Flying Tomorrow

As many times as I fly, I am still a nervous wreck. I don't know what I am nervous about, and I really have no visions of anything bad happening. It is just this intense feeling of anxiety over nothing in particular. I know that when I am in the air, I will be in the ideal place to relax and think, but the night (or two or three) before, I try to eat, but nothing tastes good, I can't sleep, and all the things that I generally still find passably amusing are tasteless.

I have taken to deep breaths and looking out the window. It is relaxing, so I keep doing it. Perhaps one of these days I will have this under control and it will be the fun it should be.. Perhaps if I weren't transiting 3 countries in a day, things would be a bit different as well!

Finally, a Little Good News

I woke up late this morning after being up very late last night. I did my morning ritual of checking my email, and saw one from my job (which I technically separate from today) marked "URGENT". As I have been having pay issues, I was a little worried as to what might be in this email.

The email told me to call them as they had something important to tell me. This normally means bad news. Filled with apprehension, I called. The person told me that part of the problem with my pay had been that the payroll office hadn't imputed my travel compensation time. They had managed to fix that, and I should see the results early next month. Unfortunately, this is the only problem they have solved up to now.

So, for now, I will be happy with this and 'patiently' wait until the rest of the mess is figured out. If they still expect them to pay even more than they have already taken from me when they shouldn't have taken it from me to begin with, I am not sure what I will do. I have to wait for the results until I can even begin to figure out what to do about it.

And This to Shall Pass....

Well, as my time in Mexico starts to wind down, I am thinking more and more about my next step. I received word from the job I was really hoping for that they couldn't open my attachments. I resent the attachment, but they had already filled the position. At least my resume will stay on file.

I have heard once again, in a cc, from the Saudi position. The contract agent still hasn't heard from the company, which is why I haven't heard back from them. Perhaps that is still in my future, just a little later than expected. I will wait for that and the other positions I have applied to. Maybe none of them will materialize, and I will have to find something a bit out of the ordinary. That would be alright as well, though  a bit on the scary side.

I am still dealing with pay issues from my last job as well. I have requested a pay audit to see if things will get straightened out that way. As long as I don't end up having to pay more than they already took from me, I will almost count that as a success!

I guess for now I will just have to trust that things will turn out well and wait until they do!

Ramen and Wine.

What is better to have for lunch than Ramen noodles and red wine? That is what I decided to have today. At 3:30pm I poured myself a glass of red wine, poured my ramen soup in a bowl, and sat at the couch to divide my attention between the cooking show on Fox Life and the beautiful ocean view I have from my current living room.

Perhaps this relaxation activity is what vacation really should be about. There is no stress to get things done, no one telling you that white wine would be better with the chicken flavored ramen, and absolutely no pressure of people staring at you because you, as usual, just don't fit in. Perhaps it will also be educational as cooking shows can have numerous tips that could be incorporated in future actions. Perhaps I will even go somewhere and take a cooking class!!

In addition to the rather mundane exercises in relaxation, I also decide to start another, perhaps more appropriate, blog. You can find this blog at http://travelwithfear.wordpress.com/ . This is going to be a more travel related blog that discusses the issues I have with the things I do. It combines the idea of fear and travel and how one does not preclude the other. This is something that, believe it or not, is very close to my heart.

I think the rest of the day, and perhaps the rest of the weekend is going to be as equally unproductive as this morning and early afternoon has been. I will attempt to not feel guilty about it! I wish you all a great weekend!!

Breakfast Mission Accomplished!

The room at the Ramada Airport Hotel, which I booked with points, was pretty nice. Unfortunately we couldn't stick around for the free breakfast, but I did make some of the bad hotel room coffee before we left.  I didn't really sleep all that well, but I still managed to function well enough to get to the airport, wait for my friend to check her bag, and then head to Krispi Kreme for the classic glazed doughnut that my mouth has been unknowingly waiting for for many years!

In addition to the lovely, not quite hot, doughnut I purchased an English Breakfast Tea Latte from Starbucks. While it was alright, I would definitely not recommend this to people. I think I am just going to stick to coffees of the day from now on!

The Aeromexico Premier Lounge was a bust! As we had not yet been assigned to a gate, we decided to go to the lounge to see if they would let us in. Unfortunately, the person I spoke with did not seem to informed about the rules of entry or how to read the boarding pass that gave her all the information that she needed (and had proceeded to ask me). I read the rules before I went to the airport to be sure I knew what they were, and according to them, I should have been allowed in. Unfortunately, the woman at the door did not feel this way. We left and did some walking around while we waited for the gate to be assigned.

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta with high hopes. We had finished two things on our list of things to do today: get Krispi Kreme and get Starbucks. The only thing left was to go to the drop our clothes off at the laundromat. Unfortunately, being Sunday, it was not open, but we considered it a victory anyway because we actually went to attempt to do it!! 

Mexico City Airport Surprise!

This is the week my friend whom I haven't seen since my time in Iraq comes to visit! With proper excitement, I decide to meet her at the airport in Mexico City where she has a 21 hour layover... or whatever you want to call something like that. I diligently don't sleep, and leave the apartment in Puerto Vallarta around 4:30am to get to the airport on time to meet her.

My arrival to Mexico City is 3 hours before hers. To keep myself occupied, after figuring out that exiting with my luggage doesn't really mean exiting the building, I walk in the large area with shops, hotel representatives, restaurants, and rental car booths. Among these is a prominently placed Starbucks (right next to the Carls Jr.!). I know anything I decide to get there will be on the expensive side because it is at an airport, but I didn't eat breakfast, and I could really use a coffee!

I enter slowly. I don't want to spend any of my cash as I know I am going to need it later, and I am not sure I am going to be able to get any more. Then I notice a sign. It is something talking about the Starbucks reward card!! Previously I have been told it doesn't work outside of the US, but when I ask about it, sure enough, they take it! I purchased my slightly over priced over-priced coffee and go upstairs to the ticketing level to see what is there.

As I am walking, I notice a long line. When I look up to see what they are lining up for, I can hardly believe my eyes: it's Krispy Kreme! While I did not wish to wait in such a line today for a nice, hot doughnut, my friend and I probably will tomorrow. There is just something about an occasional bad for you breakfast that does something...

and perhaps I will attempt to get into the Aeromexico Lounge as well :) More on that as the situation develops. 

Water Taxis

Yesterday I managed to finally meet up with my friend and her family. Being the introvert that I am, I was a bit out of my element, especially since she wasn't too forthright in telling me who all the people were! Still, when she called and asked if I wanted to go to the beach with her and "her mother's family," I gladly said yes.

When she said "go to the beach" I was not anticipating getting into a boat and traveling out into the ocean to an island where we would eat at a medium priced restaurant. These water taxis are your normal small boats with a motor at the back that I would have road in to go fishing in the lake when I was younger. The trip over was relatively calm and smooth.

The island also presented no problem until the check came. The family did not want to pay the tip, and my friend was visibly upset by the discussion that was taking place. I just took deep breaths and tried to stay out of the way. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, and I think perhaps at this point, it was probably better that way.

The trip back was a nightmare! The boat, which appeared to be the same one, didn't seem to handle all the people quite as well as it did on the way over. It tilted to one side and was definitely back heavy as well. Every wave felt as if it would turn the boat over, and it was a bit rough that evening, so there were a lot of them. I was extremely thankful to make it back to shore again. All in all, a great day, but I don't think I will want to do it again anytime soon. 

HNL to PVR!

First one way, then the other. Isn't it amazing how this life works! The time in Hawaii was great,  as I have previously stated, and the travel back was much better than the travel there. The biggest reason was that I decided to finally use some of my hard earned miles to purchase a year membership to the SkyClub Lounge.  I have been in them previously and found them to be worth the $25 I payed for the day-pass with my Delta American Express. But a year's membership?

I am so glad that I did it! First of all, there is no free wifi at the airport in Honolulu, so this allowed me to have access to be able to chat and get some work accomplished. Then there were the free snacks and drinks. With the cost of food at the airport, these little tidbits were just what the doctor ordered! And while the crowd in Honolulu wasn't quite so bad, having access at LAX was wonderful! I had a four hour lay-over and being in a place that was quiet, and had an assortment of breakfast food available, allowed me to catch a nap before making my way to the plane that would take me to Puerto Vallarta!

I am not sure if I would get the value out of it if I had paid the monetary price or not, but I am going to find out! I will use it whenever I fly and do the research that will really tell me how often I have to use it to personally feel like I get the complete value out of it. I am inclined to think, however, that just for the drink and relaxation factor alone, it just might be....

Meeting Up in Hawaii

A Russian who has found a way to make the Big Island her home. She is an extremely hard worker who plays even harder! She has found a way to enjoy life, and has allowed the island to enter her blood and take hold. Will she ever really leave? Perhaps for vacation, but maybe for nothing else.

I met this woman while I was in Peru. Her sister, her, and I hiked up Machu Picchu and explored Cuzco together. I had arrived there a bit before her, and I took it upon myself to show her around. This time she returned the favor and then some! The food, the tour of the UH-Hilo campus, and the performance up near the ocean with the lava fields were all things that helped me actually feel that I was finally on vacation. Perhaps I can keep that feeling for some time longer.

A Georgian whom I had met during my time at school here. We met up for a sandwich and conversation. There was a lot of catching up that needed to be done for this immigrant who has started his own business and has run the Georgian-American cultural committee (or something like that). Very intelligent, he was where I went when I had cultural questions during my time in Georgia. He also took me to the airport. This was definitely not necessary, but I appreciated it.

A woman from Taiwan. I hadn't really kept in touch, though I had been kept updated through Facebook. She married an Italian and now has a baby. It was interesting to hear her story and all that was happening in her life.

Someone from high school. I didn't realize that this person was here when I was previously, but I knew he was here now. We met up on numerous occasions for dinner, just to converse, and he also allowed me to spend my first night on his floor. I was able to meet his Japanese wife and hear all about what has been going on in their lives. It was odd talking with someone I hadn't seen since 1997, but very interesting as well! I say bring on more of it!

The faculty was also great to see again. Perhaps I will be able to come back again sometime. It is difficult to come out to Hawaii, but when you get here there are ways to cut costs. I will have to work on that for later!

From Puerto Vallarta to Honolulu!

The day started very early, about 4am! I wasn't really ready for breakfast after only about 2 hours of sleep, but I had a couple of bananas, gathered my things and walked out the door! While not entirely sure, I had read somewhere that the buses didn't start running until 5:00am. That would be just about the right time, but I had to make sure to keep an eye out for taxis as well, just in case!

I started walking and waiting; I find it much easier to wait while I am doing something... something like walking..absolutely strange, I know, but such is life. As  I was going, I noticed just how easy it would be to get a taxi: they were absolutely everywhere! Armed with the knowledge of approximate price, I hailed one... and then another, and then another. The third or fourth one finally stopped! He wanted to charge me 100 pesos which is a full 20 pesos more than I was told it should cost (on the high end). So, I refused and kept walking. A few minutes later, the same taxi stopped and offered to take me for 'only' 80 pesos. Of course I accepted. When we finally arrived, I payed him 90 pesos. I wasn't going to, but it was the easiest thing to do.

No one was working yet, so I could relax a bit before I checked in. The flight itself was wonderful. The seats had individual screens with USB charging ports. They were comfortable, and the flight was not very long. I was flying from Puerto Vallarta to Mexico City where I would transfer for a flight to Los Angeles. This particular plane was going to continue on to New York City after the stop-over; I almost decided just to continue on to New York along with it!

The flight went smoothly, and just as we touched down, my overhead bin, out of extreme courtesy decides to open for me. Perhaps this wasn't such a good thing, but it seemed helpful at the time! It made up for the rather odd treatment at the priority screening line in Los Angeles. They sent me through the regular line right after allowing another to go through the priority line. Normally this wouldn't have bothered me, and it really didn't this time either, but the airport is really poorly set up. I flew into Terminal 2 from Mexico City, but I had to leave from Terminal 5. I didn't know at first, but there is no way to get there short of exiting Terminal 2 and walking around the outside of the airport until one arrives to Terminal 5. It seemed to take forever, and I had a very limited time after having spent a half an hour going through customs and immigration (which is currently another bone of contention with me).  I did make it, however, and I got to fly 1st class from both Mexico and Los Angeles!

Nacho Mayhem!

Well, it appears that I purchased way too many tortillas! I am just not good at that whole weights and measures thing, and it was easier just to ask for what he had just put on the scale than try to figure out how much I would actually need!

The tacos El Dorada I made with them turned out quite nice, but then I made the fatal mistake of putting the tortillas in the refrigerator! Apparently this is not quite an issue if you have an oven of some sort (microwave or conventional), but as I do not, this turned out to be the end of my taco making possibilities with these particular tortillas. At a loss for what to do, I left them out over night to see if that would help.

Of course it didn't seem to, at least not much. I decided on the spur of the moment to attempt to just turn them into chips! Nachos Jason style!! Not having most of what one should probably have (ie knowledge, equipment), I proceeded with reckless abandon. I managed to get oil everywhere, burn the index and middle fingers on both of my hands, and end up with rather bland chips. I could have added salt but didn't think about that until after I was finished, and a bit of lime would have really perked things up as well.

Almost ready to eat!

My nachos waiting for additions!

My Time Grows Short!

I am back in Puerto Vallarta after my week-long stay in Colorado. While I have until the end of May before I leave for good, I will first spend next week in Hawaii. I will get to meet up with a friend I haven't seen in ages, and hopefully not fail the test I have to go there to take. People see all of these places as wonderful escapes from reality, but they are only that if you are going to escape from reality. For me, they are more of what haunts me on a day to day basis!

Returning to PV was good in some ways, but very difficult in others. The weather cooled down a little, which I was grateful for, but it felt as if I had to start over with everything I was doing. At least the apartment provided a bit of familiarity. The influx of new assignments made for a bit of an overload as well. I am still not sure I am cut out for this; perhaps I should just have quit last quarter and called it good. This may be the last one anyway, so I guess I will wait and see what happens.

I did decide to eliminate part of my load. I hated to do it, but I think it was for the best. I can now focus solely on my online classes and not have to worry about my day being taken up by other things. Unfortunately this makes them harder to get to! I guess I just need to get on the ball and get them done!