Just a Talk

January 29, 2012 by · 1 Comment

I didn’t really write much yesterday…so it’s been almost two days since I’ve shared any deep thoughts.

Confession? I was dying to sit down and write tonight, even if it IS closer to 11 pm than it is to 10. 😉

I’m having my post workout bowl of oatmeal with chocolate chips, finishing off a diet coke…and dying for a chat with you all. I think it’s funny (and ironic?) that though last Tuesday is long past, I still want to write every day.

I think I could be certifiably nuts.

But, as a side note, you really should put chocolate chips in your oatmeal. It takes away the need to add sugar and makes the really, really healthy, grainy stuff I eat (’cause it has a ton of protein) taste WAY better.

Now I’ll quit talking about oatmeal ’cause, chances are, you really don’t care. :)

Though you might care about the chocolate chips.

I do. 😉

Andre is lying at my feet…and it’s moments like this that I soak up.

I so rarely have cuddle time with him withOUT Sammy. He is still the sweetest, happiest dog in the world…and I find myself wondering where the last 8 1/2 years went. I know it’s the inevitable when you get a pet, but at the same time, I think every pet owner always wishes they could be the one exception. He’s wonderful. And healthy…and while there are no signs of him even slowing down, it still makes me sad to think that he’s getting older.

Ok, enough of that. I do NOT need to cry at 11 pm.

So I’ve unofficially committed myself to a 10-mile race in May.

YIKES.

That’ s a loooooooot of running.

So far I’ve talked two friends into joining me, and I think it will be good. (aka: I won’t die.) I’m planning to do a half in June, so really, it’s perfect timing.

And the fun part? I get to write about it after!

Yeah, I know I’m dork.

I’ll just admit that yes, I find JOY in running and writing.

Could I get any dorkier

?

Don’t answer that. 😉

Unfortunately my training needs to start for that race sooner rather than later. I should probably make a plan, oh, tomorrow. I am a teeny bit excited. :)

We leave for Spain five weeks from Tuesday. I haven’t booked hotels. I still tear up when I think of leaving Mae. I have no shorts that fit. (Very true.) We don’t have rides to the airport yet. (Anyone? Anyone? ;)) It feels surreal.

But at the same time, it feels good. Tobin and I have needed to do this for awhile. Not necessarily go to EUROPE…but take some time to invest in us. In all honesty, we’ve spent most of our anniversaries traveling between here and Indo or moving…I think six out of nine.

We always said we’d do something big for our 10th…and here it is!

So as uncertain as I am about a few details, I have to remind myself that some of the crazy trips we’ve taken in the past have left us with some of the best memories we have as a couple. No marriage is perfect, and we’ll be the first to tell you we’ve had our challenges. And nine day trips to Europe don’t fix things.

But they do give intentional time to focus on the relationship. And the good stuff.

There’s SO MUCH good. And I’m really thankful for that.

And now that I’ve spilled my heart about pretty much everything…

Go have some oatmeal.

And don’t forget the chocolate chips. 😉

G’nite, friends.

Sig

Filed Under: just life, running, travel, where I am, writing

No Coffee…Just Diet Coke

January 12, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Golly gee, I’m tired.

I shoveled snow today for the first time in, oh I don’t know, my LIFE.

Kidding, kidding. It’s just been quite awhile. See, I have a hubby who usually does all that kind of stuff…and there w as

no way I was allowing him to attempt shoveling, though I’m sure if I hadn’t done it, he would have eventually. But he really needs to rest his arm, and we both know it.

So, enter Meanie Mel, who will be enforcing doctor’s orders for the next week. Trust me, I can be one stubborn, hotheaded woman if I have to be. (Ask Tobin next Friday if he’s sick of me yet.

Better yet, ask him tomorrow.

;))

So I decided that tonight I’ll have a step closer to a coffee date with you all and drink Diet Coke while I chat. If we’re being honest, there’s been far too much of it flowing through my veins lately, and I know a certain reader of my blog who has given up pop for the year.

So I won’t rub it in too much that I’m drinking SODA. Mmmmm….

Ok, enough. Really. :)

It was a really good day. I love Thursdays. Wonderful Bible study. Good chat with friends.

Lunch out and time at the mall play place…and for once it wasn’ t overcrowded wi

th kids. Home for Mae’s nap and time to get a few things done.

And you may have heard that we are finally getting some snow in this part of the country. Thankfully God decided to send us a real snowstorm…because I find 1-2 inches just. plain. annoying. Enough to slick up the roads and bring out the less-than-bright in so many drivers, but not enough to actually play in or build a snow sculpture of the Eiffel Tower or whatever.

Yeah, can you tell what’s on my mind?

I spent a fair amount of time tonight attempting to find hotels for our trip. I am thoroughly annoyed with the fact that our excursion to one of my top three dream locations EVER is complicating plans. Let’s just say it’s hard to book a hotel in Tangiers when we’re not exactly sure we’ll be able to go on the days we want. So I’m debating whether to book…and trust that it’ll work out. Or to book just our first night somewhere and hope that there will be open rooms for the rest of the nights.

This is the part of trip planning that I don’t enjoy. And yet, I’m really trying to focus on the fun.

We get to take a pretty cool trip for our 10th! And, it’s alone time for us…which we really need. It’ll all work out, even if we have no hotel room and

have to sleep on the beach. 😉 More money to spend on purses in Morocco that way.

I read a fabulous blog post here that just made me smile. I love her writing style…and this particular topic hit close to home. Please click over and read…I promise you it’s worth your time.

And I love that she wrote about laundry because, well, I can relate.

Says Mel, 20 minutes after starting the first of four loads for the night.

So I had kind of an aha!

moment in the waiting room yesterday.

At the time it seemed so pressing to share it with you all, but today, I actually feel the need to process a little more. So you’ll have to wait another day or two.

Hope your Thursday was wonderful…mine was. Completely. :)

G’nite!

Sig

Filed Under: friends, just life, travel, where I am

Gotta Blog, Gotta Blog, Gotta Blog Blog Blog…

January 9, 2012 by · 1 Comment

I let myself get tot ally

distracted by things all day today.

Making jewelry (more on that later…), playing with Mae (though I’d hardly call her a distraction…), working out, ordering pictures.

Pretty much anything but blogging.

I feel kinda bad, but then I thought, wow, it’s been awhile since we’ve had virtual coffee.

Except it’s way too late for coffee so I’ll sw allow the l

ast of my post-workout glass of water and chat with you a bit. K? :)

So Tobin’s having surgery on Wednesday morning on his wrist. I think we’re both a little nervous but, honestly, more ready for this thing to be done. If you think of him, please keep him in your prayers. Surgery is at 11 a.m. And if you’re not doing anything from 11-1, shoot me a text or give me a call. I’m going to need something to keep me from worrying so much.

At least I’ll have my Kindle to keep me busy.

I’m reading Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. And though it’s good, it didn’t suck me in like the first book did.

(Ahem…the book I read until 2 a.m. Yeah, that one. ;)) And I started The Art of Racing in the Rain, and if I can just get past the fact that the dog is dying, I know I’ll enjoy it.

Several of you have told me I will.

:)

What’s on your reading list? Any recommendations?

So Tobin and I were finally able to finish our bedroom. (aka: buy bedroom furniture, hang things on the walls, that kind of thing…) It’s almost done…and I love it. Pics to come. 😀 Next up? The front living room, from which I’m currently blogging. I decided on dark blue for three of the walls with the tv wall painted cream. Then we’ll hang our two flower paintings from Bali on one of the walls. I love finally having a plan for the purpleish room that has driven me crazy since the day we moved in. :)

Another plan I have? Is to declutter this place.

I decided that if it’s in our house and we haven’t used it in the last year and a half, we don’t need it. Enough said. I have a feeling that cleaning this place out and donating a good chunk of our things is going to be liberating. And I’ll be able to walk through the basement without tripping over anything. 😉

This past weekend was a happy one. It was our church’s Cantata, and I love that it happens after Christmas. It kinda gives us all an excuse to sing Christmas music into the first week of January. Anyway, it was a blessing…and the music was really fun to sing. And when it was over, I was kinda like, Awwwww…can we do it again

? Not sure two certain people would share those same emotions…but yeah. It was really good.

So I wrote a little last week about our anniversary trip.

Long story short, Tobin and I have had a bunch of frequent flyer miles just sitting there from the multiple trips we’d made between the States and Indonesia during summers. If the trend continues as it has in the past two years, we figured that the longer we let those miles sit there, the less value they’d have over time.

Plus 2012 is our 10th so we figured we should just look.

I mean, what’s the harm in that, right? :)

We had a few different places on our list: Rio de Janiero, Hawaii, London…and in the end stayed true to form and went with the craziest of all…Spain, Morocco, and Paris, all in nine days. (Paris was an added bonus that came up as we were planning with the ticket agent.) And I’ll talk more about the trip later…it seems so surreal right now.

Well, since it’s so close to midnight and I haven’t yet pushed the publish button, I should probably end this. Maybe tomorrow we’ll have real coffee. That is, if I blog before 10 p.m.

Love you all.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: just life, random, travel

Hee HEE!

January 5, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

That was the virtual sound of me…letting out a giggle with a high-pitched squeal at the end.

And it really happened… ask my hubby.

😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

And those are a bunch of really big smiley faces.

‘ Cause Tobin and I booked our early-10th-anniversary trip tonight!

I can’ t wai

t to dip my toes in the Mediterranean.

Eat some paella. See how much Spanish is actually still in my bra

in. Explore Morocco. (And shop for bags??? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know Mel will come home with at least one!) Take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Can’t wait to make  more memories with my love.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, marriage, Tobin, travel

30 Days of Thanks, Day 15: Adventure

November 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I am truly thankful for adventure…

The kind that makes my heart pump so fast I didn’t know it was possible to beat at that rate. The kind that fills me with terror and thrill at the same time.

The kind that makes my heart ache…and rejoice at the same time.

I’ve talked a lot about my travels on this blog.

Tobin and I are very passionate about seeing the world and not only seeing it but changing it as well.

But I rarely talk about the trip that started it all…the one that made my heart burst with love and bleed with pain.

When I was in college, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Peru with some friends.

I saw it as an adventure…a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a corner of the world I’d probably never have the chance to experience again.

I had no idea that this adventure would be life-changing in so many ways.

I left for Peru early on a Saturday morning with five friends. After a long layover in Dallas, we flew overnight, landing in Lima around 5:00 a.m., just in time to catch an in-country flight to Iquitos, where we were met by several missionaries who drove us to our home for three weeks.

A houseboat.

Yes, you read that right.

We stayed on a two story houseboat during our time there. It was SO cool!

Pardon my immaturity.

:)

We spent the first week in the city of Iquitos, making connections, visiting schools, talking to students, and possibly my favorite…hanging out with streetkids.

Eladio was one of my favorites.

He had a sweet smile that hid the pain in his eyes.

I could tell he wanted nothing more than to just be loved.

I never knew his entire story, I never asked. We just took the chances we had to love him…to buy him extra food when we could and to let him shine our shoes…to the point of ruin. (Really…though it took me years to throw those sandals away.)

Our last two weeks were spent traveling on the Amazon River, visiting villages, sharing songs, stories, leading a week-long VBS, and most importantly…learning to open up and let these people see Jesus.

My heart broke to see such poverty…but rejoiced in knowing that so many of these people knew the Father and that while their earthly possessions were few, they truly had everything they needed.

It was hard to go.

It was hard to see this come to an end, to leave it behind when there was so much left to do. To wonder why I was leaving this place I loved to return to the land of plenty…which I didn’t want.

Eventually some of those feelings have faded into the background, and we’ve been on many adventures since the time I spent in Peru. I’ve seen pieces of the world that make me smile…and pieces that make me cry. Parts that are memorable and parts I’ d like to forget.

That adventure in Peru…led to many more.

And my life motto,

Attitude: The Difference Between Ordeal and Adventure

still rings true.

No matter where Tob in and I go, we choose to f

ind the adventure in it.

Thank you, God, for adventures.

Sig

Filed Under: 30 Days of Thanks, adventures, remembering, travel

Flashback…Thursday?

October 27, 2011 by · 4 Comments

I was chatting with a friend today and remembered that we had this.

To be honest, it’s kind of embarrassing and yet, at the same time, a wonderful memory.

I am hugely pregnant,  SO not a beautiful pregnant woman at all, AND I talk about sweat running down my nose.

Trust me, if you had been there, you would have had sweat running down your nose, too. 😉

But I love it anyway.

So, ignore the weirdness that we are, and enjoy the beautiful beach and Maelie’s first “trip” to Bali. :)

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, Indonesia, just life, Maelie, travel

The Great Schroeder Adventure…Day 8

September 18, 2011 by · 1 Comment

We left Mississippi today around 1:30 p.m.

It was a great trip, and we’re thankful for the time we could spend catching up with friends.

Like I’ve said many times before, often on our trips half of the adventure is getting there…or going home, in our case today.

The adventures just kept coming.

First up? I have always wanted to try one of these out…they obviously entered Americ a when I was out of the country, and today there was one IN a clean bathroom, WITH working straps. So, after Maelie had her diaper changed, she got to try this out.

Yes, it’s cute. Even more so, it’s complete genius. This mommy thanks the inventor of…whatever it’s called. 😉

Then…at the same travel plaza, no less, THIS!

64 oz. of create-your-own caffeinated glory. Vanilla Coke Zero was our choice today.
Six hours later I’m still workin’ on it, though it is almost gone. Mmmmmm…

Then, the Cutie totally fell asleep. She has been quite anti-nap this entire trip.) But I couldn’t resist taking this picture, and I know you won’t be able to resist ooohing and aaahing over the adorableness oozing all over the place.

We stopped at Fazoli’s for dinner, and Maelie got a free kids’ meal, which we totally did not plan. I love happy surprises like that! In the first picture, she looks so stinkin’ cute in her I-am-SOOOO-ready-for-this-Italian-feast bib…which she ripped off two minutes later.

But you can see from this shot that the lasagna was a hit. :)

Then we drove more and found a hotel. Just as a side note, we splurged in St. Louis. This? Was a coupon-special, right-off-the-freeway, cheap find. It’s not half bad for being all that. And the best part is, Maelie doesn’t care. She loves, loves, LOVES hotel rooms. Already.

And having cuddle times with daddy.

I wonder what adventures tomorrow will bring. :)

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, just life, Maelie, The Great Schroeder Adventure, Tobin, travel

De-cluttering

August 8, 2011 by · 3 Comments

Ok, so my goal when I woke up this morning was not to de-clutter my life. Really, I promise.

That’s mostly because I hate to clean.

But last night, something made me sad.

See this?

e=”DSC_3945″ src=”http://barefootmel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DSC_3945-300×200.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”200″ />

Tobin and I bought this little travel cribbage board at a tiny beach shop in Santa Barbara, CA, on our first anniversary trip. We both liked to play and only had a bigger board that really shouldn’t be hauled everywhere we went.

We paid around $4 for it, put our initials on the back of it, and had

Absolutely. No. Idea.

the history that this tiny, $4 board would make.

We took it all over the world with us.

That cribbage board has been in more Starbucks than you have, probably. :) It’s been on the sand of Camps Bay Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. We always took it with us to a little, tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant on Jl.

Cimbeleuit close to our first house in Indo where we’d go for noodles, strawberry juice, and fried ice cream. We played it in a little cafe in Amsterdam that served probably the best pastry I’ve ever had in my life. It’s been in countless airports (oh, wait I counted them!) as we passed hours upon hours of waiting for flights. It’s been the cause of a few arguments when one of us whomped the other in a skunked game.

It’s even made its rounds during the last year here in Illinois…during those first lonely weekends when we just had each other, we’d go find a Starbucks or Caribou and play cribbage while Mae napped.

It’s special. It’s a piece of us…and last night, we realized it was gone.

And while it’s just a thing, losing it hurt.

More than we admitted to each other.

Our first reaction was…it’s almost like this is, strangely, the way it should be. After being a “friend” as we traveled the globe, it figures that we’d lose it the week after we bought a house!

Our only inkling of where it might be was possibly in one of my purses.

Which is really not helpful if you know how often I switch the bag I’m carrying. But after looking everywhere ELSE, I knew what I needed to do.

Clean out the purse closet.

Glory be…you really have no idea the task that I undertook when I started this today.

I will not show you any pictures.

I will not tell you how many purses I cleaned out.

I will not even tell you about the things I found in some of them because…and I was joking about this with a friend through texting tonight…I think I might need therapy after the rawness of my emotions at seeing some of the things that had found their way into the hidden nooks in those bags.

Some of those things had me in tears, especially the goodbye notes I found from friends when I left Indonesia. (Definitely worth finding…but, nothing like a good cry.)

I cleaned purse after

purse, bag after bag.

I made three piles

: the I-don’t-care pile; the I-care-enough-to-give-away-to-someone-I-love pile, and the either I-use-and-or-like-this-bag  or I’m-not-ready-to-sever-the-emotional-ties-with-this-bag pile. The last pile is the one that is still hanging in the newly cleaned purse closet. :)

And you’ll be happy to know that the first two piles make up at least half of my former bag/purse collection.

Friends, we are making progress.

So, if you need a bag/purse and have an idea what you want, chances are I probably have it and am willing to give it to you. Seriously. :)

And part of me knows that I’m really not done sorting through all of my purses. I just can’t get rid of them all at once…but it is a start.

And I’ll take it.

Oh, and I almost forgot.

I found the cribbage board. In the

Very. Last. Purse.

😀

Sig

Filed Under: Indonesia, just life, travel

10 Indonesian Adventures

March 4, 2011 by · 4 Comments

Time for another top 10 post.

:)

So, I bring you…10 Indonesian adventures

I will never forget. (Pardon me in advance if some of these are TMI. I had some solicited help from a certain someone in my house. :)) Oh, and I didn’t even attempt to number these in any particular order. Tobin said it best…they were all adventures for their own reasons.

And even though some of them weren’t fun at the time, I smile now. :)

10. Using a Squatty Potty. Some would argue that this

is an actual adventure.

I beg to differ…seeing as the first time made me cry. I will spare you the details, only to tell

you that I eventually figured it out and came to the point where I preferred them over regular toilets.

9. Surfing at Kuta Beach. Surfing was always on my Bucket List but kind of one of those things I was afraid to try. But in April 2007, I took a trip to Bali with some friends…and somehow I found the guts to go out, find a surf instructor, and rent a board. Not only did I stand up on the board and actually ride it to shore, I was hooked immediately. I still love to surf…I just need an ocean now. :)

8. Bukit Lawang. In 2007 I took a trip with some friends to Bukit Lawang in the jungles of Sumatra.

We went on an eight hour hike to see the orangutans in the preserve there and went white water “rafting”…in a raft made of a bunch of rubber inner tubes. It was fun…not necessarily something I’d do again but something everyone should do once if they get a chance. And the orangutans were pretty cool. :)

7. Being Jane. And while I was on the above trip

? I. just. had. to. be. Jane. Just once. I had always w anted to swing on

a vine, and our guide, though he thought I was crazy, very nicely went out and found me the perfect swinging apparatus.

6. Eating Octopus. While we were in Indonesia, Tobin and I loved eating sushi. (Because there, we could afford it!) We went with some friends to celebrate Tobin’s 30th birthday, and one of them pulled a plate of baby octopuses (octopi?) from the conveyer belt that went by the tables. I have to admit that I was really grossed out but eventually ate it. But really, only for bragging rights. :) Not something I’d eat again. (I can’t believe how long my hair is in this pic, either!)

5. Taking the Ferry to Singapore. This was an adventure in the worst way possible. Now, I can look back on this particular day and smile. Then? I thought I might die. Anyway, in an effort to save some money, we decided to take the ferry from Batam to Singapore before flying on to Thailand for our Christmas break.

No one warned me about what happens to people on a ferry who get extremely motion sick. Imagine…the most excruciating 60 minutes of your life spent heaving into a garbage can. While the boat goes up and down. And up and down. And up…and down. While all 200+ people in the room watched the extremely sick white girl, wondering if they should take pictures. (Some probably did.) Yeah. I was so sick that once I got off the boat? I laid down on the floor until the line for immigration was shorter. Worst morning EVER. (Oh, and quite obviously, this picture was taken BEFORE the ferry left.)

4. Climbing the Steps of Borobudur.

This was another item on my Bucket List. I couldn’t wait to see Borobudur, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved it…loved it…loved it. I want to go back again.

Anyone for a trip to Indonesi

a?

3. Driving to the Beach. I did not take pictures of this. It is not worth remembering although I am extremely unlikely to forget it. I still have images of the many bus cepat…fast buses…speeding toward us. Each time I was sure we would be crushed…thankfully, each time I was wrong.

In general, drives to the beach were long and slow. One beach was 200 km from where we lived.

(I just made up that number, but I think it’s about right.) That equals about 124 miles…which took us anywhere from 6-8 hours.

Yeah, it was that slow. And full of dodging buses, trucks, motorbikes, carts, and pedestrians. Bonus points to my hubby for keeping us all alive on such trips.

2. Motorbike + Tidal Wave. You can read the full account here. It’s a good one. Let’s just say that for the three years we drove in Indonesia, we had a knack for getting caught in the rain more times than we can possibly count. And one time during our first year, we met a bus. Bus + two bules on motorbike + monstrous puddle = two very wet people + bus full of laughing passengers. Oh, memories.

1. Hiking Tangkuban Parahu in Flip Flops. One time when a friend was visiting, we decided to take her to the volcano about 45 minutes from our house. It was kind of a rainy, cold day there and we figured we’d just go, look around, take some pictures, and then head to the hot springs, which was the real reason we went up there in the first place. :) However, once we got there, we decided that we should hire a guide to show us around. We thought? That he would take us around the rim, point out a few things, and we’d be done.

Oh, no. Not at all. He took us on a “hike” down to the bottom of the volcano. We were all wearing flip flops. It was wet and muddy. And cold…well, cold for Indonesia. And the best part? We had to hike back up to the top…which re ally is

a story for another day. Now I can say I’ve hiked a volcano in flip flops. More bragging rights. :)

I heart adventures.

So thankful for the memories.

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, culture shock, Indonesia, remembering, Top 10, travel

Airports

February 26, 2011 by · 3 Comments

I love my husband.

I’m fighting a cold, going on

half speed, and my brain is so. very. tired.

So I asked him to give me a word to blog about.

He typed in random word lists into Google…and came up with “airports”.

Interesting choice.

And, it works.

I’ve been all over the world…so why not tell you about all the airports I’ve been in

? And if there’s something particularly memorable, I’ll say it, too.

And I’ll even include the airport codes, for those of you who love to be intellectually stimulated. :)

Enjoy, potentially, the most random post ever!

Africa

  • CPT – Cape Town International Airport; Cape Town, South Africa. Good Italian food…and one really late night there.

Asia

  • CGK – Soekarno Hatta International Airport; Jakarta, Indonesia. Thankfully it had a Starbucks.

  • BDO – Husein Sastranegara Airport; Bandung, Indonesia.
  • MES – Polonia Airport; Medan, Indonesia.
  • SUB – Juanda Airport; Surabaya, Indonesia.
  • DPS – Ngurah Rai International Airport; Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia. Ditto…Starbucks. :)
  • BTH – Hang Nadim Airport; Batam, Indonesia.
  • MLG – Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport; Malang, Indonesia. Sitting on the floor (and killing a roach) while playing cards for three hours and waiting for a very delayed flight back to Jakarta. No Starbucks there.
  • SIN – Changi Airport; Singapore. Many in-transit nights spent in the lounge. McDonald’s breakfast at 3 a.m. After a year without it? Enough said.
  • KUL – Kuala Lumpur International Airport; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • BKK – Suvarnabhumi International Airport; Bangkok, Thailand. Mango sticky rice and Amazing Race moments.
  • CNX – Chiang Mai International Airport; Chiang Mai, Thailand.
  • HKT – Phuket International Aiport; Phuket, Thailand.
  • HKG – Hong Kong International Airport; Hong Kong. Really good chocolate…which I so needed after a 14 hour flight from LA. :)
  • NRT – Narita International Airport; Tokyo, Japan. Not my favorite place to spend anticipating a long flight back to Minneapolis. Cool toilets with too many buttons that I was afraid to push for fear of what might happen.

    :)

  • ICN – Incheon International Airport; Seoul, South Korea.

    Chocolate covered sunflower seeds and peach water.

    Mmmmm.

Europe

  • AMS – Schipol Airport; Amsterdam,

    Netherlands. Sadly, the only time I’ve ever been to Europe. Good chocolate, though.

    And cheese. :)

North America

  • PHX – Sky Harbor International Airport; Phoenix, AZ.
  • LAX – Los Angeles International Airport; Los Angeles, CA. Really needs to be more accessible for passengers switching terminals. One loooooong walk with several bags, a guitar, and a djembe, when we left for Indo the first time.
  • SAN – San Diego International Airport; San Diego, CA.
  • SFO – San Francisco International Airport; San Francisco, CA.
  • DEN – Denver International Airport; Denver, CO.
  • MIA – Miami International Airport; Miami, FL. The only time I’ve ever been to Florida…and it was in transit to Honduras. I didn’t even get to stay.

    :(

  • ATL – Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Atlanta, GA.
  • ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport; Chicago, IL.
  • DSM – Des Moines International Airport; Des Moines, IA.
  • MCI – Kansas City International Airport; Kansas City, KS.
  • GRR – Gerald R. Ford International Airport; Grand Rapids, MI.
  • MSP – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; Minneapolis, MN. We ate at Chili’s there every time we flew out. Good memories. :)
  • EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport; Newark, NJ. Ate a hot dog right before our flight to Amsterdam. Not such a good idea.

  • PDX – Portland International Airport; Portland, OR. Our favorite airport so far.

    Amazing Greek food and a bookstore I could actually afford. I’d go back to Portland just for the airport. :)

  • MEM – Memphis International Airport; Memphis, TN. Flew through this one way more times than I can count.
  • DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; Dallas, TX. Eight hour layover that turned into twelve…lots and lots of Phase 10. Good memories. :)

Central/South America

  • LIM – Jorge Chavez International Airport; Lima, Peru. Inca Kola and playing my wooden flute for a crowd while wearing the coolest stocking cap ever.

    :)

  • IQT – C.F. Secada Airport; Iquitos, Peru. I loved Iquitos. So I guess I loved the airport, too.
  • MGA – Augusto C.

    Sandino Airport; Managua, Nicaragua.

  • SAL – El Salvador International Aiport; San Salvador, El

    Salvador.

  • LCE – Goloson International Airport; La Ceiba, Honduras.
  • RTB – Roatan Airport; Roatan, Honduras. Teeniest, tiniest plane I’ve ever flown on.
  • MBJ – Sangster International Airport; Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Whew! I’m tired.

5 continents. 15 countries. 40 airports.

It’s a beautiful world…go see it. :)

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, remembering, travel
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