Maybe in Oz

We just got back from a couple weeks exploring the South Island of New Zealand with some friends. It was an amazing trip and the scenery was absolutely stunning.  We flew into Christchurch and headed south towards Wanaka.  Our first stop was to take in the turquoise water of Lake Tekapo, a lake formed from the runoff of the nearby glaciers. Lake Tekapo Church of the Good Shepard at Lake Tekapo Bridge over Lake Tekapo Farther south, Lake Pukaki was even more stunning with the Mt Cook Glacier in the background.   Enjoying the view of the lake We decided to drive along the lake the following morning and check out the Hooker Valley Track near Mt Cook.  The 45 minute drive gave us incredible views along the way. Driving around Lake Pukaki with Mt Cook in the distance We started on the track mid morning when the path was still covered in shade.  The view from the start was impressive and made us really excited to get going. View from the st...

It’s been about a year and a half since I’ve been back to the US, and this trip was a good reminder of the things that I used to think were normal that are just plain strange.  Like dirty paper money that’s all the same size.  Pennies!  Waiting at stop signs and traffic lights instead of continuous movement through roundabouts.  Having to take your shoes off to get through security at the airport.  Having to enter a 5 digit zip code to pay at the gas pump.  Do you know how annoying it is to walk into the gas station to pay ahead and guess how much fuel your rental car will take, then walk back in after filling up to get your refund? Mushy tomatoes – maybe it’s the season, but why are all the tomatoes so pale and mealy?  The dogs everywhere, in every store.  Does your dog really need to go shoe shopping with you?  And then there are the bathrooms.  The stalls all have giant gaps that you can see in and out of.  Then you stand up a...

What a wonderful weekend it's been!  I had to spend thee weekend in Dallas in between two weeks of training for work.  I have several family members in the vicinity (+/- 5 hours) so I put the call out to see if anyone was interested in catching up for the weekend.   My cousin Jennie in Arkansas (who I haven't seen since our Grandma's funeral in 2001) met up with my Aunt Missy (who I haven't seen since our wedding 8 years ago) in Oklahoma and they drove down on Friday night.  Saturday morning I treated my aunt to a massage.  She is always taking care of others so I figured it was time for her to have a break and have someone take care of her.  Then we drove to the Bishop Arts District and wandered through the shops.  It was a cute little area filled with wonderful things to buy and eat.  After lunch we stopped at our favorite french store Target to prepare for an impromptu birthday party for another cousin who drove up from Houston (who I haven't...

I just got back from a quick trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  It was my first time visiting both the city and the country so I wasn't sure what to expect.  I thought it might be busy and a bit crazy like Jakarta, but I had also heard it was more like Singapore.  I think it was an interesting mix between the two.  We took the train from the airport to the hotel, something you definitely wouldn't do in Jakarta.   A KL evening from my hotel room We also took the train to the office the following morning.  It was absolutely packed, but fortunately we only needed to travel one stop over.  On the way up to the office, I noticed that the elevator had floor 12A and no 14th floor.  Apparently the number 4 is bad luck in China, so some buildings skip that floor (kind of like 13 for us).  It was strange though that they skipped 14 but had a 4th floor. No 14th Floor There was a good view of the surrounding areas from the office.  Ther...