Bi-Polar Travel: 2 lost bags, 1 found friend, 53 hours later...

Travelin' can be a wacky world of trials and tribulations, love and hate, laughs and anger, Starbucks chai (yummy) and United airplane food that makes you want to gag. This trip was a particularly long, yet entertaining journey. After 10 hours of waiting for a delayed flight from Denver to Chicago (due to bad weather), I managed to MISS the damn flight (where I was supposed to catch a connecting flight to Europe). I hate traveling. As I was waiting in line to speak with an airline representative, not only did a young lady fill my ears with shameful stories of being fired from her job, but a "window of opportunity" arose and my flight to Chicago left without me. I hate traveling. Oh well, another night to drive my parents crazy and a flight upgrade (economy plus) that left the next day, I wasn't complaining...but my thesis was! I love traveling. PHOTO: According to Ryanair.com, this is the new airport security procedure.

A LAYOVER IN CHICAGO! I was on lap number five of my pre-transatlantic flight workout (fast walking up and down the terminal with many people staring at me) when I saw a familiar face. It was LANCE (see photo...this photo was NOT taken in the Chicago airport)!!! After a big hug and a happy reunion with my dear friend from Colorado, we quickly jetted to the nearest bar for a quick cocktail catch-up. I love traveling. Wearing a big smile, I boarded my flight to London. I sat next to the only Texan who is not only head-over Hillary Clinton, but a delegate for Hillary Clinton. We talked politics, befriended our gay flight attendant who sprinkled us with the gift of free wine and many laughs. I love traveling. Finally, the sandman sprinkled his sleep dust and I watched the back of my eyelids for 2 hours.

NO LUGGAGE/NO KEYS! At last, I was served up some decent food on my Scandinavian Airlines flight to Oslo (or maybe I was just famished from the jet-lag stupor). I love traveling. After a quick stop at duty-free for cheap wine (because that is just what you do if you live in Oslo)...I grabbed a luggage cart...I watched everyone around me pick up their luggage...NO LUGGAGE! Go figure. I hate traveling. Reported my missing luggage and jumped on the flytoget train and realized...NO HOUSE KEYS (I had put them in my backpack that was securely packed in my checked luggage)! The rain was falling. Suddenly, I went into prayer mode (and I'm not even religious), hoping/begging that one of my roommates was at home. After 53 hours of my original flight departure, I arrived home and my Norwegian roommate opened the door for me. Welcome to Oslo! PHOTO: An SAS meal posted on airlinemeals.net.

Editors note: Despite my love/hate portrayal of travel...I must admit I have an unconditional love for travelin'! Stories like this serve to reiterate my love for the unpredictable, taxing and otherwise wild world of travelin'.

Easter in Colorado, USA

After a quick trip to Athens, Georgia, I paid an additional $50 US dollars for my overweight luggage and I was ready to surprise my parents, who didn't know I was coming home. One week back home was just enough time to see my dear friends in Boulder, Colorado, ski my butt off, and spend time with family and friends at Easter celebrations. Boulder is truly where my heart is...it is "home"...I just fit it...and the living is easy. You can walk everywhere or public transportation will take you there, people are internationally-minded and active, and the mountain backdrop is the topping on the cake. Someday I will move back here, until then I will enjoy my little visits.









PHOTOS: My crazy family on Easter (top), Baby Hope, Grayson & Garrett coloring easter eggs, my kid-brother and me, my mother's famous easter-bunny cake, and the Flatiron mountains in Boulder (bottom).

A Quick Trip to Georgia, USA

SPONTANEITY is sometimes a fun way to live life! Last week, in the midst of my thesis-infused haze, I logged onto expedia to check out flights home. There were two reasons to fly home: 1.) I hadn't been home for over 15 months, and 2.) I needed to check out the campus town of Athens, Georgia where I could potentially be spending the next 4 years of my life in the pursuit of a PhD. So, I booked a flight and in less than 6 days I found myself sleeping in the Oslo airport with 2 big 5o lb (23kg) bags of home-bound loot. With an early morning flight and no trains to get me there on time, sleeping overnight in the Oslo airport was quite a spectacle...as I wasn't the only one doing it. Luckily, I found myself a nice comfy booth to sprawl out on and when I woke at 3 a.m., there was carnage everywhere (people laid out on the floors, luggage carts, and even on top of tables). PHOTOS: Pics of University of Georgia campus.

CULTURE SHOCK!!! The fog of jet-lag settled in as I arrived in Atlanta with all of these happy, smiley Southerners. Why are these people so happy? Going from the Norwegian culture to the southern American culture is quite a leap. People were calling me "Ma'am" and men in camouflage were swallowing their fear as they enjoyed the last few hours of freedom, before deploying to Iraq. After waiting for 2 hours the only shuttle company that drives to Athens picked me up and I was on my way to debunk my southern stereotypes. PHOTO: Typical license plate.

IHE (Institute for Higher Education)! I had 2 days to check out the faculty, the student life, the program, and life in Athens. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by all of it. There is a great little fish taco eatery with outdoor seating and BYOB (Bring Your Own Brew), cute cafes, and organic food markets. The faculty are down-to-earth, well-funded, living posh in their own building, and interested in international work (which is high priority for me). In true American fashion, the most important thing I must consider is the school mascot and colors...can I be a Bulldog, "DAWG", and wear red? PHOTOS: Anti-war protest on campus, football field (yeah!), bulldog tongue.

To PhD or NOT to PhD; that is the question?!

The acceptance letter came! I didn't even open it, I stuffed it into my backpack and trekked to the bus-stop. I waited anxiously for the bus to pick me up so me and my letter could be in the comforts of Norwegian advertisements and quiet, mind-their-own-business Norwegians. Finally, as the bus drove away from Olav Plass, I carefully tore into my future. Woohoo!

The Top 10 Joys of my Thesis-Infested Life:

1.) Earl-grey tea (at least 5 times a day). Caffeine and chocolate, two major food groups in my everyday diet!

2.) The comfy library chair that my buns melt into.

3.) The community of motivated people I sit among in the library...they don't know it but they have become my inspirational thesis friends! Even though we never talk, we will exchange a glance every once in awhile or laugh with the sounds of flatulence.

4.) Working out my thesis frustration on the treadmill at the gym while watching Ally McBeal (with Norge subtitles).

5.) 7:45 p.m. when the library closes.

6.) Sundays (my thesis-free zone).

7.) My long walks to the bathroom...I never thought I would be so excited to visit a public bathroom.

8.) Not having to wear a watch because I tell time according to the flow of traffic in the library.

9.) The tennis ball that I lay on at night to work out the knots in my back and shoulder blades.

10.) The Erasmus Mundus & Fulbright policy documents (as all of my answers rest within these pages).

Ahhhhh, the love of writing a thesis!

A Tuesday Night Reprieve

Why not? It's Tuesday night.

Shoes off at door.

"It's a monsoon out there."

Hole in sock.

Wine with synthetic cork.

"I want to stay in Norway."

"I want to stay in Portugal."

Blue paint.

"These Doritos taste GOOD!"

"I live at the library."

Thesis chatter.

"Is it physically possible for a man to have sex in a Finnish sauna?"

More wine.

"What is hallway sex?"

Laughter.

"I will extend my thesis deadline."

"When will you propose to her?"

Clock strikes 11 p.m.

Time to catch the train.

Umbrella.

The Quaint French Village of Strasbourg!

I needed an excuse to take a break from my thesis and travel. The academics of travel...find a conference to attend! And, that is exactly what I did. The Council of Europe was hosting a seminar in Strasbourg on 'Intercultural Dialogue in Higher Education' which is of great interest to me with my prior experience as a facilitator and mediator. After a few days in Paris, I jumped on a train and had the great fortune of sitting next to my new-found personal tour guide; a young, outgoing French women who was starting her career in tourism. She was happy to practice her English with me and share Strasbourg travel tips, including the succulent entree, frog legs "that taste like chicken". She escorted me to my hotel (Hotel Gutenburg) and we parted with the traditional French greeting (2 kisses to the air). I have to say these interactions with the locals (and my Nikon camera) is why I love traveling solo, you just meet so many more people!

Now, this little village is what Euro dreams are made of...sitting on the French/German border, Strasbourg is a Bavarian-influenced gem. It has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason. It's a small, walking-friendly village with a petite french quarter by the water, a Gothic looking cathedral of Notre-Dame, and enough European insitutions to give it a "European Capital" distinction. If the eye-candy isn't enough to wet your appetite try the delicious and traditional flambé tart, a thin crust with creme, onions, and bacon. After the conference, I met up with a former HEEM graduate and her English friend for some flambé and French wine, a great way to end the trip.

Travelin' Shoes in Paris!

I needed a little break from the thesis and so I laced up my travelin' shoes and I was off to Paris and Strasbourg, France. Two days in Paris is just enough time to get a taste of the romantic city, yet, it makes you want to go back for more. The Parisian way of life is dream-like with the cafe culture on every corner, fresh croissants in the morning and baguette sandwiches for lunch, french wine and cheese, fresh flowers beckoning you from the sidewalk stands and enough historical monuments that could keep you busy for a month. This city ranks on the top of my list of European cities! Despite the soggy conditions, I braved the rain and zipped up to the top of the Eiffel tour for a full glimpse of the city. Luckily, the sun came out when I arrived at the Moulin Rouge and the seedy, sex-shop street. Even though I was only there for 2 days I experienced the pride of the city; doggy doo! In Paris, it is trendy to strut your little dog, with diamond studded collar, throughout the city. It is also trendy for the owners to leave the doggy's doo on the sidewalk for others to enjoy. The Parisians are proud of their doggy's bowel movements. One afternoon I became the PROUD owner of doggy doo on my travelin' shoes. Awesome...a little souvenir! The next time you are in Paris watch where you step.

Goodbye Paris, Back to Oslo (and my thesis)!

This is going to be a short entry since I'm experiencing pangs of guilt for enjoying good french wine, croissants, cafes, the Eiffel tower, and other titillating sights and sounds of Paris, rather than writing my thesis. (A blog entry on my Paris trip will be posted soon!) I actually brought a few thesis-related books to Paris, thinking I would work on it...but there were too many other distractions. As I rushed into the airport duty-free in Oslo (which is the cheapest place to shop in Norway), I knew my guilty pleasure of traveling was quickly coming to an end. Today...it's thesis, thesis, thesis!!! No excuses...

A New Bedroom & A Trip to Paris!

First things first...I'm going to Paris & Strasbourg on Sunday. More on that later!

So, my roommate from Scotland just moved out which means I move up on the pecking order and get to move into the posh master bedroom. Woohoo! That means: a bigger bed (a proper queen size), a bigger room, a bigger desk, a bookcase, a closet, 2 picture windows that look out over the fjord, and a night of moving. As I was moving, I realized I had some items that I have collected on this journey that have become permanent fixtures in my bedrooms. I suppose it's a way to keep some consistency in my life...a few keepsakes that keep me grounded and add weight to all those boxes I have shipped. Here are a few...

My friend Megan gave this to me before I left Colorado, she adopted my crazy cat, Kilimanjaro.

Whenever my mother sends me packages from home she always treats me with the latest yoga magazine. This picture was taken from one of the magazines.

I bought this lamp in Finland for cheap, like 5 euro and it has traveled to Portugal and Norway and still brightens my nights.