Slainte Ireland

So, in the last few months, I have spent an unexpected amount of time in Ireland. As in, I now feel like I know Dublin as home, have a pub where the bar staff know my name, can make recommendations as a local not a tourist, have the places that have a story behind it that we can keep revisiting, and even attended an Irish Catholic mass (oh Lordy, that Rosary!)... Well, I work for an Irish NGO even. 

Oh and then there's the time that I sang in a pub. In front of people. 

My choice of song? Well, between all the pressure of choosing, not being able to remember anything and what just pops out of my head, I ended up with...

The American National Anthem. 

Seriously. I even stood with my hand on my heart.

And then the families, cousins, aunts and uncles...well, they laughed. And joined in. Some even stood up with me.

And the best part?

They knew all the words too :)

Well, anyway, since I have spent so much time there, and since I have come to love it like a home and since I think it will be a while before we get another visit in, I am sharing some photos that I took over my time there. 

It really is a gorgeous country. 

Go visit if you can. 

Glendalough, Wicklow

Glendalough, Wicklow

Glendalough, Wicklow

I like to call it the land of Rainbows

Eastern Coast, just one hour south of Dublin

It was spring when I was last there.

Well, we would call it Spring...Irish call it Summer. And then we got kicked off the grass. 

Just your average Saturday afternoon

Hiking Croagh Patrick, Co. Mayo (West of Ireland)

All I see here are TAN LEGS!!! (which don't exist anymore)

Westport, Co. Mayo

Westport, Co. Mayo

Westport House, Co. Mayo (British, not Irish though... reminds some (i.e. me) of Mr. Darcy

Howth, Co. Dublin (North end of the DART)

When in...Dublin...at an Ireland Six Nations rugby game...at a pub

Slainte, Ireland. And thanks for all the memories.

The Evolution of an R&R

One of the perks about being an expat aid worker (aka one of the ways our employers attempt to keep us from going even more crazy than we already are) is the fact that every so often - 6 weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months depending on the organisation - requires you to leave for R&R. Rest & Recuperation. 

For those of us who are single, without families and want to evade paying taxes back home by not being in the country, often this time is combined with annual leave and used to visit any myriad of the interesting random countries that surround us. And sometimes even the ones that really just are not convenient to get to at all. Because the world is our playground. 

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By the way, it has been my experience that those who have families often use this time to engage in a little 'R&R&R,' as coined by my old colleagues. Rest, Recuperation, and Reproduction. Literally. 

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And of course, one always wants the next country on the list, the next stamp in the passport and all that stuff that makes us feel somewhat well travelled or feeds our adventure appetite. 

Well, today I booked my next R&R. As in, the flights are purchased, I am researching accommodations and activities, but mostly I am flying by the seat of my pants (British or American - doesn't matter). 

But instead of just announcing where I am headed - which is pretty crazy, let me tell you - I need to tell you the process of how I got here. Because its a good, long story. 

It was agreed upon many many months ago that my next R&R would be scheduled for the first 2 weeks of June. I scheduled it far in advance to give myself plenty of time to decide where I wanted to go, to find a travel partner, and to organise. And so I set out to do so. 

The initial plan was Cuba (I mean what American does not want to try to sneak into Cuba through the back door!) and either Puerto Rico or Costa Rica. I hadn't decided. But I researched Cuba and found out all the ins and outs of how to travel to this country, while breaking US policies. And its actually quite simple (ask me by email if you want to know). 

However, I was still looking for a travel partner. After talking to people who had been, also after looking at the laws around being an American in Cuba, I decided that I need to go with someone who likes to go out and have a good time and is non-American. You know. Just in case. And I did also decide on Puerto Rico, because it was closer and offered some good options for scuba diving. 

Problem. Could not find someone to go with at that time. With my housemate planning to go in September, when I am next due for an R&R, and me not particularly feeling comfortable in a place I cannot speak the language or use the ATMs by myself, I decided to change to another couple of islands where I could understand the people. 

Guadeloupe. Found here.

Enter Guadeloupe. A country with a volcano, Jacques Cousteau's underground playground, beaches and apparently amazing French food. That speaks French. Done. Decided. Hmmm. What other country can I add to that? I know! Sint Maarten / Saint Martin! A French side that is filled with relaxing beaches and sophistication and a Dutch side filled with places to go out and city living. Deal. Sorted. 

But you know the Caribbean? Yeah, its not cheap. Not at all. There are not really a lot of cheap places to stay - well there are, but they are difficult to find - and there is little to no public transport especially on the smaller islands. 

So when I was looking at what the options were, it was looking quite expensive - car rentals, hotels, food, and still countries where there was the potential that I would do less relaxing of the mind and soul than more. 

I was still convinced. I talked with people who had been to both, started getting an idea of what to do, and how to do it. Then finally, I began the process to book tickets. 

Now this was where I got stuck. After much waffling about, and a few credit card mishaps, I ended up booking a return flight from Sint Maarten to PaP. And that was it.  Haha. Well, its a start!

A start to rethinking the whole process. And talk with some friends. And think. And review. And revise. And I did. So what did I end up booking today? 

Sint Maarten. Found here

PAP-CUR-AMS-SMX-PAP

In non-airport code language, that is Port-au-Prince to Curacao. Curacao to Amsterdam. Amsterdam to Sint Maarten. Sint Maarten to Port-au-Prince. 

Oh. Well that makes complete sense, right? 

Yeah, not really. Well, in anyway, I am thrilled about all of it. Getting some Caribbean beaches, some European flavor, some easy living, some relaxation, some relatively safe walking and some culture. All in 2 weeks. 

And hey, they have hostels in Holland. And I have friends to visit. Oh, it's gonna be a great time!

Don't worry though, Guadeloupe, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica! I'll get to you! Eventually!

Redefining Home

A few months ago, I wrote about my life in boxes and questioned where home was for me. My conclusion, somewhat, was that "my home has to be wherever I am."

I am retracting this conclusion for another...who says you only have to have one home? 

In that post, I examined the three options I felt I had to call home - LA, London, and Haiti. At the time, none felt like home - I think because I was looking at the "typical" definition of a home. According to my favourite dictionary.com, the first definition for home is "the usual residence of a person," which was how I was defining what home is. 

But if you look further down the list, home can also be defined as an idiom: "in a situation familiar to one; at ease." Now this definition is more relevant to the life of an expat, and the life of a traveler. We have many places that we are at ease; many locations in which we are familiar; loved ones in these homes that make it such.

In this case, then I have more than one place to call home, more than one situation with which I am familiar. Three at this point in life, although I am sure this number will increase. 

And it is with excitement and anticipation that I am able to share that I am leaving one home to return to the second via the third. 

In more clear terms, I am leaving Los Angeles to return to Haiti. I have been offered a position with a British organisation, and therefore will be returning to London for 2 weeks of orientation (27 Nov - 8 Dec), before heading to my beloved Port-au-Prince (9 Dec).

According to my dad, I live my life atypically - by this point, he expects nothing less. So then, it is only expected that my home is not according to the typical definition. To these "familiar situations" then, I will be glad to be welcomed home, not once but twice. 

LA, a la prochaine

Bon Retour, Haiti

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Or: 

a road under water and monsoonal rains will not stop a good time

In June of this year, I took advantage of living on the island of Hispaniola by visiting the other country on this small, Caribbean paradise - the Dominican Republic. Obviously, this decision was augmented by the fact that I have had multiple friends live in and fall in love with this Spanish-speaking nation - I mean - I had to go. 

I decided to head for Santo Domingo, as I had heard very good things about it, and did not want to chance having rainy weather at the beach. I hear there are some absolutely gorgeous beaches in the DR though. Next time around...

getting there:

super small planes for the super small airport.

Since I was living on the same island as the Republic, I decided to travel there a bit unconventionally - by road there and by plane back. I loved doing this, as it allowed me to experience the gorgeous jungle-y scenery of the island, while allowing the maximum time to adventure in the city.

A word of warning, should you decide to travel this route - the road is notoriously bad and unpredictable. Oftentimes, vehicles cannot get through and/or get stuck. We happened to plan our trip during rainy season, which allowed us the fun (and a little stressful) experience of driving through the lake, which had flooded the road. I am amazed our little vehicle made it through. But an adventure it was!

There are also buses to take from Port-au-Prince and other areas of the DR, as well as 2 airports to service your needs. I flew out of the smaller one, as I was just making a short hop. Do not be surprised to have to pay an airport tax in cash upon arrival. And if you do decide to make the short hop over to the other side of the island, also do not be surprised to have hand-written boarding passes and no computer to register your payment. Some of the airlines have yet to enter the computer age - as much charming as it is strange.

to stay / get around: I ended up staying more in central Santo Domingo, which was not super convenient for doing what I wanted to do. But it was cheap. And close to a Taco Bell, which, after almost 2 years away from the US, was a HUGE plus in my book. 

just off the Malecon - not much of a beach,
but still with Caribbean views

On the other hand, I would recommend staying in an area close to Zona Colonial, which will likely be where you will want to spend your time wandering. There are plenty of hotels and B&Bs to choose from on Avenida George Washington (also known as the Malecon) and Avenida Independencia. A search on your favourite travel site should find you some great options ranging from as little as $20 per night for a homey B&B to upwards of $175 for a more ritzy hotel.

Should you choose to stay on one of these roads, getting around will be very simple. Santo Domingo is a very walk-able city, with lots to see and experience. And for times when your feet are just too tired to take another step, taxis are plentiful and cheap. My experiences with them proved them to be very knowledgeable of the city and willing to hand you their cards should you want to hire them for further services. Don't expect much English though.

As with all travel (and arguably with life), be aware of your situation, whether it is walking around, in a taxi, or at your hotel. I had no bad experiences myself, but that does not mean that all tourists are left alone...

to see:
Contrary to the belief of the average American, the New World did not begin in the good ol' US of A. Au contraire, mes amis, Santo Domingo boasts being the oldest European city in the Americas, founded by the Columbus family, whose influence can still be seen throughout the city.

This is most notable in the Zona Colonial, where one can find:
- Calle Las Damas: the Oldest European Street in the Americans 
- Fortaleza Ozama
- Alcazar de Colon: the former residence of the Columbus family, now a museum

Me and the Alcazar de Colon!

- Panteon Nacional
- Ruinas de San Francisco

The river of water emerging from the
Ruinas de San Francisco

- Iglesia Regina Angelorum
- Catedral Primada de America

The gorgeous Catedral Primada de America

- La Puerta del Conde or Puerta de la Independencia, which leads from a major shopping street to the plaza where the DR proclaimed its independence.
- Altar de la Patria, which houses the remains of the DR's founders
- And lots of other beautiful pieces of the Americas' history. 

Ruinas de la Iglesia y Hospital San Nicolas de Bari

I highly recommend just taking your time and exploring Zona Colonial. You never know what you will find.

Should you desire, there are tour guides available to explain the history of the area. Of course there is a small fee (negotiable). Beware, though - they may try and force themselves on you. At this point, I was touring alone and had not done enough research, so I welcomed the information from my friendly tour guide. He offered to take me around the city, which I didn't have time for, but walked with me as I finished my visit around the Zona Colonial. I learned much more than I would have if I had been by myself, including information about the Dominican crest, the first sundial, and the Columbus family. But it's up to you... (I think my guide was also excited to do something - there were not a lot of tourists around in the monsoon I found myself in.) 

Take note: most museums and indoor experiences are closed on Sundays, much to my detriment. If you plan your visit to the Zona Colonial better than I did, you will get to experience the magnificent finds in this historic city.

don't forget:

• to enjoy Dominican life through observation.

There are lots of lovely plazas and parks to just sit and relax with a book and a Presidente, watching life pass by. Don't forget this integral part of your cultural experience! Recommendations include: Parque Colon, El Parque Independencia, or Plaza de Espana.

Parque Colon: a place for pigeons and people watching

• to dance the night away. 

Music and dance flood the streets of Santo Domingo. While the DR's national dance is the merengue, latin / haitian-based rhythms can be found at most clubs, including salsa, bachata, and kompa. Clubs playing other types of music can be found, but don't miss this opportunity to move your body to the Dominican beat.

And don't be surprised to find live bands playing on any old street corner or plaza. Enjoy! This is the Caribbean! 

• to indulge in some Mamajuana 

No, I am not talking about the well-known plant. Mamajuana is a traditional Dominican drink, which infuses Dominican rum, red wine, honey and locally-sourced bark and herbs to produce a sweet-tasting potable with medicinal properties. It is said to aid digestion and circulation, cleanse blood, livers and kidneys, and cure the flu. And for those who are interested, it is also known to be an aphrodisiac with Viagra-like properties. 

The 5 Most Interesting Ways...

I've been meaning to write this for a long time - just never got around to it. But today, I decided, is the day to write the story of my last week in Haiti. Because it's a good'un. 

I believe I said over and over again (verbally, if not in written form) that Haiti is crazy. (in the best way possible, of course). Crazy in that every day something new happens. Sometimes it was scary; sometimes it was random; sometimes it was just plain AWESOME!!!! Well, my last week in this ever-changing country is just an example. One that sums up the entire experience. So...here it goes.

THE 5 MOST INTERESTING WAY A COUNTRY CAN TELL YOU GOODBYE!

1. You get pickpocketed. (I'ts only $15 - not the end of the world. And definitely not worth fighting over, mi amigo)

Back up the river. We wanted to go home too...

2. On the way to the beach, the bridge is out. So, you have to drive down into the river, down stream until you get to the beach, drive along the beach (tires in the waves), through a jungle, and then have to pay to exit the land to get back on the road. 

3. A streetchild attempts to steal your purse. Attempts, being the operative word. As in, you fought back, got the purse, cursed after him, then climbed into the car as if nothing happened.

4. There is an earthquake. Being a Californian, this is no big deal. But Haitians are still scared to death of them. (Rightly so, of course - you never know if the building will come crashing down around you). 

5. You are forced to leave the country within 24 hours of your contract ending, regardless of the fact that you and the HR representative signed a document saying you had 30 days to relocate and repatriate. HUH?!?!!?

ahhhh. this is the way to travel.
*both photos from a colleagues Facebook. Hey, I was driving. 
Down a river - and you expect me to take photos too?

Yes - those all happened in 1 week! Surrounded by other interesting experiences, such as goodbye lunches, dinners, dances, and finalising all my last bits of work. 

I am not sure if Haiti was telling me that it did not want me to go, or if it was telling me to get the hell out. But no matter what, it stuck with me. 

Haiti, I miss you and your unpredictability. Do you miss me too?

I never thought I would be so excited...

to be HOME!!!

*stolen online

Los Angeles - this is what I plan on enjoying while I am here:

• Mom and Dad
• Friends
• Skyping with friends from a similar time-zone
• Time to reflect
• Blueberries and Bananas for breakfast (currently in the mouth)
• Target
• Forever 21
• Victoria's Secret
• Hiking in the Hills
• Mexican Food
• In 'n Out
• Watching trashy TV while working...
• Weighing myself (actually am... as I have not weighed myself in 16 months!!!)

A short, but sweet visit. Wow, am I glad to be here...

Back to Reality

Well, once again I am here. In a New York Airport Hotel. Thankfully, NOT stuck this time...as far as I am aware of...yet. I am, once again, on my way to Haiti - this time knowing a bit more what to expect, knowing the people that are there, and being really excited for the challenge that lies ahead.


But before all that happens, I thought I would give a quick update of the last 2 and a half weeks...which were awesome!


My arrival into the UK was marked with the surrealism, somewhat hinted at in the last post, of having been gone for 3 months and returning to a place I loved, but was not expecting to see for a while. You might even say I had a minor identity crisis...but only minor. Being surrounded by people I loved and a home that I knew made me able to adjust back in within days. 


And what days those were - days of surprised faces, exclamations, the Lion King in the West End, visits with professors, drinks on the river Thames, and dinners with the flatmates. Oh, and shopping. Can't forget that essential item.


The highlight of my trip though - barring the BF and our London fam - was a trip to the Scottish Highlands in the second week. I am not exaggerating when I place the Highlands at an 8 on a scale of 10. Mountains, lochs, snow, rivers, sea, waterfalls, sheep, highland cattle, remote islands, whisky, castles, pubs, and great company - all words that describe this trip. But I will let some of the photos do the talking. 

Loch Ness

What I Call: Mirror Lake

What a View!

Not a Soul in Sight!

Seaside Village

Scottish Highlands are highly recommended. And it was great and much needed to spend some time with just the BF. 


I came back from Scotland, super excited and ready to get back to Haiti. But I still did not have flights booked. Ha! Well, it actually worked out best. The BF, who is moving back to Oz via a 5-day visit to LA, left the same day - same airline, same terminal. And our flights were within 10 minutes of each other! While that just prolonged the teary goodbyes, at least we were able to spend our last few days, full of friends, laughter and drinks, up to the last few moments together. It will be about 4 months before I see him next and this is going to be difficult and long. TGFS - Thank God for Skype!


Before I get lost in my contemplation of the end of my London era, and a return to reality, I need to head to bed. But before I go, I just want to put out how thankful I am for my family in the UK and for all the times we had together. See you in Oz, dear friends! 

The Cat's out of the Bag

I kept this a secret for so long. And let me tell you, it was hard. Very hard.


Are you ready? Are you? Are you?

Hello London. Nice to see you again!


That's right folks. I am back. Just for a short visit in between contracts. But I am here. To see all of you!


I'll be here for the next 2 weeks, minus a short visit to the Scottish Highlands.


Give me a call at my old UK number to hang out!!!

Beach Days...

I just returned from another lovely beach trip. And let me tell you, it was great! So great! Better than expected. I mean, I expected to have a really good time and get to hang out with some really awesome people, but it was even better than that. Let me tell you why...

*Photos taken from last Haitian Beach trip. Forgot my camera this time!

The outing was planned as a farewell to one of our colleagues, R. He is moving home tomorrow. I actually had just met him about a week or so ago. You see, I was driving home from the office and he lives in one of the teamhouses just around the corner from me. It was maybe a few days after I had started driving in Haiti - driving a landcruiser on hills that actually need 4-wheel drive - and I was not feeling confident yet. So, I am 'assigned' to drive this guy, R, home, which is down a massive hill. First off, he started by joking that he lived at my house...almost fooled me for a bit (hey, you never know...), but it was soon established that I was the crazier of the bunch, as I sweated profusely, unable to do the introductory chitchat driving down this hill. So, when I found out the farewell was for him, I laughed and said, well at least I can make him see that I am not that silly (even though we all know I am actually quite silly). 


We went to Moulin-sur-Mer, a resort just around the corner from the one I went to on New Year's Day. It was much nicer than the other one, although smaller. Perfect for the 22 or so of us who carpooled out there for a weekend of enjoyment.


And enjoying it was. We started the day off too early, arriving at the beach at around 10am. Checked in, and headed straight down to the beach! The water was the same warm, clear blue Haitian water as usual and was perfect for tossing on some snorkel gear and heading out to the reef nearby! Which was exactly what happened. 

***

Side note: out of the 22 of us, we figure we have most of the globe represented - North America (I was 1 of 2!), Europe, Middle East, South Asia, Australia, Haiti, and of course the Africans. Since R is from East Africa, there were loads of representation covering the span of Africa, from East to West to South. I loved the diversity and let me tell you, lots of languages conversed in and lots of laughter was shared. What a great group to be a part of!

***

*Moulin-sure-Mer is just around the corner from that point.

While I was out snorkeling, lots of activity was taking place towards the shore. You see, many Africans cannot swim. It has a lot to do with lack of access to a pool or coast, not being able to afford lessons, and just a lack of general cultural emphasis on it, such as in the States or Australia. So the few of us who could swim were 'designated teachers' showing friends how to float, kick, use their arms and actually just relax in the water. And let me tell you - some hilarious moments appeared. Such as when a housemate was lifting a colleague by his belly, trying to get him to kick and use his arms at the same time.

My major...achievement?... for the day included getting stung by a jellyfish. Twice. The first time, I didn't realise that was what happened, so I just shook it off and continued on my merry snorkeling day. The second time was just as I was heading back into shore, and I must have caught it as I was stroking. My entire forearm was covered. And it stung. A little at first, then more and more and more. And then welts started to appear! I was recommended by the staff to put some lime on it and use some ice. That helped, and so did time. I still have some splotches on my skin, but am none the worse for the wear. Special thanks goes to my housemate, who kindly volunteered to 'open his shop' and pee on my sting. I politely replied - thanks, but no thanks. The pain is not THAT bad!

Our afternoon was rounded out by lunch, resting, kayaking, laughing, drinking, more swimming lessons, and jumping on one of those massive floating water trampolines. We headed to the rooms soon after to shower, change and get ready for the evening's festivities. 

We ate dinner on a concrete platform in the middle of the water, listening to music, drinking beers, looking at the amazing stars (I saw the moon-set in the water for the first time!!!) and then...the dancing. Oh, the dancing. Myself and another colleague were placed in charge of running the 'game of the evening'. Which involved a 3-legged dance competition. What laughter! Of course this led to much more dancing until the late hours of the evening. Nothing beats a night of dancing with friends and colleagues to electric, hip-hop, reggae, African, and latin beats, followed by a late night swim and falling asleep under the shooting stars. Well, this is true, but I didn't actually mean to fall asleep under the stars!!! Whoops!!!

Today, after breakfast, our morning of hilarity continued with water fights, dancing in the ocean, more trampoline jumping, more kayaking and snorkeling, and building a 3-man totem pole. Or more accurately, a man-woman (me)-woman structure. Can't wait to see the pics!

Now, at home, working for the evening, I am just reminiscent of an excellent time, with excellent people and the desire to share experiences like this more often. Haiti, you are definitely on my good side today!

A Little Bit Tanner; More at Home

Well, it's been a while since I have sent an update and oh what a while it has been... I last left you on New Year's Eve. Well since then, I have (as the blog title describes) gotten a little bit tanner and am more at home...in many senses of the word. 

But first the tan part. For New Year's Eve, I desperately wanted to get out of PaP and go to the beach. However, this was not to be so, as security was only cleared New Year's eve day. However our curfew was extended to 2am, thankfully (should get more into the curfew stuff in another post, methinks). So, NYE was spent with most of WV (and a little bit of Concern Worldwide) at 2 separate clubs. We went to the first one because we did not want to go to the 'same old, same old' (not that any of it is old for me yet haha). They had a live band, which the idea of sounded good. When said band turned out to be reggae, mj included, we all non-reggae lovers decided that 'same old same old' was good enough for us. So off to the dance club we headed and dance we did. It was a great night, ending at a teeny-weeny bit past curfew (shhh). 

However New Year's Day was not spent sleeping till all hours of the afternoon like normal people. There was a small protest scheduled to take place at 10am, so a small group of us decided to get out of town at 9am and head to the beach overnight. And it was so lovely. New Years was spent swimming in the warm Caribbean water, drinking rum slushies while lounging on the beach. We were all still exhausted from NYE, so we called it a night early after a few games of Texas Hold'Em, waking up early enough for a long walk on the beach in the cool morning air. Sunday, the day after, was spent lounging by the pool, swimming laps, playing beach volleyball and of course the warm turquoise water called to me for another swim as well. All home in time to fit in some work on Sunday evening. What a great weekend. 

The reason I wanted to fit in some work on Sunday night was because this week was the first full week back in the office and I knew it would be a busy one. But a good one. The week was spent in front of a laptop, networking with people I had either not met before, or people who had been gone over Christmas break. And I started to realise that coming when I did, post-lockdown, pre-Christmas, prevented me from getting into my groove. I was lonely; I displayed a lack of motivation for my job and an agressiveness for all other jobs which was unlike me; I think I was not completely myself. 

That is now changing. I am getting into the groove at work and discovering that I actually really enjoy being a knowledge manager. I just moved into my own house today, shared with 4 other WV colleagues. It is a new house - well, new to WV - and is so massive, it has 3 dining rooms. Seriously. But I have my own room (which is awesome btw) and am now getting into the groove. I am so glad I had that time over Christmas, but am so glad its past as well.

Haiti is looking to be a great time:

- Hikes are planned (well, more hikes...an 8k walk at 6:30am is actually quite spectacular)

- Housewarming party anyone?

- A weekend trip to Turks & Caicos is in the works in a few weeks time...

Loving Haiti this week and so glad that I am. 

Ringing in a New Year...

London Snow Day!!!

 Well, this is it. 2010 is over, 2011 is next up. First off, I would like to just add to everyone else who is saying right now "Dang, where did the year go!?" Buuuut at the same time, I did accomplish a lot this year. Quick overview:

 - Finished my MA

 - Graduated

 - Volunteered at the Refugee Council

 - While working at WV for most of it

 - Travelled to quite a few different countries. (counting the US and UK, its probably somewhere around 8ish...)

 - Developed a family away from home, adding yet even more people to the list of people I will forever miss, yet rarely see. (Weddings anyone? They always bring people together. K. Who's first?)

 - Realised that the guy that was kinda interesting at the beginning of the year is actually very amazing and am proud to be ending the year with him by my side (metaphorically, not physically unfortunately)

 - and the most recent...moved to Haiti. 

The Whole London Family. What a Large, Dysfunctional, Loving Group!

Yep, that's quite a lot to have gotten done. And I have many plans for 2011 shaping up as well. 

 - Coming home to LA for a visit in March

 - Hopefully bringing a nice Australian visitor with me ;)

 - Travelling to Oz for what is sure to be the first of  many times

 - Travelling around the Caribbean, hopefully eradicating this pale London skin I have developed

 - Working in Haiti attacking Cholera 

 - Figuring what is next on the cards. 10 bucks says I will ring in 2012 living in yet another country...

Australian Boyfriend :)

But to all of you who are kind enough to be interested in what is going on in my life, I just want to say, I love you and I am blessed that you are in my life. I wish you all the happiness and blessings this world can afford to give. xx