Florida's calling me

It seems that Florida keeps drawing me back. Am I going to be one of those Florida snowbirds someday??? Florida's not the worst place to be, but I hope it's Arizona instead.

My Dad was an adventurer (maybe this is where I get it from), and moved us to Florida from Pennsylvania when we were growing up. Not once....but twice! The first time was in 1976. I'm not sure why we moved back to Pennsylvania, but we lived in two places in Florida during that period...Clermont (orange groves, alligators, and fire ants) and Kissimmee (strawberry crepes at the A-Train restaurant, the Angus steak house, root beer, and a tornado). I've been back to Kissimmee several times, and it has changed greatly. I heard recently that the orange groves are now gone in Clermont, and it's all tract housing.

These were good times. As children, my siblings and I enjoyed the new surroundings, new discoveries, and making new friends. We had no clue what it took to relocate a family of six. This relocation to Florida lasted about a year.


After two years back in Pennsylvania, Mom and Dad made the move to Florida again in 1979. Mom loved Florida. She thought the people were so friendly, and still talks about it today. She especially liked it when you went through the grocery checkout with baking supplies, and they asked you what you were making. On this second go-round, we started in Fort Lauderdale, where my parents were helping to get a hotel/restaurant off the ground for new management. It didn't go as planned, and a couple of months later, we moved to Kissimmee again. We were there a few months before moving back to Pennsylvania, which I still call home.

When we moved back to Pennsylvania this time, I met Betty Jean, who would be my best friend for the next few years. Back in those days, you really only had *one* best friend. The new tradition is to have several, which is fine with me. We are still besties. And get this...Betty Jean has connections to Florida, too. Her grandmother moved there from Pennsylvania, and Betty Jean has now moved there as well. We've been blessed to have several opportunities to visit together there.

My job even draws me to Florida. In the last 3 years, I've worked with three separate, distinct clients in Florida. I have been blessed with meeting many wonderful people on these projects, and now have several more good friends in the Sunshine State. My brother came to visit during my first project in Tampa. He spent a lot of time fishing (one of our favorite pasttimes when we lived in Florida), and we traveled to Titusville and Cape Canaveral to visit with our Uncle and Aunt, and to see the space shuttle Endeavor launch. I have since discovered that both of my brothers have dreams of moving back to the state.

My family took one road trip together, the only family vacation that we experienced together, from Pennsylvania to Florida in 1993. Mom was going to the Chef's Convention, and all six of us (Mom, Dad, and the 4 siblings) rented a passenger van for the trip. I have since traveled to Florida for 2 more chef's conventions. Oh, then there was the year that my daughter was in the Junior Olympics, competing in trampoline....in Florida.

I don't think the state calls me strongly enough for me to make a move there, but I truly enjoy visiting and having this state play a significant role in my life.

Las Vegas - Spring Mountains

I was feeling especially adventurous during a two month assignment in Las Vegas in the fall of 2007. Most likely, the exploration bug was active because of my love of the American Southwest, and my surprising attraction to the city of Las Vegas. A visit to Spring Mountain National Recreation Area was among my many adventures during this assignment.

Mountains in Vegas, you say?!? Alas, before this trip, I didn't know there were mountains near Las Vegas, either. My friend and fellow southwest adventurer, Ken, gave me the heads-up. My client confirmed...the locals call it Mount Charleston, where many of them go when needing a break from the heat (which must be quite often if you ask me!).



So, one morning after arriving from the east coast the night before, I got up at 4am, and took a quick road trip into the mountains. Not to worry...my body was on east coast time and therefore readily able to arise early according to west coast clocks. I arrived just in time for the sunrise and a quick road trip through the area in my rented PT Cruiser convertible. (One of the advantages of traveling often and having status at National is that you can pick your car when you arrive. I pick the PT convertibles whenever I can...they are a fun kickaround car.)











It was cool and quiet in the mountains. I discovered the ski slope and several small residential areas. Great views of the desert below. If I remember correctly, it was 55-65 degrees in the mountains, and about 20-25 degrees warmer when I arrived back in the desert. No wildlife sightings on this trip.





There was an area with Joshua Trees on the way down from the mountains. Like Saguaro cactus, Joshua trees only grow at certain elevations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree - between 2000 and 6000 feet. Joshua trees have a very interesting growth habit...check out the "cheerleader" at the center of this picture, and the "ice skater" in the group at the left.

I am thankful for another successful, safe adventure!

A Canadian Adventure

My latest adventure was to Quebec, Canada, to spend an extended weekend with a friend. This was not an adventure presented by a trip to a client site, although in a roundabout way, it is the result of my consulting job. You see...I was off to Canada to spend time with a friend that I had met over the phone on one of my assignments.

I met Lucie while managing a project for a company in Tampa, Florida. She had been a team leader there before moving back to her home country of Canada a few years ago. She retained employment with the company as a telecommuter. This is one of the longest telecommutes I am aware of!

Lucie and I talked on the phone several times per week while I worked for this client. We had many opportunities to get to know each other as we waited for others to join our conference calls, and quickly discovered that our personalities fit together perfectly, and that we have similar interests including gardening and being outdoors. I was always curious to know what was going on in Lucie's greenhouse, and how her garden was doing. Just for the record....she never said to me "Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" (not that this would have made me like her any less).

I am not even sure how the trip to Canada came about...I figure it was God's leading, as Lucie and I immediately sensed the connection of our spirits. It was like a reunion, not a first-time in-person meeting!

Our extended weekend included exploring Quebec City (hmmm...did I really think that Quebec was not hilly?), having dinner at the pub in which Lucie and Claude spent a lot of time while courting, visiting Montmorency Falls, exploring Lucie and Claude's farm (1 mile long), visiting local villages, eating lots of yummy homegrown and homemade foods, and just getting to know each other better. I even learned a couple of French phrases: Merci Beaucoup, or "thank you very much", and La Releve de la Garde..."the changing of the guard". The first phrase definitely came in handier and was used more frequently in day-to-day conversations!

When you go to a new place, you always make unexpected discoveries and observations. Here are a few of my takeaways from Quebec:

1. While the outlying land is "fairly flat", Quebec City is very, very hilly. My calves were still tired 2 days after exploring Quebec City!
2. Tomato sandwiches on the menu at the local family restaurant. Yum!
3. The tracts of land were deeded in long narrow strips so that the homes could be built side by side for protection.
4. There are a lot more pools on private property in Quebec than in Pennsylvania. It seems *everyone* has an above-ground pool. Apparently, the Canadians want to take full advantage of every good weather day. One can hardly blame them. Here we are in September, and they've already had their first frost.
5. There are a lot of classic cars in Quebec.
6. There are a lot of beat up old cars in Quebec.
7. Motorscooters are a popular form of transportation in the Quebec countryside.
8. A live goat is part of La Releve de la Garde at the Citadel in Quebec. Apparently, the goat is the Regiment's mascot...
9. Brown seeds in an apple are a good way to determine the apple is ripe. I know - not a useful tidbit for supermarket shoppers, but very handy when you have your own apple tree(s).
   

After enjoying several relaxing days at Lucie's farm in Quebec, I returned home with a renewed sense of wonder regarding the 2 acres I'm blessed to live on (and kindof own), and the joy of knowing that I have a lifelong friend with whom I'm bound to experience more adventures. These adventures might include the American desert southwest, Yosemite, and winter in Quebec (I definitely need to learn how to snowshoe!).

Lucie, thank you for being such a great hostess and wonderful friend!

Adventure in New Jersey

I've always had a sense of curiosity, and love to experience new adventures. Not dangerous adventures, mind you...just informative, unique adventures. Since I started traveling as a consultant in 2006, I took up a habit of scheduling "Tuesday adventures". Ok, they don't always happen on Tuesday, but Tuesday evenings seem to provide the best opportunity to explore the area in which my current client is located.

I have had wonderful opportunities to explore cities and geographies all over the United States, and have even explored Amsterdam during one of my assignments.

My current assignment takes me to the Jersey shore. Some may think the Jersey shore isn't much to explore, but I am of the mind that it is really one of the best beach states in the country. Surely, you don't get as much time in the water as you do in California or Florida, but there is so much charm, variety, and history here.

Aaah...but my latest adventure was not at the shore or even a shore town.

When traveling, I try to schedule at least two periods of physical activity each week I'm away from home. Unfortunately, this physical activity is often on a hotel treadmill. Ick! I was looking for a new adventure this week, so I headed out to Shark River Park outside Neptune, NJ (yes, this really is the name of the town). When checking the map, it looked like the park had various trail options, with some being adjacent to the river.

I grabbed a snack on the way, and thought I might have a solitary :( picnic before taking a walk on the trails. Upon arriving at the park, I discovered it has a great picnic area...probably 20 picnic tables in a grove, as well as a few pavilions. However, I decided to walk and snack. I went around the inlet/reservoir, where I discovered stagnant water but a really enjoyable, level trail. I decided I was up for the challenge of exploring the interconnected trails in the woods. I took the main trail, then turned right up a hill into the woods. I encountered 3 people during the trek...two 20-somethings on mountain bikes, and one woman very much like myself that appeared to be out for a walk. I noticed she had her iPod, which I had decided to forego as I wanted to hear the sound of the woods (random thought....do you ever wonder how many teens have never heard the sound of nature because of their iPods?).

I decided I'd continue to bear right on the trails so that I would end up back at the bottom. After 20 minutes or so, I noticed the trail appeared less used, and that the light was starting to fade. I hadn't seen anyone for a while. I thought I must be coming around to the main trail soon, and pressed on. Well....the main trail never appeared....I just kept going higher and higher up the hill. 10 minutes later, I decided I needed to head back down the way I came. Light was fading fast, so I jogged partway. I am definitely not a fan of jogging, but found solace by thinking of how my jogging amuses my husband, Bill.

After a very intense workout, I ended up safe and sound back at my car. I decided I don't have to work out again for the rest of the week.

Not one of my best adventures, but surely a learning experience. The highlight was discovering a patch of ferns. Other interesting takeaways were seeing the pink glow of the setting sun through the trees, and realizing that yes, I *am* capable of jogging, even if it makes Bill laugh every time he thinks about it.