The City by the Bay.

Here's the rest of my two day San Francisco trip. Yes, I did go whale watching, which was the highlight (and the center of attention to a previous post), but I also explored by foot, cable car, and trolley. I am already looking forward to my next trip out West.

                                                

I love this building: The Ferry Building. This giant clock tower that greets most individuals to the Bay is modeled after at 12th century bell tower in the Seville Cathedral in Spain. Pretty cool, huh?

I love even more that I was greeted by a Farmer's Market (with fruit!) right outside the Ferry Building. I stocked up on fresh grapes and nectarines for my visit. Popping grapes one by one I wandered further down the piers taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of San Francisco.

First stop: Walking Pier 1. Continuing to munch my grapes, I slowly walked the length of the Pier. I listened to the foreign language of the fishermen, offered to take a picture for a couple, and even saw my first sea lion in the bay area! I was in love with the city, relaxed as ever, and so thankful to be able to hop on a plane and discover this city again.

My whale watching adventure took place on this boat, the Kitty Kat. She was great. I have learned since being at the airlines, vessels are always 'she.' Thus, she was great. The bathroom, less than ideal. But then again who could even use the bathroom when your eyes are focused on the water looking for wildlife.

Pier 39. If I could take this enormous mural home with me I would. This gentle giant would go in my backyard just because. Although I did so much in just two days, there are still countless more places to see and discover which will keep me coming back. For those of you who have not been to San Francisco before, or Northern California in general, GO. As soon as you can. You will fall in love with this part of the States.

Folks who haven't seen many sea gulls in their lifetime. I was captivated by their surprise and excitement over a sea gull. Life is truly filled with little things. But then again, I'd watch birds all day too if I could.

The renowned sea lions.

This is the boardwalk which wraps all along the Bay toward the Golden Gate bridge as well as back toward Pier 1. I sat on the concrete steps to eat my grocery store lunch while writing postcards. I told one of my best friends that I love escaping like this. On little trips. Because I really did escape, my life did not seem 'real' at this moment and I had no cares in the world besides making sure the sea gull next to me wouldn't steal my food. And frankly, most days this holds true (not the sea gull stealing my food part). I have such a flexible schedule and great travel benefits that I am still baffled by all I am capable of experiencing, even a year after beginning this journey.

From a distance I was able to watch part of America's Cup. These boats are the fastest in the world and their sailors (or skippers as they are called) are the best in world. These boats literally fly across the water. The finals take place next year in San Francisco. Viewing areas were under construction while I was here. This only added to the great two days I had. Yes, only two days. Short and so sweet.

I already used the word 'renowned' to describe the sea lions, but the renowned cable cars deserve the word again. I did not take the cable car last time I was here (sophomore year in high school) so this time I was not leaving before catching a ride. Well worth the $8 one way ride.

San Francisco, this isn't the last time I'll be seeing you. I've got my eye on my San Francisco Groupon for this very reason.

01 02 18

WHALES.

Okay. This post has been LONG overdue. But so have many other posts that I have been meaning to write. September was a busy month, travel-wise. Work-wise, September brought the least amount of flight hours I have ever worked. Travel-wise, what I really yearn for, September was great. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta was checked off my to-do list on my birthday (this is the World's Largest Aquarium for those who are curious) as a very fun day trip. And then a two day, semi-spontaneous (I am not spontaneous, I need to plan, so I planned for only one day prior to leaving) trip to San Francisco happened!

I debated between Seattle and San Francisco for quite some time. The whales in Washington are mainly on the San Juan Islands, which would take a bit longer for me to journey to then the easily accessible San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf. With this being said, I absolutely LOVE public transportation. I look for cities that I can get from the airport to whatever attraction via public transportation. So convenient, so easy, and usually quite cheap. In this case, the BART system in San Francisco was phenomenal. For $16.50 round trip, I made it from the airport right down to the Ferry Building. And from there only $2.00 per cable car ride, or $8.00 per trolley ride. Or FREE if you walk. On a perfectly sunny day, I decided to do a majority of walking all over this town. #lovelovelove

With just my little backpack packed as an overnight bag, I set out to explore this city as much as possible. I have been to San Francisco just once before, back in 10th grade. My mom and I went with the Como Zoo-Hoppers, and explored San Francisco, Oakland, Wine Country, Muir Woods, and the surrounding cities for a week. This time, traveling by myself, my priorities were a bit different. Some of the scenery was the same, some of the scenery was different, and some I did not remember at all.

The highlight and my purpose (to continue my now extended birthday month!) was WHALE WATCHING. Let me preface this by saying, I cannot believe this worked out. I booked my ticket the day prior, and the five and a half hour tour was quite worth the price. Check out the tour group I went with if you ever decide to go, they are all marine biologists, adhere to all rules and regulations about sea life/wildlife, and are super nice, plus the boat is named Kitty Kat! Currently, it is Humpback Whale migration time out at the Farallon Islands, approximately 27 miles past the San Francisco Bay out on the ocean. Yes, 27 miles. Which, by boat, is approximately two hours there and two hours back. That is quite the ride! Thank goodness my current job has gotten me quite used to turbulence and motion, because we ran into some rough water with nothing but grey clouds keeping us quite chilled, and salt water drying to a crust all over my face from random mists and sprays the entire ride. But would I change a thing? Of course not.

The whole group met at 8am at Pier 39. We embarked on our voyage at about 8:30am. The sun attempted to shine through, giving us a tease of the warmth we all wish we had the whole day! And that big cruise ship in the back? That's the Disney Cruise Ship. That thing is massive.

Victoria was our guide for the day. She is a Marine Biologist originally from Australia. She was adorable, informative, massively enthusiastic, and all in all just great.

01 02 18

The World's LARGEST Aquarium!

Birthdays mean a lot to me. I have always had themed birthday parties growing up and love to celebrate and make the day seem special. Versus just another day, or the pessimistic 'another year older' attitude. This year, I decided to go on a day trip to Atlanta (why not, with this job!) to the World's Largest Aquarium! Ever since visiting Le 'Oceanografic in Valencia I have wanted to see the World's Largest Aquarium. As that one was the Second Largest Aquarium. With simply a day trip down to Atlanta and home that night, I did just that for my birthday! I saw the aquarium I never knew if I'd ever see. (And yes, this still means I love my job!)

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

The architecture to Aquariums, Museums, and Zoos, are all so intriguing to me. The appearance of this aquarium is massive as you walk across the park across the street from here. Very sleek, very shiny, and just the right amount of futuristic qualities. Opened in 2005, I love the new feeling everything has in this space. And how cool that the co-founder of The Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, donated $250 million for this aquarium. (I LOVE learning things like this!)

01 02 18

Jamaican Me Crazy.

July Escape: Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Water. Sand. Sunshine. Flowers. Tropics. Cool Runnings.

For three days I enjoyed the offerings of an all-inclusive resort my friend Jacqui and I found online, The Riu - Montego Bay. Or as the locals call the area, MoBay. And as my Grandma Saladis always said, "Make sure to use the facilities." We did just that.

With an early morning flight to Atlanta then Montego Bay, we got to Jamaica passports in hand and customs form filled out with anticipation, excitement, yet anxiety for the unknown. Paying for a taxi (which turned out to be our own private bus with a driver singing "Welcome to Jamaica, Jacqui and Monica" - no joke, I really enjoyed the singing to create the atmosphere) at $20 a piece was a bit steep for my liking, but we got to our resort no problem and with a small tour along the way.

Walking into our resort, this was the entrance, I was shocked we were at such a nice place. For $99 per person a night, I wasn't sure what to expect. Neither one of us has been to an All Inclusive (AI) resort before and just two days prior we didn't know which one to go with. Our choice proved successful. A nice bell-hop gentleman took our bags and placed them in the middle of the lobby area with a ton of other people's luggage while we waited for the 3 p.m. check-in time. Later, we learned this 3 p.m. check-in wasn't a done-deal time, nor was getting to our first room and learning people were still in it. As well, next time instead of waiting a half hour for our luggage to magically appear, I'll wheel my bag with me. But, nevertheless, we were in Jamaica. Island time begins.

The resort was painted a somewhat bright lavender color. When we first pulled up we both just turned to each other and made a somewhat surprised look, a purple palace, alrightie then. No idea why they chose purple, but hey, the place was decent so why not purple?

The sand was indeed sandy white, mixed with the occasional rocks and shells, that I collected on day two. The water was refreshing with the sun shining, yet not overly warm, because once the sun went down (at an early 7 p.m.) I sure got chilled quickly. Not a fish in sight (nor shark for that matter), the only activity in the water were the Jamaican guys on their kayaks trying to sell you necklaces and shells inside the beached zone. But when the resort staff began walking their way down the beach, those kayaks were gone pretty quickly.

The room, was just that, a room. Our two double beds were pushed so close together we practically shared a king bed. We both determined that since our job has created semi-high standards for hotels, this room did not meet our expectations, but we enjoyed the outdoors, and even though our room never got that cool, our beds weren't soft, and the pillows were lumpy, we still enjoyed our time. I mean, we were in Jamaica.

I am proud to say I did not get sunburned throughout the entire three days. With the Caribbean Sea in sight at all times on the island, this was definitely an island escape. And that water behind me? That's where I went kayaking on our last day at 9 a.m. The perfect way to wake up, if I could that everyday I would. Nothing but open blue water behind you and bright blue waters beneath you.

There's something about sunsets that get me. Whether it be the time in Puerto Rico with my mom, or now this escape, watching the sunset or rise in an unfamiliar place is just amazing. And with a late night tour around the resort on the first night, there were plenty of stars to watch, all you had to do was look up while making footprints in the sand.

With Jamaica being only 600 miles south of Miami, I was taken to a whole different culture, and obviously, a whole different country. This world seems so huge so many days, but so small at the same time. Only a couple hour plane ride landed us here. To this exotic, yet beautiful country. We only had time to explore the one parish (Jamaica has 14 parishes) and were on the complete opposite side from the capital, Kingston, but I got a little taste of the island life. Where Bob Marley played continuously, and Margaritaville was just a boat ride away.

Day Two brought us our only full day in Jamaica. We filled the day with zip-lining. Jacqui wanted to go zip-lining through a forest for her birthday, so that's exactly what we did. For $90 (worth it, since the adventure lasted over three hours), we got on a bus from our hotel, enjoyed the sights our bus driver/tour guide pointed out and became Jamaicans for the day. No longer could we say 'yes' to anything, only 'yah mon' would be acceptable. After any statement he made, our bus driver would say, "You understand?" to which the entire bus blurted back, "Ya, Mon." If we ever had to say 'no' to anything, only 'ee-ee' would be acceptable. Our bus driver said, 'ee-ee' resembles the noise a dolphin makes, so of course, we all practiced, "ee-ee." The bus ride was truly, a portion of the fun this day and trip held.

We arrived at the mountains. To which, to the right of these in the picture, Johnny Cash owned a home. If you look at the highest peaked mountain in the picture, the small overlapping mountain below it is where our zip-lining adventure would begin.

Aspiring to be a chef, one of our guides (now I can't remember his name unfortunately!), graciously chatted with us after the tour. I asked him how long he has been a tour guide, to which he said a couple years. He recently moved to MoBay and has an apartment. His intentions we finally realized was to meet up with us at Margaritaville to dance that night, however, we of course "didn't know what we were doing yet." Nevertheless, a great group of staff members, full of energy, very polite, and made our experience so much fun. (Highly recommend Chukka adventures to anyone in the future!)

Our bus ride down the mountain drove us through a residential area, one of the richest neighborhoods in the area, we saw many gated, huge, island homes. The road here gave us a great view of the water, and the houses in the mountains were gorgeous. However, I'd want a beachfront property, but maybe that's just me.



Our trip ended with a first class departure back to Atlanta and we got home no problem. From the pina coladas, margaritas, and rum-punch to buffet style meals full of fresh fruit, plenty of vegetarian options (including ratatouille!), friendly people, and great weather (yes, we did sweat practically the whole time), I would go back in a heartbeat. Thanks, Jamaica for a great three days. (Oh, and my job? Why yes, I still love it.)

01 02 18

July Escape.

Jamaica. 8 days. Please come sooner. 01 02 18

June Escape: San Antonio

Yet another adventure. I must say I'm enjoying life SO much these days. I have never been more relaxed, nor more healthy, and I am so thankful for all that I have going for me. (Side note: I was starting to be pessimistic about working ALL day on Father's Day, that's right 5:15am to 9:30pm after they extended my trip. But, I recovered quickly and told myself you know what be thankful you have a job, be happy you can do the job, and be glad I will be home with a roof over my head and a full fridge later tonight. And that I was able to see my papa on Father's day and give him his awesome cardinal feeder and seeds. And from then on, I've been more of a happy camper than ever.)

This brings me to my June Escape: San Antonio, specifically Sea World.

Now I hadn't even realized there was a Sea World in San Antonio until looking up the locations, and I do want to eventually explore the Orlando and San Diego locations, but for now, San Antonio was in the same time zone, relatively open flights, and just someplace different to go. Who says, "let's go to San Antonio!" I don't always want to go where everyone goes (and those flights tend to fill up anyway) so to go to Southern Texas the beginning of June might seem odd, but it was quite alright by me.

San Antonio



I have never rented a car before. After trying to figure out which company had the lowest young driver fee (25 is the lucky number for no fees - looking forward to that!), Advantage pulled through, only $15 added on! I was not even nervous to drive, maybe because we had this tiny little beast. A Nissan Versa, quite snazzy. And in powder blue, talk about class. The most anxiety I felt: booking this car and the hotel while waiting in the gate area on the plane after we got our seats.



This isn't the greatest picture, unfortunately my phone and nighttime don't get along. BUT the San Antonio River Walk is AH-MAZING. I felt as if it was a hidden place, because from the above streets on a Monday night there was no one around, abandoned buildings down the streets we walked, and relatively few people. Yet, walking down two sets of steps led to this secret, very thriving, full of life place. Next time (and there will be a next time) I plan on catching the boat tour that runs along this river and perusing the shops a bit more.

Our dinner spot! I wasn't that hungry but cheese dip and guacamole sounded yummy. This whopping portion was enough for way more than just me. Unfortunately, cheese dip didn't live up to Mariachi Loco's (I have high standards, peeps) BUT it was still yummy probably most credit given to the atmosphere. Next time, remind me to bring dresses, as the River Walk had a somewhat classy vibe and with 97 degree weather and humidity, jeans and a cardigan, so not coming with.

The Alamo! Sadly, neither me nor Jacqui (who I went with!) know anything about The Alamo. I would definitely want to take a tour of this next time. The only thing I can recall about The Alamo is from the Pee Wee Herman movie, that he thought his bicycle was in the basement of The Alamo. To which, I believe there isn't even a basement? Yep, no idea.

 Our San Antonio night life ended as we walked back to our Travel Lodge room. What appeared to look a lot nicer from the online pictures and not nasty motel-esque. Meh. Lesson learned. All we had to do was sleep there, and that's what we did. Sea World bright and early the next day, only about 15 minutes away!



Walking into Sea World feels much more like a theme park than my vision of a huge aquarium. Gone are most interactive tanks to view the giant mammals. Instead, the day was centered around the 'shows.' However, there are two stops to feed animals: the sea lions (or are they seals? shoot. can't recall) and the dolphins. I didn't feed these guys but this one was a BEAST. Clearly, he was eating all the fish people fed him. Just thinking about his massive size makes me laugh. Not as pretty scenic wise as say Seal Island at the Como Zoo (once again, I had very high expectations and standards for Sea World), but more interactive and memorable since you are able to feed them.



Show #1. What I thought was going to be a kiddie show, I was pleasantly surprised with the appeal to all ages and incorporation of seals, otters, and the walrus. According to the show, animals take around 3-5 years to train for this (if I remember correctly), but they did a darn good job. Despite sitting in the direct sun and sweating it out, the show was well worth it.  




Show #2: SHAMU. The greatest amount of anticipation for this show. Basically the crowds follow one another all day long, hopping from show to show, and it was somewhat of a rush to get over to this arena. The area is at least the size of Valley Fair if not double, a lot bigger than I ever though, complete with a man made lake in the center for their water ski shows. Back to Shamu - There are THREE of them. WHAT! I had NO idea there were three, I mean it makes sense, but in my mind I only thought there would be one getting all the attention. However, I would like to say Shamu was the largest one, as the other two were smaller, dorsal fins still strong and tall. I was very impressed with the orchestration of the show, music and lights, and the amount of time devoted to the orcas. Most shows I feel are dedicated to education rather than 'tricks' but the Shamu show was all about showing off the massive size of these whales. The trainers never got in the water with the whales, something maybe only reserved for the Orlando location, or perhaps not at all anymore after deadly encounters. But all in all, SO fun to watch. I had only wished I could have gotten closer. My biggest disappoint for the day was not being able to really SEE the animals besides in the show. They resorted back to their tanks behind the audience zones and we never saw them again. A huge difference from aquariums and the 'on display' factor versus entertainment perhaps. (Also, note the HUGE whale tale that is over the entrance to their tanks, gah, LOVE LOVE LOVE)

  

One of my favorite pictures from the entire day. The much anticipated picture that all try to capture. This is who I call Shamu. He's (or possibly she I really don't know) the largest of the three and the only one with his dorsal fin curved, which saddened my heart a bit to see, but there is no pain to my understanding to them, simply due to captivity. Orca whales are truly GIANTS. Now I would say gentle giants of the sea like all my other whale species, however, these guys are the killer whales, and eat much more than fish and krill, thus, although graceful, not exactly gentle in the oceans. What you don't see after this picture is how they slither back into the water, their entire body goes limp and at the moment they look like a huge amount of blubber slowly sinking into the water lifeless, not the prettiest image in  your mind, nor to see, but they've got to get back in the water somehow I guess. Nevertheless, the main attraction by far at Sea World and I was impressed. I do wish I could have gotten up to their tank and really take in their massive size and behaviors. But you are not able to get any closer than this, the image of Free Willy and the tapping of the glass, so not happening here.



Show #3. I love belugas. I could watch the behaviors of a swimming beluga literally all day if given the chance. However, this again is where Sea World differs from aquariums. This is as close as you get to the animals. Unless of course you may additional money for an 'encounter.' From what I could tell they only have the one beluga, which somewhat makes me sad, as these animals are always in pods in the wild, and although have human companions in captivity, at the end of the day, he is swimming by himself. Only making about three appearance throughout the entire show, this picture is where I truly got jealous. I would love to 'ride' these gentle giants. The trainer also got to 'ski' with the beluga by resting her foot on the beluga's melon (the alien looking head part). This show combined more synchronized swimming and acrobatics than the focus on the animals, but once again, entertainment factor and attention span seeking, meets the mark.

Dolphin encounter! This is the second animal you can feed: the bottlenose dolphins! You can buy fish and gently toss the fish into their mouths. Despite being above these creatures height wise, I was still a bit nervous as to how to interact with them, those teeth look intimidating. It was after my last fish that the helper said to us to touch the dolphin first on the nose then give it a fish as a reward. I didn't officially touch one but I did feed them. And with this being the closest you can come to any animal at Sea World, I may have enjoyed this exhibit and experience the most. The songs of the Beach Boys may have helped increase the atmosphere points as well.



At the entrance, yet the last picture of my trip! Since I haven't gone to a larger aquarium (my last one was Shedd back in December) or a theme park in a while, so this was great, despite my disappointments here and there. And do I dare say, I like some heat these days, however 97 degrees and humid may not be ideal. The change of pace for this trip, WAY worth it. Sea World San Diego and Orlando will be on my list.



01 02 18

Escaped. Once Again.

Monthly vacations sounds a bit extreme? Apparently not. Most of the crews I have flown with try and take a trip a month to make the job 'worth it.' Whoa. I was shocked. A pilot I flew with went to Mexico seven times last year. A first officer was headed to Ireland to run a marathon. No big deal. What? What is this lifestyle. Crazy. Baffling. I still use the same words now as I did six months ago. Hard to believe in four days I will have reached the half year mark with this job. Each day is something new, each flight has new faces, each trip let's me see new places. Completely in love with this job.

The month of April brings me to my next escape: SCOTLAND. My best friend, Gina, is the Assistant Director of the Wisconsin in Scotland (WIS) program at the Dalkeith House in Dalkeith, Scotland. About 30 minutes outside Edinburgh. We both stayed at this house three years ago on our International Traveling Classroom (ITC) program and I had an extra two week stay with our free time back in 2009. To say I wanted to go back is an understatement. I dream of going back to Europe. Showing my mom, and new friends and old, where I have traveled, and to relive memories and experiences that have been pushed to the back of my mind.

I ventured across the ocean for a mere five days. But those five days were packed with laughter, conversation, sight seeing, food, drinks, and smells that all confirmed my love for Scotland. This past weekend was much needed. Although I'm gone typically half the week from home, put up in hotels that I get quite used to, I still yearn to hop right back on a plane and see the world when I'm not traveling the country for work. I remember one of my instructors back in October saying there's something about flying that gets in your blood, it's almost like an addiction. Well, I feel it. If I'm home for too long I re-think my job choice at the moment, or get too comfortable being lazy and unproductive. I'd rather be working, surrounded by a great group of co-workers, mostly happy passengers, and my plane - jetsetting across the country. So with five days off, you'd be crazy not to go somewhere. My venture to Scotland seemed quick, but neccesary. And why not visit my best friend while she's there? I only have a six month time frame, so when the time exists, why not?

SCOTLAND

April 11-15, 2012.

This was the midway point to packing. Bringing Gina Mac&Cheese and lemonade packets! If I didn't make it that night on the standby flight, I would have had quite a bit for myself, which I mean, I wouldn't mind, BUT I'd rather be able to hand deliver them to Gina. Thankfully, I caught the flight, and in about 12 hours these would be hers.

I can't believe this. I got to the gate and they already had a seat assignment for me. First class, no less. I have heard from co-workers that when you fly international typically this happens, because Delta doesn't offer upgrades on those flights versus domestic. And this was indeed the case, there were about ten open seats still in first class! I've started writing myself notes on my ipod. Got the idea from Gina. Keeps thoughts fresh in my mind and captures the moments instead of memories per se. So here goes, my first thoughts:

"Well. I got first class. They assigned me a seat almost an hour prior to boarding. I could not believe it. I am in seat 4b.With the letters 'prem' underneath the seat assignment. I didn't even know if it truly was first class because I've never sat up here for a long trip as a passenger. The seats have all sorts of contraptions to play with. I didn't even know there were tvs until the person in front of me pulled his out, it's like being on an alien robotic world up here. There is a comfy squishy pillow on ever seat, and a blanket to go with it. I cuddled the pillow in my arms for take off, I could have drifted off to sleep but I knew I had to stay awake for the food. I got asked what I wanted for dinner. I chose the pan seared sea bass. What in the world. Where am I? I'm used to serving others, not being served on. Oh, and there's no one in the seat next to me so I scooted over to the window to make me feel even more alone and give me space. A snack came: warmed nuts and a glass of blanc white wine. I would have been satisfied with just that! Then the appetizer. Pumpkin soup, couscous, a salad, and a warmed roll with butter. I'm already full, ate spaghetti before I came here tonight on an already quesy stomach, yet I can't say no. I'm taking in the entire experience. It's currently 6am Amsterdam time and I'm having dinner and wine. The soup was so good, I was expecting it to be a cold soup but it was warm. The couscous was cold and I had expected that to warm. Shows what I know. The dipping sauce was a tangy mustard orange flavor. The dressing to the greens a bit too much vinegar but tasty nonetheless. When I was finished with the nuts they whisked away the dish promptly without even me knowing it. Same with the soup and couscous; the plates were gone the minute you finished it. I've never had anything this fancy, and I'm on an airplane soaring 35,000 feet above the world on a B767. As the flight attendant says, "enjoy your dinner, hun" I can't help but be taken aback by all this. How do I, a broke recent college grad get this treatment. This lifestyle. I can't believe it. And add a wonderful pilot I'm dating {cats out of the bag for anyone reading this} and my life is quite surreal at this moment. I  resume my movie, Ides of March my first choice, and now for my entree. And yes, I'll have more bread as you pass by.

The sea bass was a bit fishy. I ate the celery puree and that was it. As I sip my glass of dwindling wine I order a strawberry sundae. I think I just consumed a days worth of calories, and my pants seem to feel like they are bursting at the seams. My sundae arrived, fresh berries and syrup. Looks delicious. Maybe working mainline wouldn't be so bad.

I had the ice cream sundae, only ate about 1/4 of it, was like a frozen cool whip chunk. I wanted a strong vanilla bean. Worth not eating, but that's okay. No more wine, just water. The lights have been turned off, I'm using the blanket and cuddling my pillow. I'd pay just to take this flight there and back to feel like a princess.

As I wake up in the middle of a snooze at 1:32am a light goes on above me as I shift around. Great. I have no idea what I pressed for that nor do I know how to turn the light off. Hmm. Let's figure this out. It's 8:34am Amsterdam time, looks like I'm calling it a sleep in day. Hmm. This isn't so bad.

I wake up to clanking of glasses as flight attendants pass through the cabin. It is now breakfast time already. 4:58am, meaning basically noon Amsterdam time. I got a charlie horse while sleeping when I stretched my leg out, not the greatest feeling to have in the middle of the night on a plane. So now my right calf is sore. My lower back is real sore must have slept on it the wrong way. After a walk to climb Arthur's seat, I'm sure it'll feel better.

Well. I just tried to connect to wifi and seems this plane doesn't have it. Good thing I booked my ticket before I left. However, now I'm confused on how to get a boarding pass and all that. I know they have wifi so maybe my ticket will have gotten emailed to me. Let's hope. Now to drink my orange juice."

"Below me in the water are whatt appears to be windmills. I need to look this up of what they are. I took a picture from the plane and now am so curious to what they are. Must be a Netherlands thing. Must look up where this picture was taken on photo stream as well. I like technology when I actually know how to use it!"

Hello, Amsterdam! I have arrived.

Gina had originally planned an excursion for her students to Deep Sea World and I was excited for that trip, yet I was a bit disappointed when I looked at the website and saw their attraction to the aquarium were sharks. Meh. Gina had changed the day trip to St. Andrews - this way she got to explore a new part of Scotland too! The day was great. Here's St. Andrews University. And yes, this is where William and Kate met. Walking through a university outside of the US was different. For a few minutes that day we admired the fashion trends of the students, we even saw a tour being given for prospective students. And Gina and I stumbled upon the Residence Life office, of course.

Here's a view of the Cathedral from the Castle, along the shores of the North Sea. The weather was crazy, a bit windy for awhile, then tiny hail pellets for awhile, rain droplets, than sunshine. If that didn't happen, it wouldn't be Scotland.

At the castle there was seige tunnel we could go through. Definitly my highlight of the grounds. My love for caves and thus tunnels is extremely high, odd, considering I dislike the dark, but I feel so safe in these types of enclosures. And I wish the tunnel went even further. Not the ideal exploring outfit, but it still got me through!

I love water. And boats. And beaches. And shorelines. And nautical things. And basically a lifestyle that is so different from my own; makes me so curious to lifestyles of others. Well. This city achieved this thought. We passed two gentleman cleaning their boats on a Friday afternoon, stopped at a small fish&chips shop for tea, and ate shortbread by the sea. What a life. To think what is the life of the two surfer guys? Where does the gentleman with the playful dog live? Or do the little munchkins with their rainboots in the sand realize they live in Scotland? I constantly wonder the lives of others. The world is so huge and diverse.

We headed to the aquarium and passed this pagoda looking structure. Reminded me of Sound of Music. With the sunshine coming back out for the day, of course a picture was neccesary. The aquarium was quite tiny, and a meerikat exhibit was a highlight (yet may I remind you, we were at an aquarium?), in addition to seals. I was so pleased we did not pay entrance to this tiny St Andrews place, we simply got lost finding our way to the restroom.

I had wanted to visit Dalkeith when the flowers were blooming. Little did I know all the flowers would be in full bloom. Ivy was growing everywhere, and the blue sky came out to make for a great three days while I was visited. This walk from the bus station to the Dalkeith House will never be forgotten. I love feeling offset brick road beneath my feet as I walk. 

Edinburgh. I can't express enough how much there is to do in such a somewhat small town. I swear, every time I will visit this place in my life, I will see something different.

The castle. I could take a million photos and never get tired of looking at them.

The farmer's market! This was a surprise! Behind the castle, Gina knew of a farmer's market on Saturday's. We bought tea and I got 4 scones for one pound at this persons booth. Quite the steal if you ask me. I couldn't have been more happy with tea and scones. Then we strolled on the path that rounded the castle.

I did indeed find a leather jacket at the charity shops in Dalkeith. I couldn't be more happy with it. I felt that my experience was so complete. No bright white tennis shoes, no sweatshirts, simply an outfit that made me feel Scottish. Add in my redhair and I was quite pleased with myself.

Calton Hill. Where Gina takes all her visitors. The view is amazing. That middle hill - that's what I climbed three years ago. Yet Gina informed me, the hill on the right is actually Arthur's seat, what we thought we were climbing, also nicknamed the 'Lion King' hill. Next time, Edinburgh, I will climb you.

A picture that one of Gina's students took at St Andrews Castle. Gina and I didn't take too many pictures together. Yet, I'm okay with that. The fact that we could either sit in silence together ot talk as we walked new ground was worth it. Because being together was all that mattered. See you soon, Gene.

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