Blogs from Virginia, United States, North America - page 8

It's been a week since Dad and I flew home, and unfortunately it's back to reality, which means the insanity of catching up on 3 weeks of missed work. Looking back though, it was completely worth it. Dad and I rode a lot of miles and saw a lot of great things, and overall we both had a fantastic time together. I know having spoken to Dad this week, he's been telling everyone he meets about the trip and Mom has mentioned that his face lights up every time he talks about it. For me it's been the same. I came home to a collage of photos on my office window that a friend of mine at work has been posting for everyone to see, and everyone has stopped by asking me about the trip. It's ... read more

So I have finally begun packing, yet still it's challenging not to do the usual wait till the last night to get everything done routine. I probably should have done a little more research and planning, o well I guess I'm going to stick with my original plan to just wing it. I have 90 days to stay in the eu so Im going to have to make my time there count... And just head to Asia a little sooner that I had planned. All part of the adventure. So the plan as of now (everything is subject to change ((the whole winging concept))) is to begin my trip by flying into Belgium for the first 2 weeks of June and spending a little time with mamma Taylor. Then I head to Amsterdam to eithier watch ... read more

With yet another day of severe jet lag and suffering from the time difference, I spent the day at Arlington National Cemetary. What an amazing experience! I was to touched, honored and inspired by this hallowed ground. Speechless from the stretches of white tombstones, I think every American should visit this place. I took the easy way out and opted to purchase a ticket for the tram. With very sore feet from the day before, I was grateful for the tram ride. The first stop was JFK's gravesite, on the bottom of the hillside below Arlington House and marked by the Eternal Flame that Jackie and RFK lit at Kennedy's funeral. It was a solemn, peaceful, and reflective place. So much lost. I immediately thought of my dad and all my years of him remembering the ... read more

Check it out people ~ I REALLY was planning to get these blog entries of our 7 month tour of the U.S. finished before the end of the year, but as fate (& whatever else) would have it, there was a lot happening around our old stomping grounds to keep us busy throughout the Fall, so alas, here I am still working on these in 2013. I was not going to do it, but there are a few stories still worth telling and many great photos of beautiful places to share with you, so I shall make the effort this week to get these to you. ~With love, Christina. And the adventure continues..... Upon exiting N. Carolina & entering Virginia our journey there begins near the Atlantic coast in the river port of historic Yorktown, and ... read more

Washington DC - Day 5 2012 trip Today we went to Virginia to visit relatives. Our first stop was to Charlottesville to visit with my cousin and her mom. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive from the L'Enfant Plaza. Along the way we made a couple stops. The first stop was the Chancellor Battlefield. We also wanted to visit Montpelier but we really didn't have enough time to do so. We also stopped at a cute little train station. After visiting with our relatives and having lunch at Appleby's we traveled to Alexandria. We accidently got into the HOV lane though and couldn’t get off of it for miles and miles. Luckily, we had dad’s GPS and finally got to Alexandria to visit my husband's Aunt who he had never met before. It was a ... read more

Getting started... Well, folks, I am taking a moment to set up what will become my summer blog where I will post pictures and updates about my time in Arusha. This may be an obvious attempt to ignore the prospect of impending finals, but it is also going to be where I will try to create some sort of cogent account of my experiences as the summer progresses. I will probably start posting in the week or so leading up to the trip as I attempt to get ready to go and I will try to post at least once a week while I am gone (with LOTS of pictures).... read more

This will be my first trip alone in a few years. It has come full circle, since my first solo adventure to Trinidad in 2001, ending with the devastating tragedy of 9/11/01. Months ago, I decided that Sri Lanka would be the best place to buy a gem for an engagement ring for my then current girlfriend. While watching Globetrekker, we discovered that Sri Lanka was one of the biggest exporters of precious gems. Thus the seed was planted. Since I don't support the diamond industry, it made sense. I made it clear from the get go that diamonds should not be expected because of the way in which they are mined and controlled. However, precious gems like rubies, pink sapphires, and emeralds were all fair game! She wanted love, not jewelry, so she excitedly agreed. ... read more