Arriving in London (Updated with more photos)

The flight to London was long.  Even though I dozed here and there during the 10 hour flight, I never was able to really sleep.  We arrived in London Heathrow about noon feeling a bit bleary-eyed, but we were determined to stay awake until bedtime in order to adjust to the time change as quickly as possible.

It was my first border crossing ever, and I didn't know what to expect. After finding out I am a fish biologist, the border guard who stamped my passport recommended the Congo River as a place ripe for fish study, which was something I had never considered.  A discussion about fish and a recommendation to visit the Congo River to see the fish was a conversation I would not have anticipated having at the border, but I learned a lot. After passing through the border check and gathering our luggage, we took the tube to West Kensington and walked to our hotel. Greg was smart enough to write down all the tube transfer information before we left, so luckily we didn't have to think too hard while navigating.

After checking in and freshening up, we decided to jump back on the tube and go to Harrods. We figured it would be fun to see that area of London, and looking around a giant department store wouldn't tax our mental facilities much.  We didn't really know how big Harrods was. Just trying to find our way around the store taxed our overtired mental facilities. There are six floors (or was it seven?) with everything from tea in the food halls to hamsters in the pet kingdom.  There is even a Chocolate Bar, which we would have patronized had there not been a long wait to be seated. We grabbed a bite to eat at the deli and then wandered about a bit.  After Harrods we went to Picadilly Circus, but as tired as I was, I couldn't handle the crowds for very long.

We headed back to the hotel went to bed early, anxious to rest up for the next day.

Greg and I at the Egyptian Escalator at Harrods:

Knightsbridge station:

Greg and I at Picadilly Circus:

The best laid plans

I am a big believer in being well prepared for a trip.  A good friend of mine calls it the Seven P's (Prior Proper Planning Prevents P*** Poor Performance).  At the same time, when I hit glitches, and plans go awry, I try to be flexible and just go with it.  However, it can be challenging to have a good attitude about changes, especially when so much effort went into the planning.

We hit the first glitch of the trip at LAX when we were told we needed to go to the bag drop at the check-in counter, even though we had checked in online.  I just figured they needed to double-check the passport numbers we used on our tickets.  We were informed that the carry on limit was 15 lbs. 15 lbs??? I thought getting everything I needed for three weeks down to 24 lbs was challenge enough (okay, it is really 32 lbs when you include my camera bag/purse). Sigh. After all the planning to fit everything precisely into a carry on bag, I ended up needing to check my bag after all. I sure wish I had brought a multi-tool now.  Despite having to check the bag, I know I will be glad when I am traveling about that my bag only weighs 24 lbs.

I am sure there will be many more glitches on the trip. I sincerely hope they are all as minor as this one.

Adding to the menagerie

Because having 3 dogs, 1 cat, 6 canaries, and 1 Pacific tree frog, just isn't enough, I am adding 3 more pets to the family.

Two spice finches:

And one Russian tortoise:

They will be coming home with me after the trip to join the family.  It's a good thing we found a professional petsitter who does birds and reptiles!

What am I forgetting?

Greg and I with our three dogs left Saturday morning for my parents' house. My parents have kindly offered to watch the "grand-puppies" for the three weeks we are gone.  It was a long drive across 4 states. I think we experienced nearly every type of spring weather possible on the drive.  It was sunny but cool when we left, it snowed across the southern half of Utah, it cleared up at about the Arizona border, it was 72 degrees in Las Vegas, the wind was blowing strongly across the sunny Mojave Desert, and it was foggy on the Cajon Pass.  We arrived safely in Cherry Valley after nearly 10 hours of driving.

Visiting with my parents has been a nice interlude before we leave the country, and a second chance to evaluate what we are packing for our trip. We leave tomorrow morning for LAX to catch our flight to London.  I did manage to fit all my stuff into the little suitcase.  I carefully went over my list, and I think I have it all.  But I can't help wondering, what am I forgetting?

You don't need to travel to enjoy art

One of the things I am most excited about on the upcoming trip is all the art museums I am going to get to visit--the National Gallery, the Tate, Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, the Prado, and so much more. I will finally to get to see works in person I have only seen on paper.  I will get to see the brush strokes, see the paintings in their actual size.

I was reminded today that I do not need to travel halfway around the world to enjoy art.  I try to walk between the train station and my office at least once a day.  My favorite route takes a short cut through the Rio Grande Depot, an old railroad station that was built around 1910 and now houses the Utah State Historical Society archives.  It also has an art gallery that I usually hurry past as I race on to work, or to catch the train.  Today I finally slowed down, and took the time to walk around the gallery.

I had forgotten how looking at different types and styles of art sparks new thoughts and inspires imagination.  My favorite piece was a wooden bird house on a pedestal which came up to about my chin.  Scattered on the floor beneath were dozens of origami cranes in a multitude of colors.  Lettering on the floor asked me to please take one.  I bent over to pick out a crane.  As my head passed by the bird house, I noticed a strange rustling noise coming from within.  I peeked into the entrance hole to see what it was.  There was a movie playing within the bird house, a movie of a man folding origami cranes.

I choose a turquoise crane, and left the gallery to go catch my train.  I look at the little crane and vow to remember to take the time to slow down and enjoy art and beauty where ever I find it, whether at home or abroad.

Five days and counting--how to pack?

Three weeks, three countries, how to pack?  I decided, based on the advice of others, to go light.  The goal is one carry-on suitcase and one messenger bag to do double-duty as camera bag and purse.  I found a suitcase that will work nicely, but it is just plain black.

I decided that I did not want a plain black bag.  A trip to the craft store, a little fabric glue, and, as the French say, voila!

Now to figure out what to put in the suitcase...five days and counting!

My secret shame

I turn 40 this year, and I have never stepped foot outside of the U.S.A.  Sure, I have traveled the world my whole life through the pages of books, and now the internet, but I have never actually been in another country.  It is not something I readily share with people.  After all, I think it is important to travel, experience new and different cultures, and see the actual places I have read about.  As Mark Twain said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." Not that I think I have any worries in that regard, but there is just something about experiencing new places that gives one an understanding that one just doesn't get from books. St. Augustine said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." Although I am a avid reader, I feel with my lack of travel I am poorly read on the actual world.

About three years ago, as I finished my master's degree and was looking to set my next goals in life, I made a decision.  I determined that, before my 40th birthday, I would either travel out of the country, or I would visit all 50 states of my own country.  I decided that if I had never traveled out of the United States before I was 40, I better well have seen the whole country.  I worked towards that goal the last couple of years, visiting Washington, D.C. and several states surrounding the capital.  But I am only halfway to visiting all 50 states.

Fortunately for me, Greg insisted we take a trip to Europe and made the reservations. I was in the midst of applying for a new position in the Forest Service, and I thought that we should wait.  Greg pointed out that there are always excuses for not traveling, or things we think are higher priority, but that sometimes, you just have to make travel a priority.  He was right.  We leave in six days for a trip to London, Paris, and Madrid.

Part of my impetus for starting this blog was this upcoming trip. I wanted a place to share my pictures and experiences on this adventure with my friends and family.  I also wanted a place where I could organize my thoughts and record my trip.  And so the countdown begins...6 days until I exorcise my secret shame.

Time to start blogging

I have toyed with the idea of starting a blog for a long time.  There was always something else to do with higher priority, and I kept putting off a blog until later.  Well, later is now, and it is time to start recording the thoughts I wish to share on the adventures I am undertaking.