Cheetos Birthday Cake!

Due to the increase of social activities I participated last month, I will be low key during the month of January (or much longer for that matter.)  I had finally finished my book “Declutter Your Mind:  How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking”.  I was upset with myself for not finishing it up much sooner since I got this book back in October.  It should not have taken me so long to read it, but I wanted to make sure I read the passages thoroughly.  What I enjoyed about this book is towards the back, there are a list of words that you have to jot down according to what values you associate with.  You have to go over the lists a couple of times to narrow it down to 5-10 words pertaining to your personal life and work life.  It was interesting for me to see what key words I thought were more important than others.  In the end, the goal was to have a mission statement that applies to both areas.  I’m hoping to tweak these statements, and I’ve already purchased a 2019 planner to set my goals in a 3 month grace period.  According to the book, it’s easier setting shorter goals because they will lead up to the bigger goals, and I already know what it is.  I’m excited to try these ideas!  Hopefully this will be a good structure for me to follow.  
Following our holiday party on Thursday, my friend’s birthday party was being held at her place that Friday.  It was a crazy weekend, now that I look back on it.  I had some time off to take from work, so I cleaned up the apartment for the most of the day.  My friends picked me up and we went to a nearby Colombian restaurant to pick up an order I had placed for the party.  It was nice getting everyone together.  My friend looked so happy.  Her boyfriend surprised her with a birthday cake topped with Cheetos!  I’ve never seen anything like it before!

New York City Day One (part 1)

As I mentioned earlier, I booked a trip to New York City to see my French friend run the marathon.  It was a last minute thing, but I’m glad I went in the end.  I was pretty nervous about it, too.  The last time I was in New York was 10 years ago.  I remember how tough this city could be.  I also remembered how I would get lost riding the NYC transit.  I was getting stressed out.

Along with Halloween Day being on an unexpected day itself, I really had one day to look over my carry on.  My flight was early in the morning on Friday.  Of course I had thoughts of over sleeping, but it was mostly because leading up to that day, I WASN’T getting much sleep.  My friend made me feel better when he called me Thursday night.  He had arrived from France a day earlier.  For the first time in two weeks, I got a excited about this trip.

I had scheduled an uber pick up around 3:45am-4:10am.  My flight was at 5:57am.  Not exactly 6am, but enough to make you question what time they were boarding.  I wanted to miss the rush hour morning commute so I figured if I arrive at the airport before 5am, I should be fine.  My alarm went off and everything happened so fast after that.  I do not think I ever went into a deep sleep.  I got up and washed up and then changed into my clothes.  I was hoping to sleep on the flight.

My uber showed up right on time.  They even send you a reminder, just in case.  I remember being in the uber and praying that there would be no traffic heading to the airport.  I just wanted this part to be over.

Luckily at the airport, I got through security in no time.  I remembered looking at the other passengers at our terminal.  Some of them looked excited for their trip.  I wished I could feel that way, I thought to myself.

Part of the contribution to my nerves was the weather.  I checked leading up to my trip, and it never changed.  Thunderstorms were in the forecast the entire day.  I grew angry when the pilot warned us early on.  “Well the first half of our flight should be smooth; but the second half won’t be.”  What the hell???  I wish pilots could have a sense of empathy for the ones who are scared shitless of flying!

Well, as it was predicted, the turbulence WAS BAD.  I decided to brave through this and not take anything because it was a short flight.  But I never got any sleep.  It was a long 30-40 minutes of pure hell but in the end, we landed safely.  My body was exhausted from being tensed up.

I loved that I had my carry-on luggage with me.  Once we landed I zoomed out of there.  I didn’t realize how many people were at LaGuardia!  It was a bit frustrating trying to navigate towards the exit.  I was stuck trying to figure out what “bus” line I was supposed to take that will lead me to the subway station at Roosevelt.  A nice gentleman pointed out to me that I was to get a ticket inside the airport before I get on the bus.  I saw the customer service counter with the line forming and got behind someone.  Once I figured out that I was to purchase a metro card I ran outside to see if I could catch my bus.  Not yet!  I still had to obtain some receipt.  Again, someone helped me figure that part out.  I had to insert my metro card in a machine to obtain my receipt.  Luckily the bus was still waiting.  I jumped on and tried to give the driver the receipt but she just told me to “go ahead” and move towards the back.  So much for that.

I arrived at the Roosevelt subway station and checked my Google maps to see where I was going.  So far so good.  I caught my train and felt relieved I was on my way.  Of course once I got off my stop I was lost.  I walked around for a bit and found a Starbucks.  I needed to charge my phone so I went inside and ordered a latte while I waited for my phone to charge.  

Believe it or not, the weather in New York was unseasonably warm.  It neared 70 degrees that day!  I had on layers since it was much colder in Chicago, but by now, I was sweating and getting frustrated I couldn’t find my hotel.  I jumped in a cab.  He drove me up to my hotel (which was a surprise to me).  I finally found it!  What a relief!

Well, not exactly.  Apparently, my room was not ready.  I was thrown off.  I wanted to shower and nap for a bit.  Since I did not have a room yet, they agreed to hold my luggage and encouraged me to come back later.  “So, in about two hours?”, I asked.  “We sold out completely last night.  Hopefully.”  That did not sound promising.

Labor Day Weekend Saturday

Not only were our friends from North Carolina in town.  My good friend from Rhode Island showed up as well.  She let me know a few days beforehand that she was flying in.  She wanted to catch up with some friends in Chicago and was hoping a rooftop would be included.  But the clouds looked a bit funny, and since it rained the night before, we weren’t sure what was going to happen.  We waited patiently until we decided to risk it.  She came by and picked me up and we headed over to Wicker Park.  I insisted for us to uber it over there but she wanted to drive.  Regardless, that set off my nerves and my anxiety took over.  I wanted to get over it, but my guard was up the rest of the night.  

She had looked up Tricycle Chicago and wanted to eat there before heading to The Robey Hotel.  Luckily her friends showed up the same time we did.  It was an adorable pub and everyone ordered some appetizers.  It was nice catching up with her.  I miss her a lot.

We walked over to The Robey Hotel but the rooftop was at capacity.  They suggested we have a drink at the Cabana Club while we waited.  It was also a rooftop lounge (but not the penthouse) so we were outside regardless.  We were having a good time.  At one point we checked on the status of the penthouse lounge but they were still at capacity.  What can you do?  Better luck next time…

Labor Day Weekend Friday

I can’t believe I’m recapping Labor Day Weekend when Halloween weekend is approaching.  I’ve been a little swamped with work and just plain overtired.  Not to mention, I’ve been very anxious with what’s been going on with the news lately.  To top it off, these past few weeks have been weighing heavy on me with the anniversaries of two people I knew that passed away a year ago.  It was honestly one of the worst times I’ve experienced and it still affects me now.

As a result, I did something spontaneous.  Yes, I booked another trip.  This time I’m heading to the Big Apple and I can’t wait.  I have not been in New York in over 10 years and I’m excited to see what’s new.  I won’t be there that long, but long enough to clear my head and take myself out of my comfort zone.  Sometimes a great challenge is what you need to push yourself out of a funk.

Back to recapping Labor Day Weekend!  That Friday after work I remembered how excited I was to see my friends who flew in from out of town.  We started messaging each other to see where we could meet up.  Our friend was going to watch the AVP pro volleyball tournament at Oak Street Beach, and since it was a beautiful day, we decided to meet there.  Although I am not into sports, it was exciting to watch Olympians play and compete in the tournament.  We had the opportunity to watch a couple of sets before it ended.

We wanted to grab some grub since we were starving.  It was early in the evening, but the streets of Chicago had bumper to bumper traffic.  We walked over to Rush Street and were surprised to see how busy it was.  We settled on Velvet Taco,despite the long lines.  It was delish!

Afterwards, we wanted to have some cocktails.  Our group has never been to Devereaux’s rooftop before and there was no line to get in.  What a sweet surprise!  This cozy rooftop even had a mini swimming pool outside.  We were enjoying our short time there until a gush of water fell on top of us!  No one saw this coming.  I was convinced someone was pulling a prank by throwing water balloons outside their hotel room, but that was not the case.  A HUGE storm literally came out of nowhere and it was pouring heavily.  Everyone outside ran into the interior area.  Some of the women were dressed to the nines and we’re now soaking wet.  It was pretty funny actually.

I was suffering a migraine on and off that day, so I wasn’t quite myself.  But it was fun dancing with everyone to old school 90s music.  What a fun night!

Reykjavik: Part One

As you obviously know, I’ve returned from my vacation about three weeks ago.  I have been busy with work ever since, but I did have some time to reflect on my time away.  I have been reading my new book-of-the-month “Six Months Off- How to plan, negotiate, and take the break you need without burning bridges or going broke”, as well as catching up with my friends and family.  Now it’s time to recap!

I had an absolutely WONDERFUL TIME AWAY!  I cannot downplay this trip this even if I wanted to.  I realized that the last time I flew out was for my best friend’s wedding, and although we made some good memories; there was a really BAD one, too.  I think I figured out why I loved this trip so much.  I fell into solo traveling because of my friend in Italy.  It was by chance that she backed out on my very first trip to Paris, and that’s how it all began for me.  Now that I’ve managed a few trips on my own, I crave my solitude away. 

I had a voucher I needed to use because it still had a balance on it.  This trip cost me a bit more than the last, so I’m back on my tight budget for now until all of my cards are paid off.  But I cannot wait to do this again.  I’m hooked.  As for now, I do not have any ideas on where to go next.  Until then, I will cherish the process of planning trips, because it truly brings me joy and strengthens my perspective in life.

I was pretty lucky on booking a late flight.  Takeoff time was at 11:30pm Chicago time.  I worked a full day and made my way home.  I was very nervous as usual.  It was close to 90 degrees that day.  I had a bite to eat and made my way to the nail salon for a quick mani.  I figured I’ll jump on the blue line early since I didn’t want to ride the train to the airport so late.

I’m glad I did get there early.  I’m always surprised at security check since it’s hard to predict how fast the line will be going.  That night it was a mess!  Two ladies were complaining to the officers that they were going to miss their flights (and they probably did).  Others were upset at how backed up they were.  Waiting around didn’t make my nerves calm down.  You can see the desperation on people’s faces, but security did not care.  I went through with no problems, but did not realize I missed the cutoff time at the currency.  I wanted to change my money but it was too late.  They were closed.

I waited at my usual spot at Hub 51 for my glass of wine.  Two guys were giving each other a hard time.  It seems one of them left the other one back at the hotel, but luckily he got to the airport.  I can see there was tension between the two since the guy didn’t appreciate his friend leaving.  With everyone’s nerves around me on high alert, I ordered another glass of red.

I wanted to knock out on this flight.  As of now, I did not book a hotel stay in Reykjavik (more on that later).  I wanted to sleep but also realized I had to be fully rested if I wanted to make a full day in Iceland.  Once we boarded, I’m proud to say we had a smooth flight.  This time I brought my neck pillow and it helped me a lot.

Friday Night at The Aviary

Because of my upcoming trip, I was not sleeping very well.  Regardless of me being exhausted from going out Wednesday night, I met up with the same friends again that Friday.  I skipped out on dinner because I had to run more errands.  I took an uber to Ronero where they were finishing up.  My friend was hosting some guests from out of town and ran into some other friends who were also visiting from out of state.  Small world.  Now that our group got bigger, she made reservations at The Aviary which is part of The Alinea Group.  I have never been but I’m glad I went in the end.  This was truly an experience.  They had some out-of-this-world cocktails that were delish!  Everything was so over the top that we couldn’t help but snap away on our phones.  We ended our night there, but despite me being tired, I’m grateful I didn’t miss out on this opportunity. 

Chicago Summerdance 2018

I am so scared.  I get this incredible rush that goes straight to my stomach.  I’ve been trying to fight off feeling at least once a day.  My anxiety now has been giving me migraines, tension at the shoulders, as well as vivid dreams at night.  I’m pretty much miserable.

I finished a book on “Less is More” and have been going over my notes.  Sometimes, reading soothing passages makes me feel better.  I’m wondering if I should bring a book along this trip.  I am trying my best to be strong about this, but I’m so nervous.  I am also doing my best not to worry my mom about my insecurities.  She is going to be flying out to Mexico once I come back to visit her friends.  She hasn’t flown in over 20 years and I don’t want her to get the way I do.  I know through experience that fear is taught.  I  would feel horrible if I jeopardize this for her.  She is very excited.

Back to recapping my events in July.  My friend out of nowhere texted me that she was going to be downtown.  It was Friday, and I had just gotten out of work.  I wanted to do some window shopping, and decided to go to State street.  Luckily I was still in the neighborhood.  She was attending Chicago Summer Dance at the Spirit of Music Garden stage.  I made my way over there and found her with her family.  It was nice catching up to her.  I miss her a lot and wanted to see how things were going for her.  Jesse de la Pena was mixing too.  Chicagoans love a free house party!

My Birthday

I’m still re-capping and now I reached my birthday.  This year my birthday fell on a Tuesday; just like today.

This year I felt really old.  Not the way I use to feel old, (not being able to wear certain clothing, hating my crow’s feet, thinning of my hair, etc.).  Something else was happening.  I kept thinking about my past such as:

things I wished I had accomplished

remembering people that have passed

my ex-boyfriend 

jobs I used to loathe

trips I have taken over the years

It was as if I was lying on my death bed recapping my life’s moments one by one.  Of course certain memories stood out, but it I just couldn’t stop thinking about them.  I never before have done this for such an extended period of time.  It was lasting a few weeks and for the most part, I was the person who always was anxious about what was to come.  This time, I was looking back and it was triggering my depression.

The night before my birthday I got my Facebook notifications from my friends aboard wishing me happy birthday.  I have to admit, this was nice considering they were waking up at the other side of the world and I was falling asleep.  I felt good knowing I shared wonderful travel moments with them.  I ended up working my birthday, too.  Normally I would have taken off but I didn’t want to be at home that day, let alone plan something special for myself.  I needed to turn off my mind and work, and that’s what I did.  In the evening, my friends called me up to talk and check up on me.  I again, enjoyed that a lot.  I was also honest with them.  I told them this year it was hard to celebrate.  If anything I want them to know that turning older isn’t always a fun celebration.  Sometimes you want to tune out. 

One of our friends was in town that Thursday and we made plans to catch up with the girls over dinner.  Of course, my friends surprised me with a birthday flan.  Lol.  In the end I did make a wish.  But it was nice not celebrating me this year…

Wedding Day! Part One

It’s been pretty hectic at work lately and I’m tired all of the time.  Not to mention, since my birthday is around the corner (UGH!!!) I have some doctor appointments coming up.  Running to the suburbs for that has not been easy since we are short staffed at work.  It looks like everyone is on vacation and we’ve been having a hard time finding people to play in our softball team.  Too many things happening in June!

Back to recapping my big trip in Italy.  I woke up pretty early because I heard my friend jump in the shower, followed by the makeup artist.  They had to get to work since the makeup process can take up to two hours.  Since she had her hair set the night before at the salon, the hair people would be arriving a bit later to touch up her ‘do.  I got up myself to see if there was anything I can do to help.  My friend needed some tidying up around the house before the rest of the crew arrives.  People started waking up slowly, but I advised them that they still had some time to rest up before the day begins.  I figured the more people out of the way the better. 

Let’s just say that was easier than it sounds.  The groom was staying next door with some family members, and I’m assuming people were getting up in there too.  He went for a pastry run since guests were getting hungry.  I felt bad I couldn’t help out more.  By the time I finished tidying up, the makeup was done and we had to start getting people up to get ready.  We had a two hour window. 

I jumped in the shower first and then woke up my roommate from LA.  Then it was followed by the guest from FL.  My friend’s aunt and uncle had the upstairs bathroom to themselves, so it was a bit easier for them to get ready since they were out of the way.

By the time the hair people showed up to do her hair everything became a blur.  I didn’t know what was happening most of the time.  People kept coming in and out of the apartment.  I remember her aunt and uncle coming back downstairs to sit and lounge in the kitchen.  I asked them if they mind waiting upstairs until it was time to go.  The living room was getting hot with so many people around.  Some friends of hers came by to wish her well.  The groom’s parents were waiting for the photographers.  I realized once they arrived, more bodies will be in the house along with their equipment.  It was beginning to get chaotic.  At one point the groom told me outside that a car was going to come soon to pick up the bride.  I told him she wasn’t even dressed yet.  He looked upset but I explained to him that there were too many people over and were not letting her get ready.  I HAD TO GET READY TOO!

I felt bad because it was crunch time.  The venue was 40 minutes away.  Two charter buses were transporting people there.  I told the groom it would be easier to get the guests out of the house first so she could get ready.  He jumped on it and had people car pool to the charter buses.  The photographers showed up but she was still in the process of putting on her gown.  The makeup artist wasn’t done either.  He had to touch up her shoulders after she put the gown on. 

I could see my friend look worried.  She was not happy at all.  I felt bad for her.  We did the best we could to get the guests out.  The photographers did what they could to get the shots they needed in such a short amount of time.  

We car pooled to the last charter bus waiting for us and waited patiently.  The bride was following  right behind us.  The ride was pretty smooth and we got a chance to relax before the wedding began.  We went over our speeches and made some minor changes.  I just wanted my friend to be happy.  I was praying she was ok without us.

Journèe Della Femme

Today I fly out to Rome.  I AM SUPER NERVOUS.  My anxiety has crept up on me these past two days.  I am trying my best to remain calm but the butterflies in my stomach won’t stop fluttering.  I am proud that I didn’t feel this way sooner as I have in the past.  I use to get nervous weeks at a time before a trip would come up!  I am aware that this will always be a struggle for me, but I refuse to stop travelling!  The rewards are amazing and I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.  I love it too much.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day.  My mom was not in the mood to celebrate.  I wasn’t sure what this was about, but I convinced her otherwise to let us take her out for dinner.  She had her reasons but we kept persisting.  We settled on Las Tablas which is a popular restaurant in our neighborhood.  The restaurant was packed when we arrived, and we had to wait to be seated.  I didn’t think it was too bad of a wait but again, my mom was not in the mood.  Not to mention, it was unseasonably cold in Chicago that day.  Regardless, I’m glad we went out as a family.  She enjoyed her soup and seemed ok at the table.  It’s hard to read her sometimes and know what’s really going on.  I asked my brother later on if he knew what that was about, but we concluded that some people are not fond of overly packed restaurants on holidays.  Next time we’ll plan something else.

Wish me luck on my new journey!  I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get back! 

BLVD

My big trip is tomorrow and the nerves are kicking in!  Not to mention, it’s been storming a lot here in Chicago.  Yikes.  My anxiety comes and goes, but I think the fact that I finished up a book about Jesus over the weekend has helped me out a lot.  Think about it.  Anxiety stems from “fear of the unknown” but I’ve learned through reading self-help books and practicing my faith that I have to believe in it as well.  It’s all about trusting yourself that you will be fine.

Easier said than done of course.  Especially when you can counter up endless questions of “what ifs” in your head.  I managed to clean up my apartment and do laundry all weekend and started to pack my luggage.  Our softball game was cancelled due to rain last week.  Softball season officially started the week prior but we lost terribly.  Since our game got rained out, my co-workers decided to walk over to our bar and enjoy the night off.  I decided at the last minute to head out.  I figured I could purchase my new luggage down the street in order for me to pack.  This suitcase is a bit SMALLER than my last one so it will definitely be challenging to get everything inside.  Today I laid out my toiletries on my bathroom counter while I got ready for work.  This has helped me in the past by actually going through my morning ritual and setting everything aside.  Hopefully today I’ll get my belongings IN MY LUGGAGE to finalize my packing, but we’ll see.

Back to recapping my week!  After Sunday’sbirthday party, the week was filled with appointments and obligations.  Tuesday I finally had my dentist appointment.  It was brief but we opted to file my front tooth a bit to smooth out the ridge.  It doesn’t look TOO BAD but I now have one front tooth longer than the other one.  UGH!!

Later that day I made plans to catch up with a friend at BLVD restaurant.  We lucked out with the weather.  It was gorgeous that day.  I had never been to BLVD before, but this place was super fancy!!  I felt underdressed when I walked in.  A gorgeous crystal chandelier draped over the restaurant.  There were no windows to peak out of.  It was very dark inside which made it feel much later than it actually was.  It was a little after 6pm when we walked in, but to me, I thought it was nearing11pm!  Lol.  

Despite the intimidating ambiance, we had a good time.  I love discovering new spots.  My friend really loved the place, but that’s more his style.  He felt the darkness was cozy and intimate.  For me, I haven’t been out in a while, and it was nice catching up over cocktails.  It got my mind off my trip. 

King for a Day!

I am so grateful today is Friday!  I am pooped out.  I had an eventful week and I’m glad it’s almost over.  I am also proud of myself.  I managed to get some things done for my upcoming trip.  It’s nerve wrecking everytime I have to fly out.

Last weekend Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby was going on.  And I didn’t do a thing.  I was not in the mood to deal with overly drunk people.  I skipped out on the day parties and enjoyed my usual Saturday routine.  I cleaned up my apartment, did some French lessons, and read a chapter on a book I’m trying to finish up.  I also had the chance to lay out on my balcony.  I missed being under the sun.

Sunday I had a birthday party to attend to.  My friend’s son was turning one, and she threw a big soiree for him!  He was calm throughout the party despite being around so many people.  We were impressed!  It was nice to see my friends together.  It’s getting harder and harder to catch up with one another.  I had a good time until someone let the yorkies out.  My allergies started right away and I left shortly after.

With all of us moving in different directions and dealing with personal struggles of our own, I think the importance of being kind to one another is more important than ever.  I’m stressed out as well and my anxiety is not helping the situation.  The countdown has begun…

Paris jour deux!

I finally made plans with one of my friends in Paris.  She suggested I check out early out of my hotel and stay with her later on.  She wanted to meet after 8pm.  I told her I will message her once I get back from sightseeing.  Today on the agenda was the Montmartre neighborhood  to visit the Sacre Coeur.
AGAIN another hour and a half commute to this area.  What I found interesting this time is that I had to ride the bus to another train station altogether.  This bus stop was at a bus terminal which multiple buses passed through.  My bus ride took me on an expressway!  It’s amazing being able to view the Eiffel Tower along the horizon.  Once I got off, I went downstairs to catch my train on the metro.  I had to ride that line for 18 stops and then exit the station altogether.  Then I had to walk a couple of blocks before jumping on another line on the metro to head to Montmartre.  I was lost.  This part was frustrating for me because I felt I was not close enough to the area.  I contemplated on jumping on a cab to head towards Sacre Coeur but the Uber ride estimated this to be around 18 euros.  I figured a regular cab would have been over 20 euros and decided to save my money for later on when I would see my friend.  After a frustrating 30 minutes of walking in circles, I walked into Printemps department store to use the WiFi.  I had a migraine and decided to have a latte so I could calm down.  After carefully examining Google maps, I walked out and found the metro line I had to take.  5 stops later I exited  and saw a carousal.  I made it!!  What a relief!

I found the “wall of love” and joined the other tourists snapping away with pictures.  I immediately knew the neighborhood had a distinctive feel and started going in and out of boutique shops and specialty stores.  Once I found some stairs, I knew I had to hike upwards in order to get to the Sacre Coeur.  Luckily I was heading in the right direction and found it in time to join the line forming.  There were a ton of students around but I managed to walk in within a 10 minute wait.  I was completely blown away by the huge mosaic mural inside on the ceiling.  There was Jesus, extending his arms out!  I was moved.

I stayed and prayed for about an hour before I decided to venture out again.  This time when I exited, the line was wrapped around.  I did some souvenir shopping for a bit.  Unfortunately, it was nearing 7 pm and I knew I had to leave.  I had to meet up with my friend and in order to see her at 8pm, I had to leave now.  Another hour and a half later I made it back to my hotel and started packing my bag. 

I let my friend know I was running behind schedule and checked out of the hotel.  This time, I had to take the bus again, just like my first night here, and go back to the same metro line I used when I came in from the airport.  18 stops later I made it to the metro and rode that line for a while before transferring onto another line.  I grew upset when I noticed I was heading towards the wrong direction.  I had to jump off and make my way to the other side of the platform.  I was frustrated because this train was taking longer than usual.  It was now nearing 9:30pm.  I was running behind BIG TIME.

My train finally came.  I felt so bad rushing.  Once off the metro I had to jump on a tram for 5 more rides.  I noticed the familiar McDonalds and ran inside to connect to the wifi.  I called my friend to let her know I was near.  She seemed fine when I met her at her place.  I quickly got ready for our night out.

We took the metro and got off at Opera.  We made our way to Harry’s New York bar for some cocktails.  It was nice catching up with her.

Me and my friend went next door to a piano bar.  This place was crazy!  Everyone was dancing and singing along.  We stayed the rest of the night here because we didn’t want to leave.    

I probably slept for an hour and a half.  I was nervous about my flight again.  I decided to play it safe and leave earlier than anticipated.  I figured I’ll knock out on my flight home.  I rode the tram, jumped on the metro and headed towards the airport.

Luckily everything went smoothly on my way back home.  What a trip!  I had some bumps on the road but overall I loved seeing my friends in Italy and Paris.  I also got a chance to experience some new places.  I’m a lucky girl…