, but worth noting!)
canyonlands national park, utah
crater lake national park, oregon
fort vancouver national historic site, washington
harry s. truman national historic site, missouri
klondike gold rush national historical park, washington
lassen volcanic national park, california
lewis and clark national historic trail, washington
minuteman national historical park, massachusetts
new orleans jazz national historical park, louisiana
salem maritime national historic site, washington
san antonio missions national historical park, texas
sante fe national historic trail, missouri
saugus iron works national historic site, massachusetts
sequoia and kings canyon national park, california
trail of tears national historic trail, missouri
zions national park, utah

worth a mention
airboat tour in the louisiana swampland
balboa boat parade
cheers
christmas in naples (california)
freedom trail
gum wall (seattle)
mission san juan capistrano
monarch butterfly migration
pbr comes to town
space needle
willis tower (formerly sears tower)
whale watching at dana point

so there you have it. it's been a busy year. i didn't get to check many things off my 'hot list' this year, but i saw and did so many things i could have never foreseen. here's hoping for more of the same in the upcoming year...wih maybe just a bit more time in my own bed!

puppy love

i know, i know, you've all being sitting around for the last six months thinking to yourself 'didn't tara get a dog?' or 'man, how could tara have possibly gotten a dog, she's gone all the time!' or 'does tara STILL have a dog?'

the answer is yes, and boy did i totally score when it came to getting one!


thanks to my great roommate and our great situation (the house and two doggie roommates - not the travel), cordy is absolutely thriving. i 've gotten so much joy from watching her come out of her shell as she settles in to her new life. she's a happy-go-lucky, tail-wagging (the fastest you've ever seen), scavenger of a thing who is full of personality and constantly making me smile. she's also a really good dog. aside from her affinity for stealing heather's dinners if left within jumping range, she's well-behaved, generally pretty quiet (unless the neighbors dog wanders over to say hello) and stays out of trouble. she even lets me bathe her and clip her nails without a fight!


it continues to amaze me that despite my intense travel schedule, she still somehow knows i'm 'mom'. i'll be honest, i don't really understand it. in the last six months she's spent A LOT more time with my roommates (we have a temporary third roommate at the moment) than she has with me. she's clearly bonded with them, but when i'm home, she wants nothing more than to be close. initially it manifests as a seizure inducing butt-shaking one-foot hopping happy dance, but then she settles in to just wanting a snuggle or a belly rub. if only i had that same effect on men ;)

all in all, she has been a great addition to my little family of, well, of one, and we're getting on swimmingly. now you can all go on to wondering about more important things :D