Umm... so where was I?

I know, I know… it has been quite a while since I have posted… in fact it has been several months.

So much has gone on since my last post…. My mom turned 65 (which was an adventure in itself because the woman barely acts 25, let alone 65). She wanted to go Zorbing in the Smokey Mountains… and by god, that’s what we did. If you don’t know what it is, I highly recommend you look it up, and if you get a chance to do it… DO IT!

Let’s see what else has happened? I have had a few pretty good adventures to places I had never been before. Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Cambodia to name a few. I have decided that I will be going back to school in June fulltime. I have thought about taking a few classes while I am finishing off my last few months flying as well- though this is still up in the air (no pun intended)

Currently I it is 4:16am and I am sitting drinking a cup of English Breakfast tea (with milk and sugar of course) in my Bucharest hotel room.

I just peeked out the window, and saw something shady going on downstairs with a van. After a few minutes of watching them, I noticed they turned off their interior light in the van, and also the headlights, but they are still sitting down there in the dark. Can you say crack deal?

To get here was quite the deal. We commercialed on Alitalia. This is always… well… trying to say the least. Normally the equipment they fly is a B777. This time it was a B767… one of my least favourite planes to fly on as a passenger. Especially with Alitalia.

Well Alitalia is not exactly known for being customer friendly. Normally you see them once when you board, and once when they do the first service… then you don’t see them again until right before landing (10 hours later). This time, it was a LITTLE different. I saw them a couple times in between.

Normally there are at least 3-4 fights onboard. This is not counting the ones between passengers, I’m just talking about flight attendants. This time there was only 3, and 2 passenger fights.

My introduction to the Italian colloquialisms started with Alitalia. The first time I ever flew them (on a flight to Rome), I learned that Che cosa e? Doesn’t always mean- “so what is this thing”. When said in the right intonation it also means “Hey- what the f*c%”. How did I learn this you may ask? Well, a B777 is a wide-bodied aircraft so there are 2 aisles. The flight attendants were doing a service, and the female flight attendant was screaming at the TOP of her lungs to the male flight attendant on the other side of the aircraft; “CHE COSA E… CHEEEEE COOOOSSSAAAA”…. Which I later learned meant the previously stated explanation.

So for this flight, on the smallest 767 I have EVER been on; I had an aisle seat in the center portion of the aircraft. There was a couple sitting next to me, and a family in the entire row in front of me. Well apparently the row in front of me thought they owned the aircraft. I think not. They learned real quickly that I too, know the term “CHE COSA E?”. The people sitting next to me were even fighting with them. Let just say that is a LONG flight for such a cramped space. When the person in front of me put their seat back (and believe me that old trash bag did) if I stuck my tongue out, I could have licked her forehead… that’s how far back she came into my lap. Needless to say, the flight sucked. But I made it alive, so I shouldn’t complain.

The next leg was from Rome to Bucharest on Tarom Airlines. That was a nice flight (because I was able to sleep) and the crew was extremely amazing, they even upgraded me to first class. Some people recognize class when they see it!

Tomorrow (or should I say in 3 hours and 30 minutes) I will be boarding a plane to Kuwait City. Sadly I will not be staying there. Then I come back to Bucharest, and do everything in reverse… back to Miami.

I will try to update my blogs more often. I have been crazy busy trying to study for college entry exams. Apparently, I suck at speaking and understanding my native tongue of English. I have been taking practice exams. Spanish- 100%, French 94%, English 60% the first time…. I have been in Miami too long; it’s time for me to get the heck out of there!

The transition I have decided is going to be pretty difficult on me emotionally. I so dearly love to travel, and I have been able to go to so many amazing places. I have been trying not to think about the leaving aspect, but I know that it is for the better good. Once I finish my schooling, I will be able to get another job that allows me to travel, and actually get paid what I’m worth.

I think this blog will probably help me get through a lot of trying times. This [blog writing] really is a good “therapy” for me. As much of a private person as I am, I still enjoy sharing my life with people who are interested to read about it. I will be posting more again now that I’m back into the routine of it.

- “The most essential factor is persistence- the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.” ~ James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)