#worked at a different airline at my station and realized i missed the first airline i worked for

[crj-200]

Hey! Are you with Air Wisconsin?

Not the airline itself but adjacent!! I work in airport ops at a little outstation :)

[themanicmagician]

Shipwrecked [4/4]

[AO3]

Summary: When Redd’s boat crashes upon the shore of Bastion Island, Tom reluctantly takes him in while he recovers. Tom despises Redd for his past deceit, but when he has no choice but to spend time with him, Tom is reminded why he fell in love with the wily fox in the first place.

“Welcome!” Mabel chirped, ever a font of enthusiasm. She clasped her paws together. “How can I help you two?”

Redd, looking decidedly uncomfortable, did not speak up. It fell upon Tom to explain.

“He needs a wardrobe.” Tom said. “He lost most of his things in the shipwreck, so we’re replacing what we can.”

Tom could admit, to himself alone, that he would miss the sight of Redd in his shirts. But Redd really should wear more fitting, comfortable clothes instead of baggy tees. And besides, Tom didn’t have that many spares.

“Oh, of course! How many outfits were you thinking?”

“Let’s do five, to start with. And two sets of sleepwear.”

Mabel nodded, then beckoned Redd over to the fitting platform. “Right this way, Mr. Redd.”

“It’s just Redd.” He did not follow the porcupine’s instructions right away, instead murmuring to Tom: “I’ll pay you back for all of it when I can.”

Redd was embarrassed—embarrassed to be unable to provide for himself, to be forced to rely upon Tom’s charity.  

“Don’t worry about it.”

This didn’t reassure Redd; his mouth twisted in discomfort.

“But…”

“Everything alright?” Mabel circled back to them, tape measure in hand.

“Yes, just give us a moment, please.”

When Mabel returned to the platform, Tom tried a different approach. “You’ve been a great help with the boys lately.” Indeed, story time with Redd was now a nightly ritual in the Nook household. They were steadily making their way through Flurry’s entire library. “Just think of it as repayment for that, alright?”

Redd mumbled something unintelligible, but finally nodded his acceptance. They joined Mabel. Redd stepped up on the platform, and Mabel began taking his measurements, jotting them down in a little spiral notebook.

Sable watched them shrewdly from her sewing station. Redd and Sable had never met in person before, but both knew of each other thanks to stories from Tom. Redd saw Sable observing him, and he offered a sheepish smile.

“I suppose we can’t do a complete wingspan measurement for now.” Mable mused. Redd turned away from Sable to look at the younger hedgehog, grateful for the plausible excuse to break away. “I’ll just have to use the measurement of one arm for the other as well. Oh! We can fix you up with a new sling, too. Wouldn’t be hard at all.”

“It’s fine, really,” Redd demurred. “It’s not necessary.”

“Oh pish. It’ll just be a bit of fabric, won’t it?” Mabel trotted over to her sister. “Sable, surely you’ve got something lying around that we could use.”

Redd threw a helpless look to Tom. Tom only shrugged. Once Mabel got started on something, there was no stopping her.

“Here.” Sable offered up a stripe of black fabric. Mable seized it with a happy “Thanks sis!” and then spent a good ten minutes between the front of the store and the back storage room, putting together an ensemble for Redd.

“Okay, you can try these on to start with.” Mabel set a bundle of clothes down in the changing room. “Do you need any help getting dressed?”

Redd colored. “No, I can handle it myself.”

As they waited for Redd to get changed, Tom chatted lightly with Mabel. The young hedgehog was overjoyed that their middle sibling, Label, was making frequent trips into Bastion. By the time Redd emerged from the dressing room, Tom had learned more than he ever needed to know about how Label’s hot pink clothing line was revolutionizing the fashion industry.

“Well?” Redd asked, scuffing his foot on the carpet.

Tom gave him a once-over. Mabel had selected comfortable clothes, suited for island living. Redd wore tan corduroy shorts, and a light pastel color block t-shirt. He didn’t look like a sleazy businessman, but like a true islander. Like he’d fit in well here.

Tom shoved the thought aside. He and Redd had made amends, but Redd was still going to leave in a few short weeks. Best not to dwell on things like that.

“It suits you,” Tom told him.

Redd muttered a thanks before Mabel dragged him off to try on something else.

~*~

Tom chopped apples into slices in his kitchenette for today’s lunch. He was fond of pears, but was infinitely grateful to Alex for bringing other fruits to the island, thereby expanding their cuisine possibilities. He was preparing fruit salad, made of the island’s entire available assortment, and included generous scoops of orange sherbet as well.

He stopped by the Cranny to drop off the boys’ lunches before he headed outside. He found Redd exactly where he thought he would: by the sea, an easel and canvas in front of him. He was working with acrylics today. Redd was painting the shoreline before him, capturing a wave mid-crash. Even partly-done, his work was impressive. It was a bit of luck that the shipwreck had spared the fox’s dominant hand.

A little ways in front of Redd was Julian. The unicorn must have assumed Redd was here to paint him, because he was currently splayed out on sand in a very dramatic pose.

“Make sure you get my best side, glitter!”

Redd, focused on painting a collection of wispy clouds, didn’t pay Julian any mind. Unperturbed, Julian remained in his chosen pose.

Tom nudged Redd’s shoulder with the bowl of fruit salad.

“Lunch.”

“Mmm.” Redd’s gaze didn’t lift from his canvas.

There was a splotch of blue paint on one of his ears. How on earth had he managed that?

Tom set the fruit salad down on the sand beside Redd. The fox’s tail swished lazily back and forth as he worked.

“It looks very good.” Tom complimented.

“Flatterer. I’m out of practice. Been a while since I’ve done something like this.” A while since he’d patined original art instead of copying classical pieces.

Redd added layers to the wavers. They began to look like wild, angry things.

Tom frowned.

“I spoke with Orville. He has spare life jackets he can donate for your boat. And he’s happy to go over basic sailing techniques with you. It won’t be like that again.”

“It was so sudden.” Redd explained, at length. His brush paused on the canvas as his gaze became distant. “One moment the waves were calm, and the next, they were roiling. I’m lucky I got away with just this.” He gestured to his splinted arm.

“Maybe someone can go back with you.” Tom suggested. “One of the dodos at the airline could sail with you and then fly back at port.”

The light in Redd’s eyes dimmed slightly. “Oh, yeah. The dodos. Maybe.”

The air between them felt thick with awkwardness. Tom kicked at the sand, begging someone up there for a distraction.

His prayer was answered in the form of Julian.

“My goodness!” Julian gasped, clutching a hoof to his chest as he ogled Redd’s work. “What a painting! You have captured my beautiful essence! Sublime! Magnifique!”

Redd leveled him a flat look.

“Yes, that’s exactly what he was going for. You truly have a mind for art, Julian.” Tom said.

Julian gave a bow before he pranced off with a self-satisfied smirk.

Redd snickered. Tom chuckled. They seemed to set each other off. Once they started, they couldn’t stop, until they were both letting loose full belly laughs.

~*~

June was a welcome reprieve from the previous month of cold rain. The air was mostly pleasant, occasionally humid. Rain came in short bursts and cleared up just as quickly.

Tonight was mildly warm, and they’d constructed a decent-sized bonfire in the town square. Residents mingled around the area. Flurry and Diana sipped drinks and chatted. Lucky was showing Del the proper marshmallow roasting technique. Julian and Elvis were arguing over whose turn it was to sing at the microphone. Fang grumbled about “kids and their wild parties” and yet mingled with the group anyway.

Tom sat on the swell of a grassy hill, overlooking the plaza. Sable was at his right. She could never sit entirely still, so she’d brought a half-finished scarf along with her to work on.

He watched the impromptu party for several moments, until a thought occurred to him. He straightened up from his casual slouch. Where were the boys? They knew the island, but it was still scorpion season.

“Sable, have you seen—?”

She pointed before he finished his sentence. Tom squinting in the dim lighting to see what she was gesturing towards.

“Oh. Oh no.”

“Mhm.”

Celeste had dragged her brother over to her telescope. Blathers was peering through it as Celeste chattered at his side. The siblings were utterly preoccupied with their occupation, completely oblivious to the three forms sidling up behind them. Timmy, Tommy, and Redd were inching closer and closer. Each of them was holding a fake rubber tarantula. Tom had raised an eyebrow when the boys ordered a box of them a week ago, but hadn’t thought to question why they wanted them. He’d just assumed they were for the Cranny’s stock.

Timmy giggled visibly, his tiny shoulders shaking with laughter. Redd shushed him.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?” Tom asked.

“Better Blathers than me.” Sable said simply, needles clicking lightly as she knit. There was a gleam of mischief in her brown eyes.

“Sable!” She startled a laugh from him.

The boys rose up on their tip-toes to place their fake bugs on Blathers’ shoulders; Redd deposited his rubber tarantula atop the owl’s head.

Blathers, feeling the touch, lifted his wing in confusion. He squawked at the bugs on his wings, and flapped them in panic. In his fright, the tarantula on his head slipped down, landing right between his eyes. Blathers’ resultant squeal turned everyone’s heads.

Timmy and Tommy leaned on each other, bodies wracked with laughter. Redd snickered.

Blathers, having now realized he’d been played, stomped over to the perpetrators. He pointed an accusatory wing at Redd.

“You! You—You—!”

“Hey, hey, calm down, Babbles. Don’t get your feathers in a twist.”

Blathers sputtered indignantly.

“You wouldn’t hurt an invalid, would you?”

“I... well...no…but still!”

Redd sobered. “Sorry, I guess we went too far. I apologize. Put ‘er there.” Redd held out his hand for a shake, to make amends.

Blathers took it—then shrieked again. Redd had palmed him another fake spider. The boys started giggling again.

Tom facepalmed.

~*~

Tom deposited the splint and sling on the coffee table. The fur on Redd’s now-freed arm was a bit matted, unwashed for seven weeks. But the arm itself appeared sound.

“Well?” Tom asked, a touch anxiously. “How does it feel?”

Redd flexed his arm carefully. Drew his fingers into a loose fist before he extended them again.

“A bit tender. Stiff. But better.”

Redd’s ship had been fully patched up about a week ago. Now that the fox’s arm was finally healed, there was no real reason for Redd to stick around. He had confessed to coming here to see Tom. But Tom couldn’t give his heart away so easily a second time. And Redd had never promised to stay, only to visit.

Tom busied himself by picking at some fuzz on the arm of the couch. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to get on your way then.”

“...Actually, I figured I should stick around for a bit.”

“Oh?” Tom was grateful his tone came off at just the right level of interested, not too eager.

“Sure. Should probably hang around another week. Maybe more. You know, just to make sure my arm is strong enough. It’ll be a problem if I get out there and can’t really grasp the wheel.”

“Uncle Redd!”

“...Redd!”

Timmy and Tommy burst into the room, a whirlwind of excitement. Tommy was clutching a new book to his chest.

“Can you read this one to us tonight?”

“...night?”

“Of course.”

The twins noticed Redd’s discarded splint, and squeezed themselves on either side of Redd to cuddle.

“Careful, boys.” Tom warned. He didn’t want them to accidentally hurt Redd in their enthusiasm.

“They’re fine,” Redd said, softly. He gently ruffled the fur on both the boys’ heads.

“K.K. is in town today. Can we all go see him?”

“...him?”

“Who?” Redd asked.

“He’s Uncle Tom’s favorite.”

“...favorite.”

Redd raised an eyebrow at Tom. “Favorite?” He repeated, dryly.

“Favorite  musician.” Tom corrected.

“Can we go? Please?”

“...please?”

“Why not.” Tom said. The boys cheered and scampered off to get ready.

~*~

Lightning bugs blinked in the air as the quartet meandered from the Cranny over to the town plaza. K.K. sat on his customary stool, giving his guitar a quick tuning before his performance. A few villagers were already milling around the area, waiting for the evening concert to begin.

“Right, my dudes and lady dudes, any request?” The musician asked the crowd.

Suggestions were hollered out, and K.K. inevitably went with a jaunty fairground melody. Diana and Julian clapped along to the melody. Isabelle coaxed the twins into dancing with her, and the trio jumped and swayed merrily in the center of the plaza. One song melted into the next, and more villagers joined in. Muffy twirled in elegant pirouettes. Del performed a shambling robot. Neither of them really matched the tone of the music, but they were having fun.

Redd nudged Tom. “You should be out there too.”

“Me?” Tom laughed. “Hardly.”

“What, are you shy?” Redd teased, before he offered his hand. “C’mon. I’ll go with you.”

After a beat, Tom placed his paw in Redd’s. It was warm.

Redd didn’t bring them to the center, instead lingering on the fringe of the group. Neither of them tried to keep up with the frantic beat of the music, instead swaying with each other, from side to side. They were close like this, closer than they had been in some time. Redd smelled like the sea, like his acrylics, like the lemon-scented soap Tom owned. Their noses brushed by accident.

“Sorry.” Redd murmured.

“No, no—it’s fine.” Tom had one hand splayed across Redd’s back. For support.

The music shifted to something slower. Tom groaned inwardly as he recognized the melody. K.K. Love Song. He glanced over to K.K. Timmy and Tommy were next to him, looking rather smug. Had they been the ones to request the song? After all he’d done for them…

At least Redd was unfamiliar with the music. The one saving grace.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Never a good sign.” Tom quipped, weakly.

“I’m grateful for everything you all did to rebuild my ship.” It was still shocking to hear Redd speak so plainly, so honestly. “But, if it was alright with you, I thought. That maybe instead of going, I could...stay?”

Tom froze. It was what he’d wanted, and now that it was being offered to him, he could scarcely believe it.

Redd mistook his silence for a denial. He began to draw away.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’ll go. I can go tomorrow.”

Tom clutched his arm so he wouldn’t slip away. “No! No, I mean—yes. If you wanted to stay I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Redd’s smile was like the sun.

“Good. Great. Yeah.” He let out a breathless laugh of relief.

“We’ll have to pick a plot of land for you. Alex can help coordinate that.”

“We’ll be neighbors. Neighbors,” Redd tested the word out, and seemed to like it. “I’ll badger you for a cup of sugar. You’ll yell at me for mowing my lawn too early in the morning.”

“The boys will lose their baseball in your yard. You’ll have to return it. Over and over again.”

“Will I? Maybe I’ll be a crotchety neighbor. Who wants those darned whippersnappers messing about my perfectly-trimmed lawn?”

Tom laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You love it.”

Tom did.

It was a good idea for them to live separately, for now. They would wade into it slowly this time, not plummet into the deep end right off. They’d see what happened, how it played out. But even though they were taking their relationship slow, that didn’t mean he couldn’t…

Tom ducked down to press a chaste kiss to Redd’s cheek.

“Welcome home, Redd.”

[finnthatcher89]

the first I love yous || flaurel

DISCORD THREAD FEATURING: Finn & @oflaurelthatcherisms

MENTIONS: -

WHEN: 2010

DESCRIPTION: Laurel and Finn tell each other they love each other for the first time.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: I don’t think any? 

laurel

At the beginning of the year, when she first met him in Las Vegas and they accidentally got married, she truly didn't think that they were going to last the whole year. She half expected them to find out how incredibly incompatible they are, argue a lot, and just despise each other. Well... Six months later... Them moving to Denver to live together... Him working at the fire station and her leaving Emirates to work for Frontier at the airport... And things were a lot better than she expected. Over the past six months, she was beginning to realize that he was becoming her best friend. And that her heart does little gymnastics every time she sees him... And that she could look at his smile for days and weeks and months and years... And that every time he held her in his arms, she never wanted to be anywhere else. But god, what does this mean? Both having the same day off, Laurel woke up early and decided to make his favourite breakfast. Humming softly to some Turkish music, all she could think about was seeing the look on his face and she couldn't stop smiling. Then again, she has been smiling a lot more thanks to him. She likes it, though. A lot.

Finn

What was a supposed to be a fun, exciting weekend at a work friend's Bachelor party in Vegas turned into a weekend that would change the rest of his life. He was so young - 21 and just really starting his career. He had barely found himself when he found Laurel. Nearly every bone in his body had told him just to get a quick annulment, but Finn wasn't a quitter and Laurel...well there was something about her that he wanted to get to know. The next thing he knew he was living in Denver with a mere stranger, nearly all the way across the country from his hometown in Pennsylvania. He had always loved adventures, and this adventure was one of the craziest he'd ever taken. Finn was woken up by the light that peaked through the shades of their modest home. He rolled over, half expecting Laurel to be laying next to him but when he smelled the food cooking in the kitchen he knew what she was doing. He walked into the kitchen with only his boxers on and smiled when he saw his wife at the stove. He walked up to her and put his arms around her waist, kissing her shoulder and cheek quickly. "Morning." he said, with a smile. He loved the days off they had together. They were the days that they got to know each other the best. No pressure to be places or doing things. They just spent time together.

laurel

At twenty, Laurel has already done and seen so many crazy and exciting. Spending her childhood in Turkey before moving to America at ten years old, becoming a flight attendant right after high school and moving to a completely different country, going to many different countries due to work, one could say that her whole life has been an adventure. But meeting Finn... That has truly been the biggest adventure so far. Or at least, the one she has enjoyed the most. Sure, they were both technically kids still, in a sense. But by god, she wouldn't have traded this for anything. Feeling his arms wrapped around her, the girl smiled brightly and instantly melted against him. She just felt so safe and comfortable when she was in his arms, secured and at peace. The last person... Well, she could never be certain. But with Finn? There were never any doubts. Even something as simple as wearing one of his old shirts (like she was now and had began doing over the past month) filled her with happiness. "Morning," she mused, kissing his jaw. "Thought I'd surprise you with your favourite. Sleep well?"

Finn

Finn didn't anyone else he'd rather take a leap of faith with like this. He was glad he did though, because she had completely swept him off his feet. He felt like he was flying every time he was around her. He knew other people saw them as just young, idiot kids but Finn was determined to give their relationship a try. And fuck, he was so happy he did. Even in a city he wasn't familiar with, he felt at home with Laurel. She was safe and she always took great care of him. The man rested his chin on his wife's neck, strong arm still wrapped around her waist. He took a deep breathe in through his nostrils and looked down at the stove. "Bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel?" he beamed. Fuck, yes. "You already know me so well. Thank you." he said, giving her more tiny pecks on her cheek and neck. "I slept very well. You?" he said, finally removing his arms from around her waist to put some coffee on.

laurel

After Francisco, marriage never really felt like an option. Of course, it was a nice thought. But to love someone again after that... For three years, it never felt like a possibility. So to end up meeting Finn on New Years Eve in Las Vegas and to have a Vegas wedding with the then stranger when in two days, she was suppose to return home to Dubai just to end up leaving as soon as possible to work with another airline in a different city back in the US? It sounded crazy. But god, it felt so right. Despite the initial awkwardness at first, Finn has gone from being a stranger to her best friend. She was now able to call him her husband without an awkward pause at first, saying it so proudly and happily. To go from where they originally were at to now, six months later, bet at home with each other... It was incredible. Beautiful, even. His excitement brought a giggle to her lips. "Only the best for you. And you're welcome, balım." She twisted her body slightly to kiss his cheek, only beaming more at his own kisses. The moment he let go of her to work on the coffee, she instantly wished for his embrace again. "Pretty good. I think knowing that I have the next couple of days off helped," she joked slightly. "And having a cuddle buddy, obviously. Most definitely a bonus."

Finn

When Finn had woken up next to Laurel on New Years days around a decade ago, he thought she was a blacked out hookup. Something he wasn’t super accustomed to doing, but he did have a little bit of a naughty side that sometimes came out when he drank. Especially at 21. Newly of legal age to drink, out of town for a buddy’s bachelor party. Something wild was bound to happen; he just never expected that this would be the result. Something he also didn’t expect to happen was learning Turkish...or at least some Turkish phrases. He thought it important to learn at least a little bit of his wife’s native language. That’s what good partners did right? “You spoil me.” He cooed. He dumped coffee ground sloppily into the coffee maker and turned it on. “God, I love that feeling. Sleeping knowing you don’t have to get up at a certain time in the morning.” He sighed deeply. “It’s always a bonus falling asleep and waking up next to you.” He flirted, shamelessly. It was weird...getting to know each other but already being married. It felt like he was living in a cheesy Hallmark movie. He smiled, walking back over to her while their coffee was brewing to lean onto the counter next to the stove to watch her cook. Yeah, he could stare at her all day.

laurel

Now, if there was something Laurel was not a stranger to, it was having a lover for the night. Sometimes a stranger from a club or bar, sometimes a coworker, sometimes a friend she'd made in her new home; The girl certainly enjoyed having another's company. So waking up and realizing her New Years 'hookup' was now her husband... That'd been new. But now that they were here, she was glad and felt lucky that it happened. And the fact that Finn was so keen on learning some Turkish for her... That had been one of the things that caused her to fall for him. She remembered that she started to cry when she heard him make his attempts, feeling so happy and proud of him. "You deserve to be spoiled," she mused. "It truly is something else. I mean, I love my job entirely. But getting to have those sleeps... How can I not love them?" Her cheeks turned red. She grew more and more bashful lately with his flirting, absolutely enjoying them. "Right back at you, Mr. Thatcher," she flirted back, winking at her husband. Honestly, anyone could see that he was an incredibly handsome man. Tall, clear blue eyes, incredible body, a face chiseled by the gods; He was basically a living statue. But once you got to his personality and learned more about him, how that he was a kind soul who would do anything to help anyone and was practically a huge teddy bear. How his laughter could fill up any room and fill one up with warmth and serenity. How his hugs were just so comforting, never wanting to leave them. How his voice is just so incredible and she could listen to him speak about anything and everything for hours on end. Laurel was getting close to finishing their food, also making some hashbrowns to go along. She glanced up for a moment, stopping once realizing he was staring. "What?" Laurel asked, laughing softly with a warm smile and a quirk of her brow.June 26, 2020

Finn

Finn smiled, and bit down on his lip to keep himself from smiling too wide. Finn had been so used to being the one doing the spoiling, it was nice to have a change of pace for once. That's one of the many things he loved about Laurel. He loved the way she held herself, how her dark hair fell over her shoulders, the way she walked. She was breathtaking. He could've ended up next to anyone that New Year's morning, but he considered himself lucky that he woke up next to her - married to her. "I love working too, but it is nice to wake up whenever you want instead of to the annoying ringing of an alarm." he told her. He was a firefighter; a protector and hero. He loved helping people and saving lives. He didn't mind going into work, he actually looked forward to going into work when he was single. But now he missed Laurel every day he went into work, calling her when they each got a break and sending her texts on his down time. Finn watched the woman make their food for a few moments in silence. Holy...she was a sexy as fuck making him breakfast like that. Finn crossed his arms over chest and looked down at his feet, shuffling them a little when she called him out for staring. "Nothing..." he said, grinning like a fucking idiot. "You're just so god damned gorgeous." he admitted. "And I'm really fucking lucky to have someone like you to wake up to every day." he added. Wow. that was cornier than he expected, but it was exactly how he felt.

laurel

God, she loves spoiling him so much. Just giving him so much care and attention and love-... Love? Why did that make her heart flutter so much? Why did that give her both a sense of an entire zoo in her stomach but also a sense of clarity and peace? Why does that word feel so right? Lately, especially when concerning him, there was just something about that word that made her want to pause, to try and cool down her beating heart and the wide smile that dared to grow. "You can say that again. Buuuut I also can't help but feel bad for the station on your days off. They're missing their best firefighter." Yes, she absolutely was biased. No, she felt no shame. She was so proud of him and admired his care for other people- but she also couldn't help but to worry as well. Especially when it came to extremely big cases. That most certainly made parts of her job hard: not being home and knowing if he's okay or not while she's up in the air for a couple of hours heading from one place to another. Every time they were able to finally call or text each other just filled her up with a sense of relief, reminding her that he was okay and safe. And that soon, they were going to be back in each other's arms again. Watching him become awkward was just so adorable. How he shuffled his feet and grinned. Giggling at his words, she placed their food on their plates before turning off the stove. However, she couldn't help herself. She moved over to stand before him, loosely wrapping her arms around his neck as she smiled up at him. "And you are just so god damned handsome," she mused, kissing the tip of his nose. She knew that she had hearts in her eyes as she gazed upon him. But god, how could she not? She just loves him so much and- oh my god, I love him. The realization shocked her. How could she not realize it? The signs have been there for so long... Holy fuck. Holy fuck. Holy fuck, she... she... Oh. "I love you." The words were quiet. Yet she beamed. "I love you, Finn."

Finn

"Stop gassing me up, or else my ego will get too big." he chuckled, although the compliment made him a little giddy. Laurel really was his number one fan. That was what wives were supposed to do though right? Either way, he loved the encouragement he got from her. Knowing that someone was on his side no matter what he did, was comforting. He felt so fucking safe. He liked the idea of having a life long companion on Laurel. He'd always knew he wanted to get married but he never expected it to happen like this. Since they got married, he pictured them growing older together so many times. Having kids and being domestic as fuck together. Whenever Finn thought about the future, Laurel was right by his side the whole time. Finn had been in love once before after he graduated high school and started his life in the real world. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a while. Well, up until recently at least; until he met Laurel. Finn was definitely a romantic. He loved taking Laurel out and doing little romantic gestures for her. He believed that even a bouquet of flowers could say a thousand different words. He recalled the time he surprised her with a homemade Turkish dinner when she got home from work one night a few months ago. Nothing too fancy, and Laurel probably could have made it better herself. But he wanted to do something special for her to show her that he cared about their relationship, even though it wasn't necessarily ordinary. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in tightly as she kissed his nose. Their eyes met with that three word phrase left her lips. He a huge smile slowly grew on his face. "I love you too." The words came really naturally to him because he had been feeling that way for a while now, he just wasn't ready to admit that to himself. But hearing Laurel say it out loud really smacked some sense into him. Why didn't see it before? He leaned down and gave her a gentle, yet passionate kiss.

laurel

"Never- I like inflating your ego," she laughed. She was always ready to cheer him on, to be by his side for anything and everything. She loved it so much, loved seeing how her compliments had their effect on him. How they're able to know exactly what to say to make the other feel better. It was amazing, really. It was something she never expected. But despite being mere strangers not too long ago, Finn truly knew her better than anyone else. Well, okay. There were some things she needed to talk to him about still. Some things involving herself and her past that she's not proud about, but she knows she wants to tell him about. To open up and let him in to see, to witness. To fully know everything about her. And that was in and of itself really fucking scary. She never wanted to share her secrets with anyone so much before. So wanting to share them with her husband... it was something else. The man has become her home. Her future. She has dreamed about the future so many times lately and always, without fail, she saw him there by her side. She saw them growing old, saw them becoming parents, becoming grandparents. Sharing a home together and loving each other unconditionally for forever. It was such a beautiful dream. And she was certain that he wanted that, too. He was trying so hard and was such a romantic, her heart was constantly bursting with happiness. That night he cooked that homemade Turkish dinner is truly one of her favourite memories of them. She'd been so happy and so surprised, she'd cried. He wanted to connect with her and her culture so much, it made her so happy. It made her feel... loved. God, is this what it means to be loved? If so, she's lucky that it's with Finn. Her smile only grew as he said those words back, eyes beginning to sprinkle with happy tears. Laughing joyfully, she held him close as they kissed. One hand sneak it's way into his hair and played with his locks, the girl deepening the kiss. "I love you so much, oh my god."

Finn

He shook his head. No one had ever made him feel as good looking, proud, happy, confident about himself like Laurel had. She knew all the right things to say to make him giddy. He honestly didn't think any other man could be as happy as he was right now. He had really struck gold and genuinely believed that Laurel was the greatest woman in the entire world. How had be gotten that lucky. "Okay then. I'll take it." he said, giving in. Because yeah, why wouldn't he let someone as amazing as Laurel compliment the hell out of him. Laurel was so easy to open up to; he had told her everything about how he best friend had died a few years prior and how hard that was for him to deal with. Laurel was always there for him whenever he felt down about it; always knowing the right thing to say. So this was what finding your person felt like. This was he read in all the books and watched in all the movies. The perfect home, the picket fence, the perfect woman by his side maybe even a child someday. He thought about growing old together with her nearly everyday, but right now he wanted to focus in on this moment. The way her warm body felt pressed up against him, how he could feel her soft, dark hair on his skin. Her scent was so alluring and so distinct; he knew he'd be able to sense her presence by her smell. "I love you, too. I love you, too." he repeated, between kisses. He brought one hand up to slide his fingers through her thick hair. Damn, he loved her hair. He couldn't name one thing about her that he didn't love. Life couldn't get any better.

laurel

"Good," she mused with a smirk and a giggle. She truly did love to raise him up. To compliment him for as long as possible. He was honestly the greatest man she has ever met, so kind and loving. It all felt so natural with him, no pretend. She could truly envision a happy life with Finn and with it being filled with so much love and happiness. Sure, people look at them and see them still as kids. That they have no idea what the future holds. And sure, they got a point. But no matter what, Laurel truly wanted to brave anything and everything the future sends them. To hold each others's hand and stand by each others's side. No matter how rough the future got, she had a feeling that they would fight whatever necessary to be together and stay together. She loves him. She loves him more than she feared the uncertainty of tomorrow. And by the gods, was she so happy right now. She melted into his touch, one hand moving to cup his face while the other softly tugged and played with his locks. Just everything about him, from his scent to his touches to feeling him beneath her fingers, how he held her, how his kissed her, was just so intoxicating in the greatest way possible. Laurel truly could not get enough of him repeating that, those words filling her up with so much joy. She pulled apart, latching her lips onto his jaw to kiss him softly before trailing down his neck. She'd forgotten completely about breakfast, too wrapped up in her husband. This was happiness, huh? This was love, most certainly. And to be graced with this, with him... She truly was the luckiest woman in the world.

Finn

So many people had told Finn to leave Laurel; his parents thought he was absolutely crazy for moving all the way across the country to move in with a mere stranger. They told him that he was too young. That he would never make it. Yet, here he was half a year later so in love with a woman he didn't know existed less than a year ago. But Finn was loyal; he had made a commitment and he didn't want to go back on his word. Whether it was a drunken word or not; it was his word. They had already gone through so many obstacles as a couple; he figured they'd be able to get through anything life threw at them. Before he met Laurel...his life had been pretty boring. She just added so much excitement to his life. He learned so much from her, made him laugh, made him feel ways he had never felt before. He didn't think anything could bring him down when he was with her. He tilted his head back slightly as she kissed his neck, completely forgetting about their breakfast getting cold on the plates and focusing solely on their moment together; as a couple in love.

laurel

Her parents were use to her bold choices. How she had spent her senior year living in Cape Town in South Africa for study abroad, just to then live in Dubai as soon as she possibly could after graduation. They hadn't been prepared for her to suddenly be married at 20 and moving back to the States to live with a perfect stranger. That had even been their first time trying to put their foot down to dissuade her from going through with this. But... It didn't stop her. And she has been on the best adventure of her life so far with Finn Thatcher. She has fallen in love after someone had made her believe that love could potentially be awful and horrible. Finn's love was soft and warm. Yes, there's been complications and doubts. But over all, there has been a sense of boldness of being married to a stranger and learning to get to know them and befriend them and fall in love. "We should probably eat breakfast..." Yet Laurel made no move to pull away. She only pulled him closer, body rolling softly against his as she kissed his lips. Forget the damned breakfast; She was focused on the man she loves.

Finn

Before he met Laurel, Finn's life had been pretty boring. He never thought he would leave the small town he grew up in; he was established there. A good job, friends, family, comfort. Sure, he loved adventures but he also loved going home, sitting on his back porch facing the woods with the hills in the background. He loved hearing the wolves howl at night and letting the birds wake him up in the morning. He'd play paintball with his friends after work, go hunting, visit his parents often. He liked this life. Then he met Laurel. And wow, she made him love his life. He picked up everything and left that town without a second glance. He never regretted it for a minute. He wasn't a city person, but he'd more jus about anywhere if that meant he got to be with Laurel. He missed small town life, but he loved life with Laurel even more. "Sure." he said, half-heartedly as he left his wife pull him in closer to her. He pushed his hips into her's as he deepened their kiss. There was no way they were eating that breakfast while it was still hot.

laurel

She spent the first ten years of her life living in Turkey, but even then, her family would make trips all over Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and West Asia. When they moved to Wyoming at first, they'd move near Yellowstone and would make frequent weekend trips to their neighboring states. Laurel was so use to adventures and being on the move, of not really staying in one place for long. But with Finn, she has come to realize that she loves coming home and staying there with him. She still loves her job, of course, but she also loves getting to be with her husband more. The brunette moaned softly, her hips rolling against his. "Bed?" It came out in a soft whisper, focused more on getting to kiss him. Of getting to be with him. They can always eat up the food afterwards.

Finn

His friends from high school had gone off to college in places like Pittsburgh, New York, DC. He stayed in town after high school, and started a job at the fire station; something he always wanted to do. He was 21, and at 21 he thought he had his whole life figured out. Don't all 21 year olds? Then, there was Laurel. She wasn't in his plan. She taught him that plans changed; not all good. This change happened to be one of the good ones. Probably one of the best ones. He raised his brow at the suggestion of going to the bedroom. That was just what he wanted to hear. He placed a few more kisses on his lips. "Mhmmm..." he said, lowly as he slipped his hand in hers and lead them through their tiny home into their bedroom. He brought her back into him and kissed her passionately. He definitely loved these moments with her. This one was even better considering they had just told each other that they loved each other for the first time.

[hitoritravels]

☆Japan Trip 2019 Day 1 Part 1: RE:Start☆

こんにちわ、ひさし ぶり

...erm hello it’s been a while. Nearly a year and a half if I’m not mistaken.

It’s been...one heck of a year. 2018. I took a first step that was beyond my wildest dreams. And it only got more...wondrous. I met a longtime friend for the first time for an unforgettable night. I broke out of my shell and had the pleasure to meet and play Pokemon with people I had never met and they were some of the nicest people I had ever met. I got to meet the man who helped me feel a little less misunderstood in the world and tell him how much his work has helped me. And cried into his shoulders I even got to see a childhood hero sing right in front of me and sing a song that just...carries a lot of emotions for me. 

It was something. Last year.

But it wasn’t all roses

I started to...fall back into bad habits. Old patterns started to show up again. I started hurting those that were just trying to help. Making decisions I knew would make me unhappy. Starting to choose to be lonely rather than be alone for my own good. Making the wrong people happy.

But I fought on. Because shortly after I returned from my last trip, it was decided that I would be returning to my happy place. The place where I took my first step. A place where all of my dreams came true and more. It was decided that I, along with some friends, would be returning to Japan for Spring 2019. For some of them it would be an exciting first time: they had never been so it was going to be something memorable. For others, it was a chance to try out things that they missed out on last time. And in part it was the same for me as well.

But it was more than just that. For me, it was the next step. It was time to see if I really had made any meaningful progress. If I had really changed for the better in any way since the last time I was here. It was...as odd as it is to say, a reality check.

And so despite a rough few months leading up to the trip, the time finally arrived. It was time to take off and return to Japan. Let’s a go-go~★

Popplio is ready to take off★ Prepare to see my friend more than once as he is my partner on this ride this time ^_^

...is what I’d be saying if we actually took off at that time Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

So unfortunately as soon as we boarded the plane, it was announced that the plane had broken down in some fashion. They tried their best at fixing it on the spot but sadly it just did not happen. So we had to leave and it was announced that our next plane would arrive five hours later at soonest. This made a lot of people disgruntled and at the time I wasn’t bothered by it. Oh boy was that a mistake in retrospect.

At any rate I had planned on eating the lunch provided on the plane but since that didn’t happen, we were all given basically free lunches by the airline a la discount coupons that basically covered full meals from pretty much all of the surrounding restaurants. So I ate, played some Pokemon Platinum (starting Piplup was a...mistake? I don’t know I’ll let you know as I make more progress) and eventually, despite the chaotic scramble, we were all boarded and ready to take off for Japan.

Ok this time for sure. I hope >_<;

Our...dinner? Breakfast? Time was a super messed concept for me at this point. being up for practically 16+ hours and running off of...maybe one nap. Send help x_x

But eventually, we made itttttttt

I did it! I made it to Japan! Things can only start getting better from this point on!

...and again, if only things were that easy =x

So let’s start off with something I realized the moment we landed: my lodgings were fairly far away. Like about an hour or so away from the airport. I had stayed with them previously so I recalled that they had curfew hours. Knowing that, I started to change over my SIM card that my favorite recommended to me and my other friends so that I would have data in Japan so I could contact my lodgings and tell them that I’d be running late.

Turns out the SIM card was not. I repeat. NOT. Compatible with my phone. No fault of anyone’s really, my phone and the SIM card just didn’t play well. Everyone else had a grand time with the SIM card so if you’d like to have a nice simple SIM card, delivered to your house prior to your travels, not to mention coming with a bunch of free boons, why not give it a chance? It was a shame it didn’t work out but now it’s all water under the bridge so all is well ☆

I immediately start panicking. It was around 11 PM, I’m still in line for customs, I have no immediate access to data (and therefore directions), the vast majority of all of the places selling SIMs and Pocket WiFis were closed, and even if I rung up directions, by the time I got out of airport customs with all of my stuffs, I would basically be catching the last trains the whole entire way until I got to my lodgings at approximately 1 AM.

Basically I needed access to train maps right away and I needed to not miss any of the trains I needed to catch. Otherwise I’d be out of luck.

Push came to shove and I decided to start roaming on my phone. It was a costly option but dammit this was an emergency and I’m on vacation. I have money to burn. Sort of. >~<

I hastily called up maps, navigated my way from the metro up to the Skytree line, and with the luck of the Gods, the stars aligned and as I started to make my way to the last train, I was told by a friendly officer that the last train I needed to catch was stalled for just a few minutes just to accommodate for any remaining stragglers. I thanked the officer and rushed my butt up the platform to a completely packed train. Running up the platform with no room to comfortably squeeze in, I thought to myself “screw it”, hauled my luggage, used it as a means of opening up space (and since this is a normal affair for Japanese subways, they immediately made enough space for me and my luggage, bless) and I was able to get onto my last train in time. I also managed to get in touch with the Manager of my lodgings and he told me he’d be up waiting since he was still expecting customers to come in anyway. Super blesss.

I pull into a familiar sight. Nisharai station. The last time I was here it was all unfamiliar territory. Now walking down those steps felt like re-visiting an old friend, and despite being in a rush, I still had enough time to really be in the moment. I was back.

After getting setup at my lodgings and quietly putting my stuff away, I sadly realized that I had no chance to really have dinner. Plus I was still fairly tired at this point so I quickly hopped into the showers and hit the hay. It was a very long day. But in the end I made it. I’m back in Japan. And it was time to start going down a very long list of personally important things that I wanted to do get to this time around

Good morning Nishiarai. It has been a long time my old friend★  

Despite everything I didn’t sleep very well. A combination of jet lag and a general sense of fatigue that just wouldn’t go away no matter long I slept had me...groggy at best. Nonetheless, I somehow pulled myself out of my slumber; after last night’s mishaps, I was ready to make up for all of it. I was going to give myself the right start that I was hoping for since I got here. So after ordering myself my pocket WiFi from EConnect (bless their hearts they are amazing), I knew what the first thing I was going to do was. It was one of my more fonder memories from last time and this was going to mark the start of a good day

Kohikannn★

For this trip, I decided that I am going to try out more coffee places this time around. Kohikan really surprised me last time and opened my world to just how delicious properly made coffee could be and I was looking forward to seeing what some of the other coffee shops in Japan had to offer. But more on that later~

After having a nice hearty breakfast and a delicious cup of coffee, my next stop would be a Lawson Mini-Stop. Which is basically a Lawsons but smaller? I couldn’t quite tell you the difference to be honest. But at any rate my reason for visiting one is because....

How do I work this darned thing

This is Loppi. Long story short, the convenience store chain Lawson has a system where you could order tickets for a variety of events: concerts, sports games, cultural events, you name it. As long as you’re able to navigate the Lawson website or the Loppi terminal, you could place your order, input some information and a confirmation pin, print out your ticket, pay the price printed on the ticket, and voila: you have yourself a ticket to the event you wanted to attend☆ Sadly my reading skills were not yet at a point where I could confidently navigate the terminal but thankfully there was a dummy option of scanning a given QR code (which I had) and that made it all the more easier to get my ticket. A ticket for what was probably one of the most important and memorable nights of my trip.

Last year I went to go see MAMY live, one of, if not my most favorite Japanese band out right now. This year, the stars aligned and I was given the opportunity to see not one but two of my favorite bands live: SECONDWALL and AliA. When this live was announced I could not believe my eyes and while making reservations wasn’t easy, I still made the attempt: I wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime

To be honest, once I had paid for the ticket I felt a huge sense of relief: I really wanted to have the opportunity to see the stars in my sky once more and have the chance to tell these people just how important their music was to me. Now all that was left to do was hope that everything would turn out fine on the day of the live. Now with that burden off my shoulders, I took off with a hop, step and jump towards my next stop☆

Last time I was here I made a memorable visit to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa on a whim and it was arguably one of the more memorable and important parts of that trip. I had however had after the fact that it was known for housing some fairly top notch coffee shops, and so I decided to try one of them out and see what it was like. But I there were also a few places I wanted to visit first, so it was time to get back to what I loved doing best

Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Park, right next to the gardens! What led me here (aside from the scenery) was....

Volbeat! This is one of the more odd regionals, currently only available on the East Hemisphere. Now to find some Farfetch’d and Zangoose★

There was a school trip happening around the main area. I didn’t stick around long so it wouldn’t be awkward

Snack time~★

After walking around the park and playing Pokemon GO for a bit, I wanted to revisit the gardens to see if any seasonal flowers popped up this time around (there was nothing the last time I was there; unsurprising considering that it was winter when I last visited =x)

Pretty flowers! 

As always this place is beautiful☆

There was a bit of an early/late hanami going on here? There was surprisingly less sakura in here than I expected

Our water denizens! Also every black spot in that last picture is a tadpole. There were A LOT of tadpoles 

A brave turtle majestically posing

Later days Kiyosumi Gardens! Until we meet again~★

As tradition calls for, I...relaxed and reflected in this garden for a bit. While I didn’t hit as much of a “eureka” as I did last time, I came to realize that despite all of my recent setbacks that maybe...I was a bit on the right path. I remembered what it was that made me happy and however heavy the burdens may be back home, I should not lose sight of what’s important to me and continue to try for what makes me happy in a meaningful way. Being here made me happy in a meaningful way. Changed me for the better. I had come this far: not just by taking the first step but also thanks to the support of my most precious friends and family that have been there for both of my happiest and saddest moments. I remembered what drove me to come here in the first place and how it resulted in me meeting one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter. 

A singer who upon hearing her voice, hearing her sing...inspires me to get up and try again. And again. And while that may not be the deepest reason out there, music has been a very important part of my life, expressing everything I never could. Expressing my happiness where words failed and expressing my sadness when it was too hard to say anything.

And that’s a lot of the reason why I travel halfway across the world, to visit Japan: to meet the people whose music have helped me so much when nothing else could. To meet the people that inspire me, tell them how amazing they are and...maybe try to see and understand what inspires them to be the the way that they are

To hopefully tap into some of that inspiration and...someday hopefully become someone that can help and inspire others in a meaningful way. At least what’s I hope for  (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) ☆

Feeling a little more peaceful inside, it was time to move forward. For now it is time for coffee! But that part of the journey is best saved for a different time. There’s quite a bit more from that day to share so I will save that for a different time

Until then,

See you next time ☆   

[northernrainforest]

Off the rock

Like Harry and Meghan on their Australian tour, Flo and I jetsetted this weekend, baby bump on full display. A few minor differences: we had an almost five-year-old with us, we flew coach, and we only made it as far as Seattle. Also, I’m six months pregnant but I look like I’m about to give birth on the light rail, so the breathless coverage of wardrobe choices reserved for Meghan wouldn’t be quite as interesting in my case (read: a lot of leggings.) Lastly, we weren’t on a diplomatic mission: there’s no dermatologist in Ketchikan so we were in Seattle for a yearly skin check. Yes, it’s as sexy as it sounds.

Shortly after we moved to Ketchikan, I heard several people talk to each other in passing about “getting off the rock.” In Brooklyn in the late eighties (still my main reference point for everything) this would have meant kicking a crack habit. But I quickly figured out it’s island speak for “going anywhere but here.” Having just arrived, and with gorgeous weather at that, I couldn’t appreciate what that might mean to some people. It’s now been three months, and though Flo and I have both left town for very short work trips, this was the first time the three of us went to the airport together and headed down to the Lower 48. I have to say: it was kind of magical.

First, Ketchikan International Airport, or KTN. It took us three minutes to drive down the hill in the still dark morning, past the Alaska Marine Highway terminal, the post office and A&P (Alaskan and Proud, our local-est grocery store) and park in the airport ferry lot. It’s a dollar a day to park there. A dollar. A day. If you’ve ever driven to and parked at an airport in a major city, you’ll appreciate how complete giddy it can make a recent transplant to spend three minutes and four dollars and be done with the process. Ah but wait: the process was not quite done. After parking and paying, we boarded the 7:45 ferry and arrived at the airport at maybe… 7:48? A motivated person could swim the Tongass Narrows in about the same time it takes to cross it by ferry – not because the ferry is slow, but because the waterway is so, well, narrow. We have TSA pre-check, a product of a particularly bad hour I spent alone at JFK with a two-year-old who delighted in running away from me as the security line crept forward. It was a lifesaver whenever we left New York or LA, but in Ketchikan all it means is you don’t have to take off your shoes. There’s one security line, and even if it’s slow there’s little danger of missing your flight: once you get through security you’re already at your gate – because there are only two, and they’re next to each other.

Wasn’t that a fascinating explanation of small town airports? Aren’t you so glad you’re keeping up with my blog? Okay, so if you’ve flown through a lot of small airports none of this is interesting for you. But for me, it’s pretty mind boggling. I’ve told several people since we moved how much lower my stress level is, and sometimes I wonder if it’s hyperbole – I still run at an eleven most of the time, elevating the making of school lunch to a federal case – but it’s situations like the airport run that remind me how true it is. Life is easier when there’s no traffic, and minimal driving in the first place; when lines are short; and when there are simply fewer people everywhere you go.

So it was interesting to be back in a big city after some time away. As long as Flo and I have lived on the west coast – and combined we’ve logged about fifty years – neither of us had ever been to Seattle (unless you count the Alaska Airlines terminal at SeaTac.) Several people in Ketchikan asked if we’d be renting a car, so I second guessed our decision not to; but the minute we arrived I realized with relief that, like almost every big city I’ve ever been to, it’s easier notto have a car than to have one. (Dallas is the exception that springs to mind. And, obviously, Los Angeles.) SeaTac’s version of the AirTrain is free, and it took us directly to the light rail station; $6 and 35 minutes later, we were walking up Broadway on Capitol Hill, taking in the restaurants, the rain-soaked leaves and the preponderance of rainbows.

“It’s not pride week, is it?” I said, trying to remember what month we were in.

“No,” said Flo. “I think this is all the time.” As far as I know, there’s no gay neighborhood in Ketchikan; we were officially back in the city.

Capitol Hill is epically cool, in the best sense of the word: it’s not completely gentrified yet (although I’m sure longtime locals would disagree with me), so there’s an interesting mix of people, stores and architecture that reflect the changing face of a city. It was the perfect launch pad for three and a half days of walking adventures. We walked down to Swedish, the big hospital complex, for our dermatology appointments and got epic views of the Puget Sound from the sweeping 14thfloor windows (while partially disrobed – take that, Harry and Meghan!) From there we wandered down Pike (Pine? I’ve been told they’re basically the same street), stopped for perfect coffee at Victrola, ate Mediterranean from a food truck next to a little park, took the monorail up to the Space Needle and found an awesome playground. After that was a walk to the flagship REI, which looks like the flagship LL Bean, and I’m honestly not sure who got the idea from whom, since they’re both hella old stores. By the time we hiked up the 45-degree angle that is Denny (Street? Avenue?) and back to our place, we understood why they don’t call it Capitol Valley.

The next two days were more of the same: a combination of walking, kid-oriented fun (hello, Pacific Science Center), and stocking up on provisions. We were like old-timey sailors on shore leave: minus the brothels, plus a massive Trader Joe’s list. And more than anything, we charted our meals like we were navigating the stars to find the promised land. With only so many meals, we had to be careful not to waste them. Thai, pizza, dumplings, sockeye, and delicious bakery bread all made the cut. Indian and sushi are on the agenda for the next trip. (And yes, I recognize that it may seem strange to leave the Salmon Capital of the World for three days only to get salmon elsewhere. It’s basically a combination of being boat-less, friends-with-boats-less, and the grocery stores in Ketchikan not selling local fish. The whole fishing thing here is a bit bewildering to a newcomer: a post for another day.)

I asked Flo if he missed this aspect of city life: stepping outside and just walking, with stops along the way to run all sorts of errands (we all got very mediocre haircuts at a walk-in place; the price one pays for speed, convenience, and cheapness.) We agreed that we missed it, except having come most recently from Los Angeles, that feeling is almost like being homesick for a place you’ve never been; it’s been a long time since we’ve really lived that kind of life. What we both love about the city as a construct is not endemic to life in So Cal. It’s why we loved living in Amsterdam, and why we’ve often talked about packing it up and going back to New York. Certain cities have a vibrancy that can be felt from the minute you step off the light rail and out into the rainy evening, and Seattle is one of those places. But there’s magic and beauty in the quiet too, in the slowness of small town life on a distant island. The bushes in our yard have finally stopped producing those big juicy blackberries, replacing them with hard little ones that take a lot longer to ripen, and possibly never will. The season is nearly over, and another season is here. This is how seasons work, of course, but it can be easy to miss when life is moving quickly and every falling leaf lands on concrete.

When we landed in Ketchikan, fewer than half the passengers got off the plane; everyone else was headed for Juneau. Alaska Airlines operates like Greyhound up here – they make a few stops and you get off when you need to. We stepped off the jetway and into the tiny terminal, then down the gangway towards the ferry. The lights of the town lit our dark passage across the Narrows. One small passenger had a new puppy she’d gotten in Portland. There was a group of laughing boys, a basketball team flying home from a game. High school athletes in Southeast Alaska (and I’m pretty sure the rest of the state) rack up a lot of air miles flying from game to game; members of the visiting team often stay at the homes of the local team, like foreign exchange students from a few hundred miles away. There’s something collegial about being an Alaskan. As independent as everyone is, there’s a spirit of generosity that runs through this place. An hour after we borrowed that sander a few weeks ago, pulled from the well-stocked basement of a friend, she knocked on our front door. She had mentioned the sander-lending to her husband and he told her it wasn’t working very well – so she ran to the hardware store at dinnertime, bought a new one and dropped it at our house. We’re all in this together.

We flew back from Seattle three months to the day from when we first arrived here. I mentioned to the same friend’s ten-year-old that we’d only been here for three months and she looked at me with big eyes. “Really?” she said. “It seems like you’ve been here for so long.” In many ways, it seems that way to me too. Sometimes you arrive somewhere you’ve never been and realize it’s a place you’ve been homesick for your whole life.

[seecourtneytravel]

October 16, 2018 (Tuesday)

Malaysia

This is my last day in Singapore. My bottom bunk roommate, Jana, also has a flight today. Jana is from a country near Germany. All I remember is she was speaking to another roommate in german but I know she was from somewhere else.

Jana

Jana is a woman in her lower 50’s. I asked her what her story was and with the little English she knew she was able to to say, “I am newly divorced, kids are grown, I am alone, I am done with the life of constantly cooking, cleaning and being a house wife.” Jana was super brave. She has never known a life outside of the typical family life. Her kids were in there 20’s and already married. She said her journey would be for 6 months or more and she was just planning her trips as she goes. I don’t ever typically run into brave woman line Jana. Her story was refreshing and memorable.

My flight was at 1120am, Janas flight was at 1330pm. She said she would accompany me at the airport. It was funny because she was worried she would miss her flight, and it was 9am and I was just eating breakfast when I should have been worried about missing mine.

I started to rush with Jana after we finished eating. We had our large ruck sacks and I additionally had a roller luggage. I checkout out of the hostel and then we both walked about a half a mile all the way to the train station. I reached for my wallet and realized I left my purse at the hostel. “Oh my god!” I told Jana to wait with my luggage while I ran back to the hostel. My time was now super close. It was only then I started to worry I’d miss my flight.

After running my fastest mile, I was pouring sweat. I looked like a sweaty homeless woman. Jana was impressed how fast I was. As we were in the train towards the airport, I was concerned beause I had not checked in to my international flight and it was already nearing the 90 minute mark. I still had my Philippines SIM card in and needed to switch it to use my home SIM card for the data to check-in online. I looked around like a sweaty creep on the train to see if anybody had earrings on. I was hopeful to find a friendly face that I could ask to borrow their earring to release my SIM card slot on my phone. I asked this one lady and she took a step back and smiled at me waving her hands in a no fashion. I officially felt like a hobo.

We exited the train and I asked this couple who was laughing together and looked like other tourists. They immediately both reached for their ears to assist me. I quickly changed it over as the next train came. The guy said, “I bet it’s the last time you don’t travel with earrings!” He was right, seems like a smart idea now. I sat and hurried to check in. Most American Airlines will close international flight check-ins after 90 minutes, so I was super worried because it was passed the time of official check in. I completed it online and felt a weight leave my shoulders. I gave Jana a thumbs up.

The train approached the Singapore airport, from there we had to both take an airport air train to another terminal. We both were flying out of AirAsia airlines. Singapore’s airport was really weird. Everything was so futuristic and trustworthy. This airport was all self service. From checking in to checking in my bags. I was so mind blown for how technology was here.

To check my bags I followed the computer prompts and weighed and ticketed both my bags. I was overweight! And by that I mean my luggage was! I never thought that would happen. I now considered myself a travelling hoarder after that and realized I should rethink my needs and strategize. I exceeded the 20kg limit and was now trying to carry on a couple extra kilos.

Once on the plane, it was only an hour flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Once I got off of the plane I made my way to my hostel called “Mingle.”

My first impression of the city was like any normal city. Tall skyscrapers, old mixed with new, and clean streets. Littering hasn’t been a common thing in Singapore and also now Kuala Lumpur. I was impressed. It definitely was much different than Singapore here, it was busy streets with a bit more crowding. It’s not uncommon to see a street rat but it’s still better than Detroit.

I arrived at my hostel in the afternoon and laid in my air conditioned room for hours writing and browsing the internet. Down time is a must on long trips. Or any trips. Once I got out of my room I explored the hostel starting with the top floor. I was greeted by a couple from Seria. They were super social and looked like and sounded like they were from the US. They said they left there country 13 years ago. I asked how they met and they said they met one day at a coffee shop through a friend. The next week the guy asked the girl out and by the next week they were married. And they are still together after 13 years living in different parts of the world together.

I talked a bit with them and then sat down on the rooftop picnic table. Across from me was a guy from Kazastan named Yerzhan. Next to him directly across me was a guy named Ben from Singapore. We all started talking in random conversation. It was fun to hear their stories of why they were there. After it all, Ben, Yerzhan and I planned to explore the city the next day.

Yerzhan

Yerzhan is a guy from Kazastan. His story was interesting and fun to hear. His wife was in Hong Kong for work and if I remember the situation coorrectly, he was in Malaysia for two weeks waiting for a visa to Hong Kongto be with her. Apparently his wife’s job granted only her a working visa without her husband so he was a bit stuck in limbo. I had a hard time remembering Yerzhan’s name, I continued to call him John. At the end of the trip I was able to get the two syllables down. He was an accountant for many years, when he decided that wasn’t his passion, he bravely made a total career change towards photographery.

Ben

Ben is a young guy that finished college and was on a couple day getaway from Singapore to Malaysia. He looked for work on his laptap each day sending out resumes and filling out applications. I’m not sure what his college degree was. He was Singaporean by nature and an athlete.

I was hungry and asked the two where they recommend to get food when it was already 9pm. They both just said across the street. I asked if they wanted join and they both did.

Both of the guys just ordered a juice drink and waited for me to eat. They pretty much kept me company. Ben was fascinated with how I was eating. He told me how to eat in Asia, “the correct way,” with my fork in my left hand and a spoon in the right. He said they use their fork to scoop the food on to their spoon to eat. I kept trying and couldn’t do it. Ben would literally stand over my eating shocked I could eat properly.

After eating we all headed to our dorm rooms. It was a super cozy 4 bed dorm. I fell asleep pretty hard that night.

[sixbillionstars]

Before Game of Thrones and the newest Star Wars films, flights to Iceland only left from Denver, Washington DC, Baltimore, or New York. When I learned that the voyage embarks from Port of Hamburg, I figured I’d be flying into Berlin. And after years of watching closely for new United States destinations between the two main Icelandic airlines, this made my heart sing knowing full well St. Louis had recently become a Wow Air destination with cheap flights to many European cities, and of course... stopovers in Iceland on the way.

I won’t go much into how long I had anticipated this experience, however I will say it was a painful wait. First it was celebrities one by one slowly making their way as it grew appealing to more and more travelers suddenly during my freshman year of college and onward. Then it was friends who happened to have stopovers, who could afford it before me, or who were nearer to new departure cities before me... In those ways it was thrilling to feel inches and inches closer all these years. I even had a whole trip planned once to visit Iceland by myself to celebrate the New Year and hang out a week before and after. For a plethora of important reasons I had to cancel that trip, which to this day I still stand behind. So sadly, the most suitable and affordable window of time I had to work with to be in Iceland this time around was twenty hours, since it was a stopover, but a solid twenty hours we spent. An old friend used to joke all the time, “what if you go and absolutely hate it?” which was a possibility I have weighed heavily, even after countless hours over the years reading entire wikipedia pages of tiny, unpronounceable coastal villages with their black sands and fjords, delving into Vimeo videos of Icelandic scenery, and my favorite, the man in a lopapeysa sweater teaching you how to knit. I knew damn well I’d have to come back after such a short time even if it did turn out not so ideal. But after a seven year wait, I am happy to announce that it truly was everything I could have hoped for and even so much more. Maybe because I already knew where to look, or at least where I wanted to look, or maybe it really was calling me all this time.

I was taught a German expression today "Knapp daneben ist auch vorbei” which means, “coming close is the same as missing it.” It’s been circling my mind like an echo of congratulations from the void for just finally being able to do the damn thing.

It is now late into Thursday, our second day in Berlin. Yesterday was spent locating our Airbnb, experiencing jetlag, showering, etc... completely pretty much rebirthing ourselves after twenty hours with none of the checked luggage I truly thought the Keflavik airport would let me access during that amount of time.

I can’t exit this post though without telling a couple of the stories from those hours (and some pictures!) It was by far the most eventful twenty hours of my life...

As soon as we landed, it was time to grab the rental car. I picked out a lovely whatever the car was. At first the reservation said manual shift, which was exciting because I learned to drive on a manual but also I knew the Icelandic roads would be more vulnerable to drivers so I wasn’t sure how revisiting a skill like that there would go. Luckily we ended up with an automatic somehow anyway. Since the Wow air flights are so cheap, they get off by charging passengers for every other thing including meals, so I had not eaten since Missouri by this point (mainly because I wanted to sleep). I felt weak and tired at the rental counter so I asked my friend Alicia to get me something at the cafe nearby. She came back with the first food we were to behold: a caprese panini, but instead of panini bread, it was the body of Christ or something. I apologize to anyone that offends--I mean it in the sense that it was cracker bread meant specifically for religious purposes and not to feed a malnourished traveler. Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good, however the depth of my ketosis and the richness of the pesto was too much. Literally as I stood at the counter facing my first ever Icelandic stranger and transaction, I felt the sudden urge to vomit and ran to the nearest trashcan while Alicia had to sign everything for me in a VERY crowded airport. I don’t think any of us knew how to react honestly, though the woman at the counter was very sweet and brought us bottled waters after seeing my pale sweaty face, despite not totally knowing how to ask if I was okay in English.

Getting to Þingvellir was not an issue, however the drive there involved more of the previous situation sadly. While the girls caught up on sleep, I found our way out of Keflavik onto the highway and quickly back off of it after having tried a couple more bites of the Jesus panini. The first time around I wasn’t entirely sure if it was that was what made me ill or just all of the conditions at once. This time I knew it was that. There was nowhere to even pull over as all of the road space in Iceland is very carefully planned, with roundabouts every few blocks and signs placed not too often or too scarcely. So I stopped in the middle of the road out of sheer desperation -- one of the few very crucial things I had JUST been told you’re not supposed to do with an Icelandic car. I had already begun out the window as I drove simply because my mind was already racing for options. What is the best way here - puking on myself and cleaning that up? No - my luggage I thought I could have today is on its way to Germany. Puking solely into the car? Hell to the no - I don’t care if I bought the insurance, we have the whole route ahead of us and back. Okay well in the time it took to ask myself those questions, all of the above happened anyway. Everywhere. Alicia and Morgan immediately woke up of course and without judgment scrambled into their things for a new shirt and pants for me, helped me clean the car, et cetera, alllllll while locals were angrily and confusedly passing me on this tiny exit I had chosen under the impression it was low-trafficked. Did I mention I chose not to wear underwear on this day of all days? Yes. In my first hour in Iceland I was forced to change BUTT NAKED pretty much on the side of the highway. Needless to say, we threw the Jesus panini away as if it was the one ring to rule them all.

Þingvellir was breathtaking. Every little plant, moss, lichen, dewdrop was so quietly and calmly welcoming. The wall of boxy-looking rocks you may have seen in Games of Thrones was to the left of this photo, with its waterfalls and all. It was confusing finding the dive spot where our snorkel tour was, but once we arrived all of our sorrows were gone. First we met Luis, a cheery Mexican from Cancun, then Manuel the French man who helped us into our dry suits, and then Juan from Madrid was our guide through the crevice of the opening between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

The moment I entered the water my heartbeat changed for good, not just because of the chilling 2*C temperature, but because it was then I realized I was really, really there. Until that moment, it was all a dream. Simply putting my mask down to see what was below... I still cannot find the words. Our suits were designed to keep us warm, so the crystal clear stream swept us and this rad Australian couple in our group gently along the divide as if it were a lazy river. Silfra is the only spot on Earth where one can touch two plates at once, and I cannot emphasize enough that the land itself gives you that vibe alone, whether you do the tours or not. For as long as I live I don’t think I could forget how it felt to lay completely still on top of the water looking down, like just another little seagull feather or algae, feeling one with the whole damn country.

Finally.

After a pit stop at a petrol station for edible food and something to make the car smell better, we rerouted from planning a drive all the way to Vik (3.5 hrs there and back) to just spending the time comfortably in Reykjavik where we could get back to the airport by 3am, when the rental was due, and for our flight at 6am.

Downtown was as quaint and beautiful as I had imagined, though of course a completely different layout than what I originally pictured. This happened in New Mexico too when I moved there after a year of picturing the places where my friends’ stories from their phone calls were playing out. We found a cute bar to meet locals in called the Smokin’ Puffin, which turned out to have just opened three weeks prior. Made many friends, including Moe the bartender/plant geneticist from Iran, and Joanne, a bubbly expat from the UK.

Hallgrimskirkja and the walk to it however was the crowning jewel of the evening, with apartment windows all open, most of them displaying cute decorations and cats and succulents of all colors and sizes peering out.

I knew it was a rather large church, I suppose I was not prepared for just how large. Walking past the infamous Leifur Eriksson statue to approach the entrance with its tiered architecture and powerfully rhetorical lighting, I lost my breath again. It was a bittersweet goodbye, though I am nearly grateful we did not stay overnight so I couldn’t get too attached to Iceland’s physical presence.

Was honestly just taking a photo of this sweet cat, and realized its owner was behind him drawing. I almost cried.

Moe’s specialty cocktail: coffee martini :)

Me in my very attractive after-puke outfit with this handsome Iranian plant geneticist bartender who was really sweet to me anyway.

<3

[classyfoxdestiny]

'Physically and emotionally exhausted:' This is how flight attendants are really feeling right now

'Physically and emotionally exhausted:' This is how flight attendants are really feeling right now

(CNN) — Working as a flight attendant previously afforded Mitra Amirzadeh the freedom to explore the world — taking her from her home in Florida to destinations including Kenya, France and Spain.

As the pandemic spread, the perks of Amirzadeh’s job diminished. Now restricted to domestic US flights, her work involves navigating not only the fear of catching Covid-19, but also the recent uptick in disruptive passengers.

“I’m dealing with a lot of babysitting, which I never counted on doing,” Amirzadeh, who works for a low-cost US airline, tells CNN Travel. “The actual children on board behave better than the grown adults do.”

US flight attendants tell CNN Travel say the stress of the situation is taking its toll,

Susannah Carr, who works for a major US airline, says unruly incidents used to be “the exception, not the rule.” Now they’re “frequent.”

“I come in expecting to get push back. I come in expecting to have a passenger that could potentially get violent,” she says.

Amirzadeh says flight attendants across US airlines are just “over it.”

Allie Malis, a flight attendant for American Airlines, says air crew are “exhausted — physically and emotionally.”

“We’ve gone through worrying about our health and safety, worrying about our jobs — now [we are] worrying about our safety in a different way.”

The rise of air rage

There seems to be a rise in unruly passengers on board US airplanes. Pictured here: airplanes at Miami International Airport in August 2021.

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

This increase was often linked to cabins getting fuller, with increased security checks and processes adding to tension.

In 2019, Malis, who is also the government affairs representative at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, a union representing American Airlines air crew, spoke to CNN Travel about the decrease of personal seat space. She said her union believed it is “strongly correlated and in a large part to blame” for the rise in incidents.

Alcohol is also an often cited contributing factor — travelers drink at the airport and board the plane without crew realizing how inebriated they are. When it all kicks off at 30,000 feet, it’s too late.

There have been suggestions that incidents just started to feel more ubiquitous in recent years because social media means videos of badly behaved passengers spread like wildfire.

But while FAA data might show fluctuating figures for much of the past 20 years, in 2021, incidents seem to have skyrocketed. In 2019, 146 investigations were initiated by the FAA. So far in 2021 that number is 727.

Covid-19 seems to have exacerbated an already existing issue to an unprecedented degree, at least in the US.

Amirzadeh recalls the silent flights of spring 2020. People were too fearful to even look at other passengers or air crew, she says, let alone cause conflict.

In recent months, unruly behavior has reached new heights.

“It just seems like every next incident is getting a little bit more extreme, things you just would have never imagined last year,” says Malis.

“As a flight attendant, it’s really hard to imagine yourself being in a position that requires duct taping a passenger to their seats for the safety of everyone else on the plane, yet this is something that has happened numerous times in the last few months.”

Malis says she feels like incidents have been on a steady rise since the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. It also involved disruptive behavior on planes and led to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International — which represents American flight attendants at 17 airlines — stating rioters should not be allowed on flights home.

“I think the insurrection was kind of an eye-opening experience,” Malis says. “What do you do when you have multiple incidents happening on the plane at the same time with only four crew members?”

“I come in expecting to get pushback. I come in expecting to have a passenger that could potentially get violent.”

Susannah Carr, flight attendant

A survey by the AFA released in July of this year found that, of the 5,000 flight attendants surveyed, 85% said they’d dealt with unruly passengers in 2021.

Disruptive passengers had used sexist, racist and/or homophobic language, according to 61%, while 17% said they’d been victim of a physical attack this year.

“I thought I had seen or done or heard at all,” says Amirzadeh, who has flown for six years and previously worked in customer service.

“But as I’ve learned the past 18 months, that is definitely not the case, I am seeing, hearing and doing things I never thought in my life I would ever be doing.”

Flying during Covid-19

Masks are mandated by law in the US on federal property and on public transportation, including airplanes.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Many incidents are linked with mask non-compliance, which the flight attendants who spoke to CNN Travel say has been an issue throughout the pandemic.

Even though it’s now FAA-mandated and federal law, the wearing of masks remain the cause of the majority of inflight issues. In a press release dated August 19, the FAA says it had received approximately 3,889 reports of unruly behavior by passengers since January 1. Of those reports, 2,867 were passengers refusing to comply with the mask mandate.

“In the beginning, I would sympathize and say, ‘Hey, you know, I get it, it’s hot, I’m hot. I’m wearing it too — I need you to wear it too. Can we please work together?'” says Amirzadeh.

“But here we are, it’s been a year and a half, you’re wearing them everywhere. And we’re not the only ones that are asking you to wear them — every train station, every bus, every airline…”

Carr says she thinks the problem is that mask-wearing is sometimes viewed as a political issue in the United States.

“The mask issue was less about public health and it was more politicized in the beginning. And that is something we’re still dealing with today,” she says.

Amirzadeh says fraught mask-related interactions often come as a result of passengers removing their face covering to eat or drink, and then keeping it off. It’s one of the reasons she thinks alcohol shouldn’t be served on planes currently.

“It just seems like every next incident is getting a little bit more extreme, things you just would have never imagined last year”

Allie Malis, American Airlines flight attendant

Carr agrees and also questions the availability of to-go drinks at the airport.

“On some of my flights it’s caused people to get upset, because they do want to feel like they have a right to have a drink — but at the same time […] if you’re getting so upset because you can’t have a drink right now, that’s the exact reason we’re kind of afraid to give you one, that kind of erratic behavior,” says Malis.

For some passengers, travel may feel more stressful and anxiety-inducing in the age of Covid. Carr suggests this — and the stresses we’ve all been under during the pandemic — are a contributing factor to the rise in incidents.

“We’ve been isolated for the last 18-plus months,” she says. “So I think some of the social graces have kind of been put on the back burner, as far as what’s acceptable in public and on an airplane.”

Malis wants passengers to realize that the stresses and anxieties they might be feeling about traveling in the age of Covid-19 are also shared by many crew, even if they seem like “a very accessible punching bag.”

“We’ve been putting ourselves on the front line, and quarantining from our families,” she says. “We’re doing our job, we’re not the reason your flight got canceled, we’re not the reason you’re frustrated.”

The ubiquity of events on social media also leads Malis to suggest there could be a “copycat factor.”

To reverse this, Amirzadeh says it’s important for people to realize that the passengers who’ve gone viral are paying the price.

Dealing with incidents

Flight attendants are getting self-defense training as the number of unruly passengers is on the rise. CNN’s Pete Muntean reports.

Flight attendants are safety professionals trained in dealing with everything from a medical emergency to a potential terrorist incident.

“We’re not here to serve you a Coke, we’re here to save your life,” is how Amirzadeh puts it.

But there’s the concern, she says, that dealing with unruly passengers could prevent crew from dealing with other issues on board.

“We are the people that are going to give you CPR, we’re the people that are going to give you the Heimlich maneuver, we are the people that are going to put out the fire. But we might miss those things if we’re too busy arguing with someone else about putting their mask on.”

Malis says dealing with unruly passengers is a team effort — if a passenger seems to have taken against a particular flight attendant, another crew member stepping in could calm them down.

Carr says she keeps tabs on mask-wearing from the moment travelers step onto the plane, and will first offer a friendly reminder.

If someone continues not to comply, there are several warning steps culminating in the traveler getting handed a card stating that if they continue, they’ll be reported to the airline and could lose travel privileges.

As Amirzadeh points out, a flight attendant can’t force someone to wear a mask.

“But I can let him know that if he doesn’t, then I hope that wherever we’re landing is his final destination, because his return ticket’s going to be canceled, we’re going to file a report with the FAA, and you could face fines, and other legal ramifications.”

“I think more and more flight attendants need to start taking some self defense classes and need to be prepared to protect themselves and that’s a sad thing,” says Amirzadeh.

Any passenger who “assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members” could face fines of up to $35,000 and prison time.

The agency has also asked US airports to ensure law enforcement on the ground deals with reported inflight incidents, as well as consider issues associated with to-go alcohol.

The AFA flight attendant union is pressing for the zero tolerance policy to become permanent.

“It’s also important that the Department of Justice is prosecuting some of these events,” says Carr. “These unruly passenger events have been so egregious, flight attendants have been attacked, and injured […] in situations like that, it’s important that they’re facing criminal prosecution and that’s something that needs to be publicized as well.”

Malis also suggests there should be further coordination between airlines to ensure passengers banned from one airline can’t board other US carriers.

Carr and Amirzadeh are both members of the AFA flight attendant union, while Malis is involved in the American Airlines’ union.

They say flight attendants have been sharing stories with their unions and their private networks — across carriers — providing support and solidarity.

The AFA union is offering employee assistance via therapy sessions.

“There are certainly flight attendants that definitely need a break physically, mentally, and emotionally. But right now, the staffing is not there to support any type of voluntary leave option,” says Malis.

State of the travel industry

Some flight attendants are concerned travel could shut down again.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

After a difficult year of furlough and redundancies, flight attendants are concerned that the dual effect of Covid-19 and unruly passengers could see aviation grind to a halt again.

Carr says one of the joys of her job has always been supporting passengers on their travels — whether they’re heading on a long-dreamed-of vacation, traveling under difficult circumstances or anything in between.

“I love this industry and my coworkers and having the traveling public back is wonderful,” she says. “But the pandemic is far from over. That is a reality. Covid-19 and the variants are still taking lives.”

The last thing Carr and her colleagues want to see is travel stalling again.

“We are doing everything we can to keep passengers safe on board and keep travel going, but without the support of the traveling public — without people taking those necessary steps to mitigate the spread, and help get a handle on this pandemic — we could be facing travel closing again, which would be horrible.”

Top photo courtesy Adobe Stock

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[snickerl]

Latkes and Mulled Wine

X-Files Fanfiction

This is a story I started a year ago as an answer to a writing challenge that sent our favorite agents abroad. In the midst of writing, a lunatic drove a truck into the Christmas market at Berlin, Germany, and killed 12 people. I didn't feel like finishing my fluffy story back then (you will find out why) and awakened the draft only recently from its long sleep.

Tagging @today-in-fic

Her phone was buzzing in her pocket. She pulled the knitted glove off her right hand with her teeth and tapped the green button to answer the call.

"Scully, it's me," she heard a familiar voice say, "watcha doin'?"

She wasn't surprised at all to get a call from him out of office hours on a Saturday afternoon. Since they were back working together for the FBI, they had grown closer again. And she was grateful for it. She had been the one leaving, but that didn't mean it had been any easier for her to live a life without the perfect other than for him. It had been like missing a limb and she wouldn't have survived her mother's sudden and unexpected passing without him. Mulder had been a great comfort and Scully felt her love for him winning back the upper hand over the disappointment and frustration she had to deal with during the last months of their cohabitation in their Virginia country house.

"I'm trying to find a Christmas tree that isn't crooked, fits nicely into the corner of my living room and doesn't cost a fortune!" She shook her head at a man holding out a thin douglas fir tree which seemed to have been chopped weeks ago who mumbled under his breath something like 'goes tree shopping three days before Christmas and wants to make a bargain.'

"Let me stop you there, Scully. Pack your bags, we're gonna spend Christmas at Bill's!"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Not only wouldn't she call Mulder and her older brother close and thus eager to spend the holidays with each other, what had to be even more astounding was the fact that Bill had been stationed at the Army's European headquarters in Germany for more than a year now. That was the reason he hadn't been able to come to Washington in time to say goodbye to their mother and Maggie Scully had died with only her daughter and son-in-law at her bedside.

"You heard me right. We're ordered in by the American Forces in Germany to investigate a case of a poltergeist terrorizing a dentist."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"No, far from that! They were incidents as such in the South of Germany already at the beginning of the 1980s. A voice spoke through the faucets in a dental practice. It was top of the news for weeks until it suddenly stopped." What he didn't tell her was that later on the dentist had been convicted as a phony who liked seeing his face in the newspapers and simply wanted to promote his practice nationwide.

"Are you saying we're shipped to another continent on the public's dime because a few anxious patients in a dental practice heard voices and freaked-out?"

"We're not talking about some people who are afraid to go to the dentist here, Scully. Scientists from the respected Fraunhofer Institute of Physics have examined every corner of the room and found no explanation whatsoever for the phenomenon, so they want us to get to the bottom of things. I got us tickets for a night flight to Frankfurt. You can sleep on the plane. I'll meet you at the airport at the Lufthansa check-in in two hours."

"Wait, Mul-" she started but he had already hung up.

She sighed. Christmas outside Washington? What would've sounded like a really bad idea only half a year ago seemed appealing to her now. She had dreaded the holiday season without her mother being around and had thought of visiting Bill's family in Germany herself, but an air passage to the other side of the Atlantic was above her current budget after renting and furnishing an apartment of her own.

The idea of seeing her brother and his family, her youngest niece in particular, on the Bureau's expenditures sounded tempting. It actually made her heart leap a tiny bit. And if she was honest, having Mulder around for Christmas would also be nice. So, two hours later, Scully met Mulder at the check-in counter of the German airline with two hastily packed suitcases. She had thrown in clothes for all kinds of weather conditions. Bill had once told her that the winter weather was unpredictable in Central Europe, varying from almost spring-like temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit to nasty winters with lots of snow and freezing temperatures.

The flight from Washington to Frankfurt took only 7 hours and 45 minutes, but with the six-hour time difference between the two countries and Germany being ahead of the US, they left D.C. at 5:30 pm and reached their final destination at seven o'clock the next morning. After one of those usual, not really mouth-watering and little appealing airline dinners, Mulder convinced Scully to have some red wine to make her sleepy, and as soon as their trays had been taken care of by the flight attendant, her eyelids became heavy and only moments later, her head came to a rest on his shoulder. He asked for a pillow and a blanket to make her comfortable and warm.

Mulder, for his part, wasn't able to sleep a single minute and passed the time watching two movies (Ghostbusters, to stay in the subject matter, and The Santa Clause, to get into a Christmas mood). After that, he listened to the latest Adele album, and later, he played a stupid computer game. Although his body was getting stiffer by the hour, he didn't dare to move too much in order not to wake his partner who clung to him more and more. He got up only once to use the restroom and returned to his seat as quickly as possible to find her still sleeping with her head leaned against the window.

As relieving as it would've been for his shoulder to leave her in this position, he enjoyed their physical contact too much, and the smell of her hair and the warmth of her body was a good enough compensation for a few strained muscles. So he slipped back into his seat and gently shoved her huddled form back to its prior resting place against his body. When she put her hand on his thigh in her sleep, Mulder stopped drinking to keep his bladder from calling for another visit to the restroom.

Scully slept through the entire flight and had to be shaken awake when breakfast was served one and a half hours prior to landing.

After their arrival, they picked up their luggage and made it through customs and passport control quickly. Bill Scully Jr. was waiting for them at the arrivals hall. Scully furrowed her brows. "Mulder? Why is my brother picking us up and not the Army Liasion Officer? Don't we have to report to the authorities directly? It's 8 o'clock in the morning, we have the whole day to get familiar with the case."

"Only because you slept like a log the whole night through doesn't mean I did," Mulder replied, hiding from her that he had enjoyed every single minute of his insomnia. "I need a shower and a nap. Your brother can drop me off at our hotel, I check us in, and you can spend the morning with your family. We're going to meet the Liasion Officer in the afternoon."

Mulder held his breath. Scully was the daughter of a Navy Captain and had been picked up plenty by Army Liasion Officers during her childhood and youth, she knew the usual procedures. To his relief, she only shrugged, then waved at her brother.

Mulder had never seen Scully's brother in uniform. He looked dashing, he had to admit, and also a bit formidable. He hugged his sister as if she was a brittle creature, and she almost vanished from sight with his long arms encircling her tiny frame. Mulder was taken aback by the deep, true brotherly love he saw on Bill's face. Scully almost melted into her brother's embrace, and Mulder realized how much she needed this family reunion. The funeral had taken place six months ago and she missed her mother terribly. Scully had always been a family person. She felt uprooted now that her mother had passed away and both parents were lost to her., Mulder knew. He mentally patted himself on the shoulder for having seized the opportunity to bring her here.

"Welcome to Germany." Bill stretched his hand out a little awkwardly for Mulder to shake and gave him a curt nod. "How's the flight been?"

'Very nice with your sister's hand on my thigh,' Mulder thought but just said "nice and quiet" instead.

"My car's outside. It's just a 30-minute drive back to the base," Bill told them. He lifted Scully's suitcases onto a baggage cart, stubbornly ignoring Mulder's. He obviously wasn't ever going to forgive him for having dragged his sister into the darkess of the X-Files, but Mulder was so used to being treated this way by Bill Scully that he only shrugged. He had been confronted with a harsher behavior than being given the cold shoulder, so he let him lead the way and followed him silently, pulling his suitcase along.

The car ride took a little longer than 30 minutes because of a heavy traffic jam on the highway. Scully was sitting in the passenger seat next to her brother, Mulder in the back. Of course, Bill hadn't wanted him in the front, but Mulder didn't mind. He looked out the window as the landscape slowly drifted past. He was a bit disappointed that the congested highway didn't allow for them to go at a faster speed. The lack of a general speed limit on the German Autobahn and the idea of going at a speed of 95 miles per hour and faster sounded exciting.

The army base was located in Wiesbaden. The first street sign Mulder saw told him the city was 45 kilometers away from the airport in Frankfurt. As Germany had the metric system, he had installed a converter app on his iPhone to translate miles into kilometers and degrees Fahrenheit into Celsius. He typed in 45 kilometers and got 28 miles, that really wasn't very far. It was minus eight degrees outside, the car's information systems told him, so he typed -8 into his app.

"Woah, it's only 17 degrees outside, Scully! And I hoped we would escape the chilling temperatures back in D.C."

"It's still morning," Bill said, "it's gonna get a bit warmer during the day, but they predicted a white Christmas this year."

"Is the hotel close to your house, Bill?" Scully asked.

"Yes, just a few blocks away. Within walking distance. Everything is a bit closer in this country. Germany is smaller than Montana, can you believe it!? Actually, why don't you stay at our place, Dana? Tara would love to have you."

"I know but it's more convenient for Mulder and me to be door to door while working on a case. We use to work until late, and it's nice to be able to just lie down and stretch out on your bed after a night of poring through files and discussing theories."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your work is always the top priority, I know."

"It's what brought us here, after all, Bill," she explained.

Mulder looked out the window and didn't take part in the conversation. He was so glad that Scully had asked to be accommodated in a hotel with him instead of in her brother's house. This trip would be a lot less fun if she slept far away from him at night and not in a room next to his. That Bill would invite Mulder into his house also, had been totally out of the question, of course.

"A voice coming from the faucet in a dental practice? You call that a case?"

"Bill," Scully said in a warning voice, "leave it, please!"

Bill rumbled, and Mulder grinned, still looking outside.

After a refreshing shower and a replenishing three-hour nap, Mulder asked the receptionist for the way to the address of the Scully residence at the Hainerberg housing area Bill had given him earlier. The installation was quite big but thanks to Google Maps, he had no problems finding his way. He reached the house after a 15-minute walk his legs welcomed after having been stuck for too long in a too narrow seat row for people his height. 'The Scullys - Bill, Tara, Matthew, Jason, Pete & Sarah' the nameplate at the front door said. Sarah had been the latecomer to the family, the long-awaited baby girl of the Scully clan. Maggie had been thrilled to have a first granddaughter. Bill and Tara had given her three grandsons until then, Charlie and his wife Brenda had two boys, Alexander and Michael, and Scully and he had William...in a former life, they had William. A past life.

He knocked, forcing a sigh back down his throat. Scully opened the door and beamed at him. Her smile made his gloomy thoughts evaporate in an instant.

"Hey, Mulder, good to see you," she greeted him. "You look well rested. Do you want to come in for a moment?"

"I think I better wait out here."

"Okay, just a sec. Let me grab my coat."

Mulder wasn't keen on meeting the happy family just yet. Tara had always been friendly to him, it would be nice to see her again, and he was curious how the boys had grown since the last time he'd seen them at Maggie's for Thanksgiving a couple years back. And he was looking forward to meeting baby Sarah, of course. She was two and most certainly cute as pie. Still, he would get his chance to see all of them, but for now, he wanted to have Scully to himself. She was a different person when she was with her family. She was Dana Katherine, Danes, aunt Dana, someone's beloved daughter, sister or aunt among them, but most certainly not Fox Mulder's anything. His attendance at Scully family gatherings had always meant a challenge for everyone and he was neither in the mood currently for an awkward dinner conversation followed by uncomfortable silence, nor for Bill Scully's scoffing. Mulder preferred to spend some time alone with Scully and appreciated her willingness to head out with him.

It only took her a minute until she joined him outside, pulling the door shut behind her. She believed he was picking her up to work on the case, of course, so buttoning up her coat, she asked, "Mulder, are we going to meet the Liasion Officer now?"

It was chilly outside. The temperature had dropped again after a temporary high of about 30 degrees during the day to a freezing 10 and it was starting to get dark already. As for December 21st, the shortest day in the Northern hemisphere, had just been yesterday, it already got dark in the late afternoon.

"Well, actually, I've just spoken to him and he told me that he wouldn't be available today because of something else he needed to take care of, so he asked us to meet him tomorrow morning in his office at the base."

"Oh! Why have you picked me up at my brother's then? What are we going to do now?"

"I heard they have a wonderful Christmas market downtown at the market square. It's called Twinkling Star Market and it's supposed to be very nice, with a huge Christmas tree, vendors who sell handcrafted Christmas items, food and drinks. There's even a jazz band playing Christmas carols. Have you ever had a traditional mulled wine, Scully? One made by a local winemaker of their own red wine? With cinnamon and cloves and orange peel? It's nothing like the one we get at home in a beverage carton."

"Is it close?"

"Everything is somewhat close here, Scully. Wiesbaden is not that big. 280,000 people, that's it, plus 20,000 at the base. The concierge told me there's a taxi company authorized to service US installations. He gave me the number. I could call us a cab to bring us downtown. It's just a 10-minute ride. Are you in?"

She was in need of something to warm her up, Mulder figured. She wasn't dressed properly for the weather. Her coat was warm enough and she had wrapped a scarf around her neck, but she hadn't thought of bringing some gloves or a beanie. She had to be cold and a hot beverage would do her good. He realized that sticking to his little scheme was paying off when she ordered him curtly, "get the cab, Mulder."

"So, Agent Mulder, when are we finally going to start working on the case?"

Scully looked at him above the brim of her mug, taking another sip of the hot, sweet and slightly intoxicating liquid. He had been right with everything. The cab ride hadn't even taken ten minutes, the Christmas market was delightful, and the mulled wine flowing through her veins warmed her up from within.

"Uh, Scully I have a confession to make."

Her right eyebrow shot up. "A confession?"

Mulder shifted his weight from foot to foot and cleared his throat. "Yeah," he admitted meekly.

"Fire away," she encouraged him, eyeing him with a look of expectancy. He had hoped to be able to procrastinate this a little longer, like one or two more mulled wines longer at least, but the moment had obviously come. He cast his eyes down and looked at his feet, unable to look at her when the realization of what he had done struck her.

"Well...there is no case."

"I see," was all she replied, leaving him dangling in the air, hiding what this revelation evoked in her. She didn't seem too surprised, though, and, what was even more astounding to Mulder, not angry. Maybe just not yet.

As she said nothing, just looked at him with her eyebrows seemingly nailed at her hairline, he felt the need to explain further. "I made it up. Not the ghost story in a German dental practice 35 years ago, that actually did happen."

She was still calm, too calm to Mulder's liking. He had expected her to blow up once he told her, to ask him how he could mislead her like that, if nothing had changed and he still couldn't be trusted, why he wanted to ruin her Christmas by dragging her to a foreign country, but none of these questions were asked. Actually, nothing was asked and it made him nervous. He could see how she bit the inside of her cheek which usually wasn't a good sign as it meant she was trying to keep something inside she didn't want to say.

Eventually, after Mulder felt like he had to shake a reaction out of her, she said, "but the ghost in a dental practice at an American Army base these days, that one you made up."

"That one, yes," he conceded contritely and couldn't keep himself from speaking out what kept him guessing. "You don't seem surprised."

Scully's exterior was somewhat relaxed but her eyes bore into her partner as if she wanted to make him shiver with her intensive gaze. Their color made him think of an ice-cold mountain creek rather than the warming waters of the Carribean they usually did. She took another sip of her mulled wine without releasing him from the magnetic pull of her beguiling irises. Instead of saying something, she cocked her eyebrow in that significant wordless gesture she had the mastery of doing so perfectly and Mulder's mind started spnning. 'Oh boy, I'm in trouble,' he thought. The longer it took her to form the words of what she wanted to say, the worse it would be for him. After what seemed an eternity, an eternity he halted between 'she appreciates the effort' and 'she's furious', she finally deemed him worthy to let him know in which direction the scale was going to drop.

"I suspected it from the moment we weren't picked up by the Liasion Officer at the airport. I left a message for him with the switchboard to give me a call at my brother's and the longer it took for him to call me back, the more suspicious I got. I called Skinner eventually and found my assumption confirmed. Imagine my confusion when he asked me whether I was enjoying the vacation time you had filed for the both of us."

"Shit, I should've let him in."

"Let him in on what, Mulder? Why did you make up a case in Germany?"

"Would you have come here with me for Christmas if I had simply asked you?"

"Probably not."

"See!"

"Why did you want me to come here so desperately in the first place?"

"Scully, come on, I'm not that insensitive. I know how much you miss your mother, and I realized that the first Christmas without her would be very hard on you, especially with no other family member around for you to spend Christmas Eve with. So, I thought I should bring you here to be with your brother's family, and a case seemed to be the best way. I could always make you follow me on a case."

He flashed her one of his boyish grins, his puppy eyes sparkling with his thirst for adventure and childish joy, a facial expression he knew would do the trick. He had used it countless time to appeal to her. And to his immense relief, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when she said, "I was angry when I realized how you'd manipulated me to follow you. Again. For the hundredth time, probably. But then I saw your intentions, and they were all decent and honorable. But Mulder, if not the Bureau, who paid for the airline tickets?"

Now it was his time to remain quiet. He took a sip of wine instead of supplying an answer.

"Mulder?" Scully insisted.

"Another mulled wine, Scully?"

"Mulder!"

"They're really good, aren't they? Why don't we have this stuff in America?"

"You paid for the tickets," she stated. "Are you insane?"

"I would've gotten us business class seats, but in that case, you would've instantly known that we weren't going on our government's costs. I got us an upgrade for the return flight though. It will be much more comfortable. You will be able to sleep in one of those comfortable lie-flat seats." He and his long legs would also appreciate the luxury of additional space.

"Mulder, that's an awful lot of money!"

"Consider it my present for you. Merry Christmas, Scully," he said with a gentle smile, squeezing her upper arm.

"That's very sweet of you, but I can't accept that."

"Yes, you can. You have to! Let me do this for you, please. All I wanted was for you to spend Christmas with your family."

Mulder saw how she struggled with herself, how the notion of him spending so much money for her was bothering her, but then she stepped forward into his sphere and cast a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Mulder."

"You're welcome."

The spot where her lips had met his skin tingled and he felt a pleasant fluttering in his stomach. After all these years she still had the power to do this to him. A simple kiss on the cheek and he was hovering above the ground.

Scully took another swig, then asked somewhat casually, "what made you think I would celebrate Christmas without any family around back in D.C.?"

"Huh? Bill is based in Germany and Charlie has made it clear at the funeral that him surfacing for a family reunion would be a once-only occurrence. Any distant relatives I don't know you planned to spend the holidays with?"

"Not so very distant."

Mulder asked himself whom she was talking about. Her parents were dead, her sister was dead, and he'd never heard of an aunt or cousin or great grand uncle she was particularly close to. What family secret had she been hiding from him for the last 23 years?

"Are you going to tell me about the black sheep of the family now? The one Scully you only whisper to each other about on the quiet, hiding their existence to the outside world?"

He grinned, then pursed his lips. Mulder thought he was being very funny, but Scully wasn't laughing. She shook her head, supplying eventually, "I meant you, you dumbhead!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you! That you are here with me makes the whole thing perfect. You are family, Mulder, my family." She showed him a loving smile and evoked another pleasant tingle in his stomach with it, one he didn't really know how to handle.

"Hmm, I think your brother would like to discuss that. I doubt he's ever seen me as a family member."

"My brother simply thinks he needs to protect his little sister, that's all. He's never understood what you are to me, Mulder. You and I, we are a family. Nobody would question it if things were different...if we still had William."

A sad sigh escaped her chest he was sure she would've liked to keep inside. Mulder noticed her wall coming down and although he hated to see her hurting, he was also grateful for she hardly ever spoke about William. She preferred to keep her son locked up in her heart with nobody to share him with, not even him. He chalked it up to the alcohol in Scully's system that she was so vulnerable and defenseless right now for her to expose her inner self, her weak spot.

Mulder closed the gap between them and pulled her into an embrace. Because of their thick winter coats, he was almost unable to encircle her completely, but when she rested her head on his chest he kissed her hair. Lacking the words to soothe her everlasting pain over the loss of her son he said nothing. He only held her, rocking her gently, and stroked her back.

It took her some long minutes to recollect herself. The jazz band resumed playing after a break they had taken and the melody of Baby, It's Cold Outside filled the air, the soft voice of the lead singer resonating in Mulder's ear. A perfect cue.

"How about another one of those wonderfully warming wines, Scully?"

She backed away from him, brushing some tears away. "Well, I guess I should eat something first or I'll be drunk by the end of the next mug and you have to carry me home, Mulder," she deadpanned.

Swoosh! The ban was broken, the protective armor around her heart re-installed. Mulder was grateful again because he brought her here having ulterior motives in his mind, and they had certainly not been to make her sad. He was on a mission, and he was about to undertake step two in its completion. The way to a person's heart was through their stomach, wasn't it?

"I overheard some locals earlier who were talking about a booth offering latkes with applesauce which are supposed to be really good. Interested?"

"You overheard some locals? Since when do you speak German, Mulder?"

"I had a German roommate for a year when I was in Oxford. I picked up some words."

"Some words. Like latkes and applesauce. Ordinary, every-day vocabulary, so to say."

"Well, it so happened that my friend Klaas Hansen and I spoke about our favorite dish once and his was his mother's latkes with applesauce. I memorized it. Maybe because I liked it a lot myself."

"Your mother made latkes with applesauce for you?" The tone of her voice revealed how hard it was for Scully to picture Teena Mulder, a somewhat stiff and cold woman with only little motherly affection, at the stove making her son happy preparing his favorite dish.

"Not mine, his!"

"Ah, okay. How did that happen?"

"Klaas brought me along for a home leave once over a long but too short weekend to fly to the US and back. His family lived on one of these little North Sea islands. We took the bus from England and a ferry and his father picked us up with the horse-drawn cart he usually used to drive the tourists around the tidal flats. It was pretty cool. Klaas was the oldest of five siblings and his mother made dozens of latkes to feed everyone. They were delicious. The Hansens grew their own apples and potatoes in the garden next to their house. The applesauce was sweet, thick, and a bit chunky. Mrs. Hansen was a very kind woman, hospitable and caring. Everybody was very nice to me and tried to make me feel at home, nobody was making fun of my name. It's one of the fondest memories of my studenthood, to be honest. I have never forgotten Klaas's mother asking me over and over, "noch ein Kartoffelpuffer, Fox?' I ate until I was so full I couldn't move for hours."

Scully crossed her arms, smiled at him and threw him an amused look. "Cute story. Juvenile Fox getting fed with homegrown produce by his German university roommate's mother. After all these years, you still surprise me."

"That's good, isn't it? I don't want you to get bored hanging out with me."

Now she laughed whole-heartedly. "No, Mulder, I don't think my life will ever be boring as long as you are in the picture."

Mulder held his hand out. "Let's go then. The booth is opposite the merry-go-round."

"You overheard the locals say," Scully stated matter-of-factly, accepting the hand he offered.

"Exactly," Mulder replied with a satisfied grin and dragged her in the direction of a historic carousel at the other end of the Christmas market. Now that it was dark, more people arrived to let their workday end with a warming mulled wine or Christmas punch. Mulder was in the front, held on to Scully's hand and pulled her along behind him through the crowd, mumbling "excuse me" here and the German equivalent "Entschuldigung" there.

After several minutes of fighting their way through groups of people drinking, eating, and chatting, they reached the booth they were looking for. It was quite busy and Mulder had to stand in line for some minutes until it was his turn to order the food. "Zwei Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus, bitte," he said to a woman inside the food truck, his American accent threaded into the unfamiliar words. "Sehr gerne," the woman said. She obviously understood what he wanted. A moment later, she handed him two paper plates, each loaded with three huge deep-fried latkes and a gigantic scoop of applesauce. "Sieben Euro, der Herr," she said. "Vielen Dank," Mulder replied and gave her a ten euro bill. Tucking the change into his pocket, he motioned for Scully to move to one of the nearby bistro tables.

"Not bad, Mulder," Scully said, "I didn't know you were fluent in German."

Scully wasn't easily impressed, and he had managed to elicit an appreciative remark from her with the short exchange at the food truck already, a more sophisticated conversation might leave a lasting impression on her. His language skills hadn't exactly made her bow to him in awe so far, his Spanish was more than fragmentary and besides the 'je t'aime' a leggy exchange student from Paris had once breathed into his ear he didn't know any French.

Flattered by his partner's open admiration, Mulder replied cockily, "watch this!" He dug up the German words from deep down his memory and approached one of the bistro tables. "Ist diese Platz frei?" he asked two young women standing at one of them loud enough for Scully to hear. He tried to sound like Klaas had sounded, but he had to admit that his American accent distorted his pronunciation quite a bit. The tiny grammar mistake he made, however, passed unnoticed by him. The two young women looked at each other, then smiled at him and nodded, waving their hands in a welcoming gesture. Mulder smiled back and moved closer to the table. "Vielen Dank, meine Damen, sehr freundlich von Sie. Wunderbar," he said as he put his paper plate down, having the grammar slightly wrong again - German grammar can be tricky - and pronouncing the last word in a way that made the two women giggle girlishly.

"Wo kommen Sie denn her? Sie sind nicht von hier, oder?" one of them asked.

"Uh," Mulder hesitated, "do you speak English? My German isn't that good." He heard Scully chuckle silently behind him and chided himself mentally for having laid in on a bit thick with respect to his German conversation skills. "Did you ask me where I was from?"

The women looked at each other and grinned. The other one said, "your German is very good, but you sound like you're English or American. I asked you where you were from, right." The woman was in her late twenties, but she was obviously flirting with Mulder. From her vantage point behind Mulder's back, which was even broader with the thick overcoat he was wearing, Scully noticed the way the girl flashed him a toothy smile, her eyes beaming at him.

"I'm from Washington, D.C.," Mulder told her.

"Cool!" the other female shrieked. She was about the same age as her friend and equally excited about their foreign male company at the table. Scully made her presence known by coughing slightly. "Excuse me," she interfered in the little chat the three of them were having.

Mulder turned around, put his hand on the small of her back and nudged Scully forward, positioning her between him and his female conversation partners. "Scully, these two gentle youngsters let us share their table."

The features of said youngsters froze as they realized the man they had probably deemed worthy some overtures on their part was in the company of a female, a good-looking one to top it. The fact he had called them youngsters was probably also somewhat disillusioning.

Scully suppressed a grin. Mulder was still hunky and made an impression on women, even when they were almost half his age. She had been looking at the girls, how they had instantly checked him out when he first approached them, how they had opened their eyes wide and how they had pursed their full, perfectly made-up lips. She had to give them credit, though, they recovered quickly and managed to make a decent face at her.

"Oh, hello! Are you also from Washington?" one of them asked Scully.

"Yes, yes, I am," Scully replied. "Thank you for allowing us to share your table."

"No problem, we're done anyway. You can have the whole thing to yourselves. Enjoy the...uh..." One turned to the other and mumbled, "was heißt denn Kartoffelpuffer auf Englisch?"

"It's latkes," Mulder told her, "Kartoffelpuffer is latkes in English," and made them both giggle again, probably because his way of pronouncing Kartoffelpuffer sounded very different from theirs.

"Okay, mister, enjoy the latkes then. And have a nice stay in Wiesbaden. We have to go now. Tschüss!"

"Tschüss, and thank you very much, ladies. It was nice talking to you." His friendly nature earned him another smile and one last gaze, then they turned around and were swallowed by the crowd a moment later.

"Nice girls," he said, redirecting his attention to Scully. "How do you like it? The latkes and the applesauce?"

It wasn't exactly the kind of healthy food she normally preferred. The latkes had been deep-fried in a huge pan with lots of oil and fat was dripping off her fingers. The applesauce was very sweet with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. But the food was hot and soft and rich, and it tasted very good. Plus, the fat would help her come to terms with the alcohol she had been drinking.

"It's good," Scully said, dipping another piece of latke into the applesauce and popping it into her mouth.

"Did you see the Ferris wheel, Scully? Care to take a ride? I bet the view from up there isn't so bad. We might even see the base."

Scully turned around and followed his index finger when he pointed to a spot behind her. In the distance, there was a huge Ferris wheel, probably about 50 meters high. The gondolas were illuminated festively and seemed to hover through the air.

"Look, Scully, it's called 'Out of Space'. It will be like flying our own private spacecraft. If that isn't a Ferris wheel we should ride, I don't know what is," he said, a smirk flashing across his face.

"It's cold, Mulder. I assume it's freezing up there in the night sky. I've never heard of a flying saucer with central heating."

"I can keep you warm," he offered a bit overhastily.

"I don't know."

"Come on, Scully, don't be such a party pooper. We can have another mulled wine once we're grounded again," Mulder supplied in addition, hoping to allay her last concerns with it. "When was the last time you were riding one of those?" 'It's romantic,' he had on the tip of his tongue but managed to swallow down before it slipped out. He didn't want to reveal his intentions just yet, not before she had nowhere to go as in up high in the German sky in a gondola of a space-themed Ferris wheel.

Twenty minutes later, Mulder had bought two tickets and they were standing in line to get on. Probably because of the low temperatures, there wasn't too much press of people and Mulder indicated the supervisor for them to get a gondola to themselves. He threw the man a knowing look and got a conspirational wink back. The guy threw Mulder a blanket, murmuring, "viel Spaß, ihr Turteltäubchen!"

"What did he say?" Scully wanted to know once they were seated and the gondola had taken off.

"He said' 'have fun'," Mulder translated, leaving aside the 'lovebirds' the man had added. But Scully wasn't so easily be taken as a fool.

"I understood that. I meant after that. What did he say after the 'have fun'?"

"I didn't understand that either," he lied. "It's not important, Scully. Let's just enjoy the ride." He draped the blanket over their legs, put his arms around her shoulder and pulled her close.

The guy got the message, of course. Maybe they weren't regular love birds, lovey-dovey teenagers who were totally crazy about each other and unable to leave their hands off the other, but Mulder was eager to complete his mission, that much was sure. Christmas was a romantic holiday, and this wonderful Christmas market had worked well to get him into a romantic mood. All that was left for him to do now was to get his rational, factual partner into a romantic mood as well. Then the evening might end in a way he had hoped it would ever since the idea of flying her to Germany had first popped up in his mind. Actually, ever since they had started working together again, he hoped for them to return to what their relationship once was before he had ruined it, a deeply romantic one.

"Look at the lights, Scully," Mulder pointed to the Christmas market below. The huge Christmas tree in front of the city hall was sparkling and the nicely-lit booths and food trucks spread a festive mood. The noise from down there wasn't more than a muffled hum up above in the sky, where they were rising higher and higher at a pleasantly slow speed. "Nice," Mulder mumbled out into the dark night sky and pulled Scully closer, tucking her under his arm.

"It really is nice, Mulder. I have to thank you again for bringing me here. I owe you one."

"Nah!" he stopped her with a wave of his hand. This was worth every penny he'd spent on airline tickets. "I'd do everything for you just to make you smile, Scully."

She sat up and flashed him one of those wonderful smiles he loved so much. A smile not wide and toothy, but one that reached her eyes and made her face glow. She placed a kiss at the corner of his mouth. Not on his cheek, at the corner of his mouth with her lips touching the outermost ends of it. If he turned his head just a little, his lips would land fully on hers, but before he could finish that thought she had already returned to her prior position under his arm, so he kissed her temple instead.

They had already made it three quarters through their first round and were on their way down again. When they passed through the entrance area without a stop, Mulder caught the eye of the guy who had made them mount the gondola and had given them the blanket. He winked at Mulder, showing him a quizzical face as if asking what he was waiting for. How many full circles would this thing do, Mulder wondered. How much time was left for him make her let him kiss her? Really kiss her. And then he was dealt a lucky card when Scully's teeth started clattering on their way up in the dark night sky.

"Are you cold, Scully?"

"I told you it'd be kinda chilly up here."

"Come here," Mulder offered, turning her body toward him and pulling her legs into his lap. He folded the blanket to put two layers of the warming fabric over her. He blew into his palms, then cupped her face with them. "Better?"

"Uhumm," Scully purred. "Why are your hands always warm, Mulder?"

"So I can heat you up, Scully," he replied, rubbing her back to prove it. Scully rested her head on Mulder's shoulder, thawing slowly under his ministrations.

They had made another full round by now, passing the blanket guy again. He threw Mulder a sympathetic look, shaking his head. 'I made some progress!' Mulder wanted to shout at him. This had to be done delicately. He couldn't just throw himself at her, but he saw the predicament he found himself in. They wouldn't be riding this Ferris wheel forever and if he wanted to tease a kiss out of her, he needed to come up with an idea. Quickly.

To his luck, Scully herself supplied the perfect cue. "God, Mulder, I'm so cold. I can hardly talk, my whole face is frozen. My lips feel numb and stiff, I bet they're blue already."

Jackpot!

"Let me have a look, Scully." With his index finger, his very warm index finger, he lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "Yes, your lips have turned purple and they look very cold. Someone would need to do something." With this, he pressed his lips, his very warm lips, onto hers.

Her lips were indeed freezing, and he was afraid she wasn't feeling anything, but her pleasant hum told him otherwise. "Mmmmulder, so warm," she mumbled appreciatively, her lips in contact with his all the time.

Mulder answered, his lips also not leaving hers while he spoke. "My body heat at your service, my lady!"

Scully giggled, which encouraged Mulder to push a little further. He put one hand on her neck and, pulling her closer, he intensified the kiss, praying for her not to break it. 'Don't overdo it, Mulder!' he warned himself, but her lips tasted too delicious, the last kiss they shared been far too long, and his craving for this too demanding for him to be able to stop now. Instead, he gently brushed her lower lip with the tip of his tongue and found his prayers answered when she opened her mouth to welcome him. Their tongues said their hellos and embraced each other like long-lost friends. That was what they were: long-lost friends, partners, lovers.

He was amazed by how familiar the sensation was as if not two years had passed since their last real kiss but two minutes. Kissing her felt like coming home. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation, no having to get to know each other again. Mulder was hit to the core by the intensity of his feelings and hoped that Scully was enjoying this as much as he was. His doubts were washed away when he felt her hands, her very cold hands, cup his face, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. Mulder mentally high-fived himself when he realized that they were making out, really and truly making out. Like teenage lovebirds after all, or 'Turteltäubchen' as the Germans called them.

When they passed the blanket guy again at the bottom of the wheel, Mulder was too occupied with sharing his body heat with the woman sitting on his lap now, the blanket wrapped around her like a cocoon, but he could literally feel the guy's acknowledging look resting on them before he heard him murmur, "na, geht doch!"

'Yeah,' Mulder thought, 'you're absolutely right, man! There we go!'

END

Have a look at the Christmas market of my hometown here. You will find out that there even is a Ferris wheel, it’s just not space-themed....

[gotravel2fly]

From India, with love

repost from 21st November 2019 on gotravel2fly

Bir Billing take-off site

Going to India for 3 weeks this year was a rushed decision and everything had to be planned in only one month. We wanted to catch the best possible time for flying in Bir, so we decided that mid-October - mid-November is the best time for traveling and for flying there.The result was amazing, we had the best adventure ever in discovering this country, the people and their culture. Of course, just a tiny little part of India, but it is a start. We've met a few people we already knew from Colombia and lots of other people from all over the world.Places like Bir in India or Roldanillo in Colombia are spots for paraglider pilots eager to fly many hours per day, many days in a row, but suitable from beginner to very experienced level. Bir offers a large range of types of flying: for beginner level there can be local flying and small xc flights, for intermediate level there can be XC flying on the front ridges and for experienced level there can be flying in the back, on higher peaks and can be transformed in vol-biv very easily so this type of flying needs to be very well planned in advance, with full equipment on.

Getting to Bir, Himachal Pradesh region, is an adventure itself, because the place is quite remote. We got our cheapest plane tickets with a 9h stopover in Istanbul, so we had a very short flight from Bucharest and almost a full day of maybe visiting Istanbul. So we found out that Turkish Airlines has some city tours for people who have big stopovers and we made it in the last minute to a 6h guided tour, with lunch included in the old city center and visits the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia. It worth every minute of it and we really enjoyed this tour.Unfortunately getting back at the airport we found out that our flight to New Delhi was delayed with 2h40min so we missed our connection bus to Dharamshala.We bought our sim cards for getting an Indian telephone number and Internet but the guy said that it wouldn't work in the next 12h..so I couldn't reach my friend in New Delhi who would have helped me get another good option for arriving in Bir.So our spontaneous plan B was negotiating for 2h30 for a cab in the airport to get us directly to Bir on the same day.Our first stop by cab was in a vegetarian restaurant Shiva, where all the food was very spicy, even the bread. I think the food would be tastier without all the spices, but that s just me.After 12h of waiting for the sim cards to activate, we discovered that the guy only gave us the physical sim cards but not registered them with the extra option we paid for... So we had to pay again in some shop on our way to Bir.We had a few stops because it was a long journey, even there was only about 500 km. It took us 14h to get to Bir and I start to think that the roads in Romania are not that bad after all. Here in India our taxi driver was a very good one but the roads are impossible to drive faster than he did. Near some cities, there was so much chaos that I 've never seen before and I honestly don't know anyone to manage to drive better than this guy. But the last 100 km was so long.. They wouldn't finish. We managed to get to Bir at 1.30 am, after almost 40hours of traveling and not sleeping. I was so tired that even after 7h sleep in the bed, I didn't want to go flying. But I did  and it was great.The place here in Bir is great, amazing views, friendly people (friendlier than in Delhi I might add) but being tired I didn't want to deal with potential dubious retrieval so I flew in the area for 2h in my first day.Funny fact is that obviously with huge luggage I did not bring my hairdryer. The local solution was to go to the hairdresser, pay him 20 rupees and dry my hair with his hairdryer.

Bir bus station area

The habit here in Bir is to wake up very early if you want to fly far. Sure, that was not the case for me ( because in the first few days I had to get used to the new area of flying, have the mindset that I can do longer flights, you know, confidence troubles) but the others were kind of desperate to fly more and more and so at 8.30 we were already in the cab on our way up. The trip from Bir to the take-off takes about 45 minutes by taxi and it costs 600 rupees. The whole time we had a personal taxi driver, a guy who waited for us every morning at 8.30 to drive us up.The take-off is always crowded even at 9 a.m., with people launching even if there is no thermal, just enjoying the views. In the first days we showed up the inversion didn't let me go too high, but I had nice flights trying to be patient in the air ( the only thing I could think of was Ivo telling Andrei Turnu at the SIV course: be patient, you have to have patience )

Bir -landing area 

  The food in Bir is mixed: you can have Indian dishes, Tibetan dishes or international cuisine (pizza, pasta, falafel, etc). I have tried many of the restaurants there and everywhere the food was good and did not have any problem ( as I thought I would have).The weather here in Bir is usually OK for flying after the monsoon period, so the start of October - mid-November and also in the springtime April-May. But this year it seems that the monsoon had extended and the weather was still very humid the first 2 weeks of October. Problem is that after monsoon come stable days... There was an inversion layer around 2300m and it is mostly ok if you fly on the higher mountains in the back, but from the take-off, you have to reach out to the inversion and fly only above it. If you fall under it, you struggle a lot. So all these being said, my 3rd day of flying in Bir was a complete frustration because I could not get above the inversion for 1h45min. I started to think that I'm a mess and I don't have any idea how to fly. So I landed, pack my glider, return to the homestay and enjoy a nice afternoon visiting the village and one of the Buddhist monasteries in Bir. 

Photos from various Buddhist temples in Bir

the best Masala tea@ Garden Cafe in Bir

After a memorable day of flying, Vlăduț decided that he can sacrifice one day for flying with me, just to give me confidence in flying some distance. Although the day seemed to be the same as the day before, it actually was better as most of the people who took off in the morning managed to climb above the inversion. So did I and first personal record I broke today was the altitude one, I reached 3300m, the highest I've ever flown before with a paraglider. We decided to go to Dharamshala and back and Vladut flew with me all the time, practicing his patience and waiting for me to climb and then waiting for me to glide and so on. The view was just amazing, it's absolutely breathtaking flying near so high mountains. And we flew only in the front, not going on the main ridge actually. On our way back from Dharamshala, on a green terrace where I was trying to get a climb, I saw some animals moving around. They were probably impressed with our colorful wings so they gathered from the bushes and trees. As I could not climb very well there, so losing some hight over the terrace, I was wondering what animals were they so I looked more carefully and I realized they were grey monkeys, like the ones from the Jungle Book. I was so amazed that I circled again around the terrace and I managed to scare some of them away, still, I saw some small baby monkeys.The flight was the longest I 've ever had, duration and distance, flying 6h4min and 85km flat triangle. So 3 personal records in one day. Plus I managed to sum up over 100 flying hours this year, till now. Yep, pretty cool feeling!

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:raluca_dd/23.10.2019/04:46

The strange feeling here is that every day is different and you can not tell until you fly. You cannot say in the morning if there is a good day or not, the weather can change very quickly and you just have to adapt.When there is overdevelopment or raining or strong wind, you can go visiting some more Buddhist temples.One good thing about the food here is that they have a lot of vegetarian dishes, so I actually haven't eaten any meat in India. I think that this is a good thing for me and I will try to keep this habit longer.The drinking water here is not a problem as I heard about the rest of India. They have here some fountains and everyone drinks from there. I tried not to use so much plastic, so I brought my own metallic recipient for filling it with drinking water.The problem here is the trash. I did not figure out how they collect the trash but most of it gets in the rivers, so the water from the river is only clean on the mountain where are no people. Otherwise everywhere here people throw the trash in the water or they burn it.Another thing you can do when not flying in Bir is renting a bike and visit the Buddhist monastery called Palpung Sherabling, 40 minutes ride from Bir, Dharamshala direction, but on a secondary road(I cannot explain the chaos is here on the roads even when it is not a big city). The whole visit worth it, not only because we saw a big group of monkeys at the monastery, but because I had the best ginger-lemon-honey tea ever and we were also witnesses at the monks' prayers during their ritual. That was an intense and very rhythmic experience in the temple where children and adults monks were singing and reading their mantras and playing on two big drums and horns. I don't know much about the Buddhist religion but the atmosphere was impressive and somehow not that different from our Orthodox church inside monasteries.After many local or very short xc flights, I manage to focus and stay in the air longer time so I get to fly more distance. The classic route is to take off in the morning, go west to Dharamshala, come back and go east to Camp 360.

Baijnath bazaar

The few first days in November weren't that great, it was very unstable weather and it rained for one night that I thought it wouldn't be flyable the next day, but it was. The weather is not very predictable, but it is flyable almost every day.One day we decided that it is no worth going up to the take-off because it was cloudy so we went to a small hike in the wilder parts of the village to see a small Hindu temple. Then we decided to visit a village near Bir, Bashnat, a few km away. So we took the bus because now we were 5 so we don't fit in one taxi. The ride by bus was very cheap and we really enjoyed it. In Bashnat we visited a 1000 years old Hindu temple, just amazing. All sculpted in stone with a lot of decoration.If you like Indian clothes, you will find tons of them in bazaars, all kinds and colors. The trouble is that especially in the countryside there are not ready-made, so you can buy a kit containing one scarf and two textile materials fo trousers -salvar and for the dress named kurta. After that, you have to go to a tailor to sew your new clothes to fit you. It is quite cheap to do that, so I managed to buy a full kit with 750 rupees and paid the tailor 300 rupees. The tailor was very professional and the kurti was amazingly beautiful. We were out dressed in them, celebrating my new distance record 122 km flat triangle, Vlăduț's 150 km fai triangle and the last night in Bir of Kevin and Lisa, our new friends from Australia.

https://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:raluca_dd/5.11.2019/04:41

For the last week, we have visited some other places, Palampur and the tea plantations and Dharamshala with Dalai Lama's temple. The bazaars are full of stuff to buy as souvenirs. Himachal Pradesh is an amazing area. All the people we've met were friendly and kind and we decided to come back again next year.Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. We had to wear masks to be able to breathe filtered air, especially because in this period, many people use to burn down their fields and also there is a holiday called Diwali when everybody burns firecrackers all over the place for 3 to 5 days. So the quality of the air is very much reduced because of this. The initial plan was to stay for 2 nights in Delhi and one day to visit Agra and the Taj Mahal. We abandoned this plan when we found out that the quality of the air was very poor with a hazardous risk. So only one day in the big city was more than enough to understand why people in India we talked with prefer to stay on the mountainside, away from the big crowded 28-million-people capital.We enjoyed taking photos with lots of people in Delhi, where we happened to get to a Sanskrit Meeting in an exhibition complex.

1000 years old Hindu Temple in Baijnath

Tea plantation @ Palampur

in Delhi with Alexandra and some nice dressed girls

India, we will come back for sure!

the chaos in Delhi

the veggie momos

[blazerina]

Here Comes the Sun (Sean x MC)

Author’s Note: This deals a little bit with mental anguish and the basic types of anxiety or stress that happen to anyone after or during a traumatic life event. Just want to say that up front.

Rating; PG-13? (I stink at ratings but there are some mature themes, nothing more than that though)

This is the first time in a while that I’ve entered something into the Choices Creates competition with the prompt of TRAVEL.  Tagging @angelschoices and @hollyashton.  I know this is a late submission so I apologize for missing the time deadline.

I wrote this because there’s just not enough Sean Gayle love in this world.

Hope you enjoy!

–

A wave of ice-cold water ran up and down his spine. He felt his extremities shiver and seize, tensing up one final time before giving in and becoming completely numb. Soon the water was pouring over his head and his breath began to quicken. The same ice water that was freezing his body, began to rapidly fill his lungs and as they tightened with each shallow breath, it felt as if life was being squeezed and pulled from every vein within him.  Somehow, while he was struggling for air and feeling intense, frigid tremors from head to toe, he was also feeling warm.  Strong, penetrating waves of heat were making their way up and down his body, but the hotness was mainly pooling at the top of his head, as if he was sweating, all while he struggled and wrestled with himself beneath the water.

He could hear the blood-curdling screams of his friends at the surface of the frozen lake. All of them were calling for him and yelling out his name. Taylor’s voice was piercing and could be heard louder, longer and above the rest. He could feel her hand slipping over his forearm as he was pulled further and further below the surface. Images of her face flashed like a slide-show in his mind.

Her gentle and bright blue eyes that were such a contrast to her dark hair. Her confident smile that reassured him more times than he could count. The way she absentmindedly brushed her bangs out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear. This was the last memory and thought that flickered in his mind before total darkness hit.

–

“Taylor! TAYLOR!” Sean sat up quickly, calling out to her, breathing heavily and holding his head. His temples were throbbing. In his sleepy stupor, he laid back down and rolled over in bed. His arms reached out for her, fumbling his way through the empty sheets.

“Why do these dreams keep happening? It’s been 7 years…” he mumbled, knowing in a matter of moments he’d feel her arm, or her body next to him, if he continued to feel around for her.

“T?” He opened his eyes and then let out a heavy sigh.  Looking around the room, he realized he wasn’t home. He was on the road, in another hotel for what felt like the billionth time.

—

One week later…

“Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of our airline, I’d like to be the first to welcome you to Chicago. Please keep your seatbelts buckled until the captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign.  We will be arriving at our gate in just a moment. If you need connecting information, please check the monitors in the terminal. For those of you staying with us here in Chicago, your luggage will arrive at carousel 8B…”

The calming tone of the flight attendant’s voice woke Sean from his slumber.  He was groggy and shook his head quickly to wake himself up.  “Wow.” He muttered under his breath, realizing he slept for the entirety of his flight.  His doctor had given him a new prescription for his flight anxiety, due to the fact that the medication he had previously been using stopped helping. He travelled too much these days and was on an airplane at least twice every other week. Sean hated using any kind of medicine to help calm him down, but there really wasn’t any other remedy.

Looking around, he stretched his arms above his head, careful not to disturb the person in the window-seat next to him. “S’cuse me.” He nodded, making eye contact with the man on his right.

“Mr. Gayle.” A flight attendant knelt next to Sean’s chair. “I know you were asleep for the flight, but is there anything I can get you before you leave?”

“No, no thank you. I appreciate it, though.” He smiled, and then bent over to reach underneath the seat in front of him for the leather satchel-briefcase that Taylor had given him for Christmas.  He ran his fingers over his monogram “SMG” that was ghost-stamped on the front, and thought of her.  He missed her so much.  He was painfully aware of his need to have her with him, and never felt completely himself unless she was by his side.

He opened the bag and found his phone, holding down the button to turn it on.  He wanted to call her.  He craved the sound of her voice.

“Sorry to disturb you again, Mr. Gayle.” The flight attendant returned.

“I don’t typically do this, especially when I’m working in the first class cabin…” she fixed her gaze to the floor of the plane, not making eye contact with Sean, all of a sudden appearing nervous.

“It’s no problem.” Sean assured her, realizing what she was doing.  The plane lurched to a sudden stop and a clear bell rang out, signaling freedom for the passengers. While everyone began to stand up and gather their belongings, the attendant stumbled a bit into the Sean’s chair.  He steadied her, offering his hand.

“My son would just be so incredibly thrilled if you could sign anything…a napkin, a gum wrapper, anything at all!” She gushed, clapping her hands together, hoping he would comply with her request.

“Sure thing. Uh, let’s see what I’ve got here…” Reaching into the pocket of his sport coat, Sean retrieved his boarding pass.  “Do you have a pen, by chance?”

Working quickly to sign the autograph before more passengers made their way to the front of the plane, Sean asked for the boy’s name and signed the ticket with one of his favorite lines “Every moment matters. Always give your best, Sean Gayle.”

The flight attendant giddily read the autograph out loud and thanked Sean over and over again, following him off the plane, promising that he had made her son the happiest boy in all of Chicago that night.

As Sean walked down the long corridors of the airport, he realized how tired he was.  He felt so alone when he took trips like this.  After everything that happened once the group returned from La Huerta (the interviews, the phone calls, the articles, the movie premieres, the book deals), it was all such a blur.  Before he knew it two years of his life had passed. He was drafted by the National Football League, and played professional football, but only for one-and-a-half seasons.  He blamed his retirement on an injury, but really it was his mind that wasn’t up to the task of playing football anymore.

He was a high school football coach now. He didn’t really know anything other than football, at least that’s what he told himself.  He loved the kids he worked with and really felt like he was able to make a difference. Every year more and more school districts from around the area tried to recruit him to come coach their team. They had all kinds of reasons why they wanted him – they tried to lure him away with more money, more prestige, more access to colleges who could one day offer him an even bigger and better job but he always said no.

He loved the small-town life that he and Taylor had created for themselves.  They lived in a modest home, drove regular cars, and had pretty normal jobs and lives – well, as normal as life could be after all they experienced together.  They still couldn’t go anywhere without someone recognizing them, or asking them “What was it really like?” when they were in line at the gas station, or doctor’s office, of all places.

Even just a few days ago, a large cable news network called both Taylor and Sean, asking if they would be willing to come in for a reunion interview with the rest of the La Huerta gang. Sean immediately said no, while Taylor told them she’d think about it.  She always handled people with more grace and kindness than he did.  She handled everything better than he did. Most of the time, Sean felt like a fraud.  He felt like a fake person living inside his own mind and body.

When it wasn’t football season back in the district where he coached, he traveled all over the country to various speaking engagements booked by his agent.  Some seven years after his return from La Huerta, people still clamored to hear Sean Gayle speak.  He talked to CEOs, doctors, high school students, colleges and universities – he was even a featured as a guest at a mega-church one time – and that totally blew his mind because nowadays especially, he was feeling anything but worthy of speaking from a pulpit.

No one but Taylor really knew the toll that La Huerta took on Sean.  Outside he may appear to be the same positive, hard-working, loyal and sacrificial leader that everyone knew him to be prior to that summer trip from hell; but on the inside, he was crumbling.  The nightmares (or in some cases memories turned dreams) had gotten worse over the past year. The flight anxiety had gone away for a while, but once again returned with a vengeance.  He was suffering from mood swings and he could never find a way to work out or go for a run that was long enough, or hard enough to truly rid his mind of the “what-ifs” that plagued him. Even when he was focused on something happy, something that truly brought him joy…in the back of his mind he constantly heard a voice whispering to him: Remember what you went through. Remember how close you were to losing it all. What have you done with the life you’ve been given? You’ve got to keep working, keep moving, focus on the future and what lies ahead.

 He and Taylor had been together since the moment they made it back to Hartfeld.  She had no family, and was pretty much alone.  His family had taken her in from day one and they never looked back. Taylor stayed by his side through his short stint in the NFL. They soon settled into the home they now shared, and she was the most loyal and constant source of support for him throughout that difficult time as a pro.  To keep her company when he was out of town, Sean suggested they get a pet.  Taylor immediately knew she wanted a dog.  She refused to even look at a kitten or a cat. Because of their experience with saber tooth tigers and Furball, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.  She had an aversion to cats and couldn’t bring herself to be around them.  Yet another weird change to everyday life that their time on the island brought them.  They settled on a dog, a German shepherd. They named him Aleister, in honor of one of their closest friends.

They had not married yet; weren’t even engaged.  Taylor didn’t bring it up, and oddly enough, neither did Sean.  Yet, every morning during their daily phone call, his mother would ask, “When are you gonna marry that girl, baby?”

As far as he knew, Taylor loved the life they were living.  She was a counselor at the same school where he coached.  She had written some books (under a different name, of course – not wanting more publicity) after getting two psychology degrees.  One of her books was about being an orphan or an abandoned child, and another focused on living through a stressful or traumatic life-event. She also took great care of the students she was responsible for, and had worked through a lot on her own, after La Huerta.  

Sean was in Chicago only overnight. His flight landed early in the evening and he was now making his way to baggage claim, where he would meet up with his driver, get into a black town car and be taken to a convention center downtown.  He would eat dinner and rub elbows with important people, speak about the power of positivity and leadership, sharing examples and stories from the island, as well as the gridiron.  He’d sleep in a hotel near the airport and head home the next day.  Everything felt like it was on auto-pilot.  There just wasn’t a lot of passion or emotion behind anything he was doing these days.

While he waited for his bag, he was finally able to have a moment to call Taylor.  The background picture on his phone instantly made his heart ache for her. It was a picture that had been sent to him and taken by another coach’s wife. She wasn’t looking at the camera, and the photo was black and white, but he knew she was wearing the high school colors, maroon and gold, while holding a homemade sign that read “Sean Gayle is my HERO.” She was holding it above her head and yelling passionately, but also smiling with her eyes at the same time.  Sean always marveled at her ability to combine fierceness with gentleness; strength with peace; protection and loyalty, with genuine care and concern for others. That picture summed up everything he loved about her and who he knew her to be.

Often, he wondered what people would think if they truly knew how much he relied on her.  The Sean that so many imagined to be strong, tough, valiant and courageous was weak, tired, scared and helpless without the support, encouragement and dedication of the woman he loved.

Sean exhaled as he pressed her name on his phone and listened to the phone ring…and ring…and ring…he desperately wanted to hear her voice tonight, but wasn’t surprised that she didn’t answer.

When her voicemail picked up, he left her a message, even though he knew he could have sent a text, he wanted her to hear from him how much he missed her.

“Hey – it’s me.  I landed in Chicago, just waiting for my bag.” He paused, his voice about to break and tears pricking his eyes. “I’m sorry for the way I left you. I’m so, so sorry, babe.  You didn’t deserve any of that and I don’t have any excuses.  Please forgive me.  I want to know you’re okay. I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but somehow let me know you’re doing alright. I’m going to fix this. I promise you. I’m going to get better, and we’re going to be okay, and I’m going to be the man you deserve. I miss you so much. My heart hurts. I love you and I’ll call you later.”

“Mr. Gayle?” A gentleman in professional attire approached Sean just as he ended the call.  “I’m here to take you to the conference.”

“Hey man, thanks. Let me get my stuff and I’ll be ready.” His bag was one of the only ones left on the baggage claim, spinning around. He grabbed it quickly and followed his driver out to the car.

–

“Where are you going?” Taylor asked in disbelief.

“I have a flight to catch.” Sean was furiously digging through a drawer looking for something.

“You’re just going to leave?! Sean! Do you have any idea what you’re saying to me right now?” She was calm, but furious.  He always hated how scary she was when he pushed her to the point where she finally got mad.  The more calm and collected she remained, the worse it would be for him.

“I’m done.” He said, zipping up his suitcase.  “We are not having this discussion again.” He quickly turned on his heel and walked towards the closet, pulling of his shirt and tossing it on the floor.  He rummaged through some athletic shirts hanging up and grabbed a faded gray one.

Taylor blocked the doorway, trapping Sean in the closet.  He shimmied out of his pants and started to put on some shorts, when she startled him. “So this isn’t enough for you?”

He pulled his running shorts up to his waist and snapped the elastic across his middle, dramatically.  With a sigh, he responded, “That’s not what I meant.”

“That’s what you said, Sean. You said this,” Taylor gestured wildly, her arms flailing, “…isn’t enough for you.”

“I need to go for a run.  I’ve gotta be on the road in less than an hour. They’ve got a car coming to get me.” He brushed past her. Taylor glared at the wall, remaining stoic, and silent, but wiping a tear off her cheek with the sleeve of her shirt.

When Sean got back from his jog, the house was silent.  Aleister had not even come to the door to greet him, which was unusual.  He mind raced as he thought about the possibility of Taylor being gone, and having taken the dog with her.

As he slowly walked into the bedroom, he could hear Taylor sniffling.  She was still in the closet, slumped on the floor with her back against the wall. Aleister was curled up next to her. When he saw Sean, he got up and wagged his tail.

“Taylor.” Sean got down on his knees next to her.

“You made it clear that we’re done talking about this.” She almost whispered, taking a deep breath.  He couldn’t help but realize for what felt like the millionth time, how naturally beautiful she was.  Her hair was straight, falling just below her shoulders. She was wearing one of his old long-sleeved t-shirts from Hartfeld.  Her face was now red and splotchy from crying so hard. A few dark streaks of makeup were left around the corners of her eyes.

He reached out to her, pulling his legs out from under him so he was fully sitting on the floor next to her. While he tried to put his arm around her, Taylor shrugged him off and stood up on her own.  Looking down at him, she said, “What’s really sad to me about all this,” she once again gestured enthusiastically with her arms, sure to emphasize the word this, “is that while it’s ‘not enough for you’” she made air quotes when she recited what he had said only moments earlier, “sometimes, no most of the time, it’s TOO MUCH for me.” Taylor looked him in the eyes and struggled with her own thoughts and desires in that moment.

Part of her wanted to hold him and be held by him, but the other part was so mad, so angry, she felt in that very minute, she’d be okay never seeing him again.

“Travel safe.” She stepped over him and walked out of the closet, Aleister following her.  Sean could hear her get the leash out of the front closet and then the front door open and close. Sighing heavily, Sean stood up and started the shower.  He laid out a pressed shirt, fresh from the dry-cleaner, some khakis and sport coat on the bed, next to his suitcase.  “Time to go.” He told himself as he looked in the mirror.

–

The next morning, Sean was back at the airport.  He still had not heard from Taylor and he was beginning to be nervous about what he would find when he returned home later that afternoon.  He text Craig, who was always good about giving him moral support in times like this.

 Sean: I know I put too much pressure on her. I rely on her too much. She’s my everything and she knows that…maybe she’s tired. Tired of me. Tired of us.

 Craig: Buddy! No way! Taylor is totally loyal to you, dude.  It’ll be fine. Say your sorry and don’t be mean. She loves you. Just chill out!

For some reason, Craig’s encouragement was not helping the situation.

While Sean waited for his flight, he nervously tapped his foot, watching planes take off and land in the distance.  He realized he was still tired.  Tired of traveling.  Tired of re-living La Huerta every day of his life. What he meant when he told Taylor “this isn’t enough” is that this life is not what he envisioned for himself. He knew there had to be more to life than the monotony he was experiencing. Sean made the decision that when he got back home, he’d take a break from the speeches and the conferences and the interviews.  He’d ask Taylor to marry him. They’d have a real life; no more emotional outbursts and worrying about each other and if they were “really doing okay.”  He was going to take control of his life and stop letting his island experience still control him after all this time.

“Ladies and gentleman waiting in the area for flight 1152 out of Chicago, we want to let you know that the flight has been delayed for, it looks like, about 2 hours.  There are some heavy storms approaching our destination and we want to be safe.  Of course we will let you know of any updates and will do our best to get you out of here as soon as possible, but the weather seems to be against us…”

The gate attendant’s voice droned on and on as Sean tightened his fist, frustrated that he was stuck, yet again, in another airport, away from Taylor, when all he wanted was to be home.

–

A few hours later, Sean finally made it on the plane, headed home.  He had a window seat this time, which also added to his grumpy mood.  He preferred the aisle, it was always more comfortable to him.  He felt like he had an easier exit if he needed one.  Once he sat down, he tried to get comfortable and decided one more time he’d try to call Taylor.  He at least needed to let her know when the flight would be landing.

To his surprise, she answered on the 2nd ring.

“Hey.”

“Hi there.” He responded, turning towards the window to try and make the conversation as private as possible, even with someone sitting a few inches away.

There was a moment of silence on the phone before Sean immediately asked, “Did you get my messages?”

“I did.”

“Are you okay?”

Taylor took a while before responding. “I’ve been better. But I’m okay.”

“Alright.  Well, I wanted to let you know I’m on the plane.  We should be landing in about 2 and half hours, then I’ll be home.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Taylor – I love you.”

She exhaled, before responding. “I know.  Travel safe.”

“Travel safe.” That’s what she always said to him.  Before he could respond, she had ended the call.  He knew he had a long road ahead of him if he wanted to make things better between the two of them.

–

Looking out the window, at the clouds the plane was flying through, and seeing the sun that was setting in the distance, Sean began to daydream about Taylor.  Ever since they had come back home from the island, and especially after he retired from the NFL, whenever he’d be down or have a hard day, she would have on hand or be able to recall from memory, some kind of quote about the sun. She would often tell him things like, “Remember, the sun will still shine tomorrow, even if it’s behind a rain cloud, it’s always shining somewhere.”

She had this way of always looking for the sunshine, or positive outcome, in every situation.  Yellow was one of her favorite colors.  She was always begging Sean to take a walk through the park near their house so they could watch the sunset, and she often got up extremely early to sit outside on their back porch and watch the sunrise.  The sun symbolized so much to her; the dawning of new opportunities with each new day; another opportunity to live this life; the promise that life goes on and the world keeps turning even when circumstances and situations make it seem like life is over.

He remembered one particular day a few years ago.  It was a day that that would seem regular and ordinary to her – but one that would forever stand out in his mind.

Taylor was cooking in the kitchen as Sean walked in, sweaty and tired from his last two-a-day practice before school started.  It was his second season as the head coach at Fairview High and he felt a lot of pressure to have a winning season, since the year before had turned out to be quite dismal. Feeling especially defeated and uninterested in talking to anyone, he tried to paste on a fake smile upon seeing Taylor when he entered from the garage.

Music was blaring, as it often was when Taylor was home alone. She didn’t like silence.  She was humming along to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.

“Of course.” Sean smiled, muttering to himself.  

The meal she was preparing looked like breakfast for dinner, one of his favorites.  He could smell bacon and instantly his stomach rumbled. She was cutting out biscuits she made from scratch, with a circular cookie-cutter. As she pressed the cutter into the dough, she began to sing some of the lyrics to the song out loud:

 Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been clear Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, And I say

It’s all right It’s all right

She still had no idea that he was there and he loved getting a little glimpse into her when he wasn’t around.  He leaned against the doorframe and continued to watch her, mesmerized not only by her beauty, but who she was; who she was made to be; all the pieces that made her the woman he loved more than life itself.

As she continued to place the biscuit dough on the baking sheet, he noticed a few patches of flour on her face, and as his eyes traveled down her body, he realized she had some on her rear as well.  She became frustrated with her bangs falling into her eyes over and over again, letting out an exasperated sigh every now and then.

Slowly, he crept up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and lightly kissing her neck, gently and sweetly. She jumped quickly and tensed up immediately as she felt his arms around her, but then relaxed just as quickly, when she realized what was happening.

“Good God you scared me to death!” She turned around, to face him, looping her arms around his neck, but careful not to touch him with dough and flour on her hands.  He smelled so good to her.  She loved it when he came home after being outside at practice.  She knew he had been working hard, and that he was not feeling especially hopeful about the upcoming season.

“How’d it go?” She asked, searching his eyes for the real answer.

“Been better – the kids say their ready but it doesn’t look like it.” He sighed.

“Well, you know what I’m about to say, don’t you?” She grinned, keeping her eyes locked on his.  “You know what song this is?”

Sean smiled, biting his lip, holding back a laugh.  Not laughing at her in a silly or stupid way, but feeling especially joyful and content; happy to know he had someone in his life who had his back no matter what.  She was always there for him, in his corner to encourage him and be there for him when he was at his worst.  She had seen it all.

“I know.  Here comes the sun…it’s gonna be okay…blah blah blah.” He looked down, resting his forehead against hers.

Instinctively, she closed her eyes and pressed herself closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.  “I love you.” She sighed, hugging him, no longer worried about the mess she may leave on his shirt.

Sean stepped back, and held her face in his hands, gazing at her. “I could not live without you.” He smiled, running his thumb over a patch of flour on Taylor’s cheek.  

“You almost didn’t.” Taylor smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Still holding her face in his hands, he brought her lips to his and kissed her fervently, gently guiding her back, up against the counter. She put her hands down to steady herself, losing her balance a little bit. Breathless, she pushed him away playfully.

“Go on. Get your shower.  Dinner will be ready soon.” She tried to return to the dough on the counter but Sean grabbed her hand.  

“You’re coming with me.”

Pretending to be put out, and frustrated, Taylor sighed and threw her hands up in the air.  “Fine. I guess if I have to…” She beamed as she held Sean’s hand and followed him out of the kitchen.

–

Sean had now been in the air a total of 4 hours and on the plane almost 5.  The weather had turned ugly again and they kept circling the airport, above the storm, hoping it would clear enough for them to land.  If they didn’t get down on the tarmac soon, they would run out of gas, and would have to land somewhere else to fuel up.

He was just about to reach into his bag for more medicine when a voice overhead announced the flight had been cleared to land.  Sean thought, for a brief moment, he had never been so happy.  About half an hour later, he was exiting the plane. He could feel a weight had been lifted from his shoulders when he was finally free from the confines of his window seat and the plane’s cabin in general.  

This time, he didn’t even check his bag as he wanted to be able to exit the plane, get out of the airport and be on his way home as soon as possible.  It had started to rain now, and he had made his way outside to the line of taxis, each one waiting for eager passengers to pay exorbitant amounts of money to get to their destination.  

A few people were in line in front of him.  With a heavy sigh, he watched as a bright green mini-van pulled up to meet him and take him where he needed to go.  He felt like this was a fitting way for this trip to end. It had started on an awful note and would end that way, too.  

“61st and Treeline.” He said to the driver through the window, while he opened the door to climb into the cab.  As he went to close the door, he heard the faint melody of “Here Comes the Sun” coming from his bag.  He set that song as Taylor’s ringtone, the day after he walked in on her singing it.

Standing next to the cab, in the pouring rain, he answered it while asking the driver to “Hang on one minute.”

“Taylor? What’s going on? You okay?”

“I’m great.  But you’re a little wet.” She sassed, into the phone.

Looking around, over his shoulder he held his bag over his head, shielding his eyes from the bright security lights, hoping to see her somewhere.

“To your left.” She instructed him. His face lit up when he recognized her, leaning against her car.  She had parked in the pick-up area, underneath an awning to stay dry.  He sprinted from the cab towards her, not worried in the least if he was making a scene.

She lightly jogged toward him too, laughing as she watched him make his way to her.  “Did you really think I wasn’t going to come and pick you up?” She asked, trying to catch her breath.

It was their tradition for her to pick him up whenever he came home from being out of town. He assumed she wouldn’t be there this time, given all that had transpired in the last 48 hours. “How do you run like this every day?”

Sean laughed and immediately kissed her.  She jumped into his arms and encircled her legs around his waist, not wanting the moment to pass them by.

“I’ve always wanted to make out in the rain.” He told her, again leaning his forehead against hers.

“Welcome home.” Taylor whispered to him, as she kissed him again.

“Home.  You’re right, Tay. I’m finally home.”

[anycontentposter]

Why I decided to get the Amex Gold without a welcome offer

The revamped American Express® Gold Card has been a big hit among award travel enthusiasts thanks to it’s fantastic earning rates and array of perks. However, despite its obvious appeal, I hadn’t added it to my wallet for one main reason: my inability to earn a welcome bonus on the card. You see, I previously held the card’s predecessor (the Premier Rewards Gold Card), and American Express’ once-per-lifetime policy for welcome offers includes previous versions of a product, as detailed on the Amex Gold Card’s application page:

“Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card or the Premier Rewards Gold Card.”

As a result, I wouldn’t be eligible to earn the welcome bonus of 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first four months of cardmembership — nor would I be able to use the CardMatch Tool to see if I was targeted for a 50,000-point offer (offer subject to change at any time).

Get points and miles coverage like this delivered to your inbox by signing up for the TPG daily newsletter.

Nevertheless, I recently applied and was approved for the American Express Gold Card, knowing full well that I couldn’t earn the welcome bonus. Here’s why I did it.

In This Post Earning rates

I’m thrilled to start earning 4x points at supermarkets. (Photo by GeorgeRudy/Getty Images)

I always try to maximize every, single purchase that I make, mainly through the use of online shopping portals and credit cards with various category bonuses across different types of merchants. I love my perfect quartet of Chase cards — especially my Chase Sapphire Reserve to earn 3x points on my travel and dining purchases — but there was one category in which I knew I could do better: supermarkets. I had long used my Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card on these purchases, earning me 6 points for every dollar I spent. I had also used the card at Hilton properties, and together, I was able to easily reach the $15,000 yearly spending threshold to earn a free-weekend-night certificate.

Then, in June, I was targeted for an upgrade offer on the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express. Suddenly, I had a more lucrative card to swipe at Hilton properties — and my ability to reach the spending threshold required for the certificate suddenly became much harder. The Amex Gold (and its 5x earning rate at supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases each calendar year) started to look much more attractive, but was it worth it without a welcome offer?

Well … I decided to crunch the numbers to figure out.

In 2019, I spent $6,540.01 on purchases at grocery stores (as of December 23). Here’s how that translates to earnings on the two cards in question:

Surpass: 39,240 Hilton points (worth $235.44 based on TPG’s most recent valuations) Amex Gold: 26,160 Amex points (worth $523.20)

In other words, swiping the Amex Gold would’ve earned me an additional $287.76 in rewards in 2019 on groceries alone. This single category of purchases would be enough to cover the $250 annual fee on the Gold card (see rates and fees).

RELATED: Who should (and who shouldn’t) get the Amex Gold card?

Then there’s the 4x points per dollar spent on worldwide dining using the American Express Gold Card. I currently use my Sapphire Reserve for dining out to earn 3x points, yet swiping the Amex Gold would get me an additional point per dollar spend. And since we peg both Amex and Chase points at 2 cents apiece, that’s an additional 2% return at restaurants.

No annual fee for authorized users

Another aspect of the American Express Gold Card that’s so appealing is the fact that there’s no additional annual fee to add an authorized user to the card. Before applying for the Amex Gold, I used to use my Sapphire Reserve for all dining purchases. However, I wasn’t willing to add my wife as an authorized user to the card — which would incur an additional $75 fee each year — just so she could also get 3x points when she dines out for work without me. Instead, she uses her Ink Business Cash Credit Card, which offers 2% cash back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants every account anniversary year — or 2x Ultimate Rewards points when we pool our Chase points in a single account.

Now, since I’ve added her as an authorized user on my new Amex Gold, she’ll double her earnings. In 2019, she spent $2,023.08 dining out with her Ink Cash, earning 4,046 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $80.92). If she spends the same amount in 2020 and uses the Amex Gold instead, she’ll double those earnings — 8,092 Amex points (worth $161.84).

Added perks

I’m a big fan of JetBlue — especially the carrier’s Even More Space seats — and I plan to put my airline fee credit on the Amex Gold toward those fees. (Photo by Katie Genter/The Points Guy)

I’ve already more than covered the $250 annual fee on the American Express Gold Card through the bonus categories, so the additional perks on the card are just icing on the cake. There are two in particular that I fully intend to maximize:

$100 airline fee credit: This can be used to cover baggage fees, in-flight purchases or seat assignment fees on a qualifying airline that you select at the beginning of the year. As a semiregular JetBlue flyer (who doesn’t travel enough to reach Mosaic status), I plan to designate JetBlue as my airline of choice and then put the credit toward Even More Space seats. Up to $120 dining credit: I’ll enjoy up to $10 in statement credits each month when I use my new Gold card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed and participating Shake Shake location. I’ve already enrolled for this perk through my online account, and I’m excited to put this to use in the new year.

For a full breakdown of the card and its perks, be sure to check out our full Amex Gold review.

What lesson this teaches

Not surprisingly, many award travelers love travel rewards credit cards with large welcome offers. However, as issuers continue to tighten their application restrictions, I’ve shifted my mindset away from a one-time influx of points or miles and instead begun focusing on optimizing my wallet for regular spending. I now have the following cards for the bulk of my purchases, all of which earn my very valuable transferable points:

American Express Gold Card: dining and supermarkets (4x points, or 8% return) Chase Sapphire Reserve: travel (3x points, or 6% return) Ink Business Cash Credit Card: telecommunications and office supplies (5x points on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, or 10% return) The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: everyday purchases (2x points on up to $50,000 in annual purchases, or 4% return) Chase Freedom Unlimited: everyday purchases where Amex isn’t accepted (1.5x points, or 3% return)

In other words, I now get at least 3% back on virtually every one of my purchases — and up to 10% on some of them.

The take-away? Don’t give too much weight to welcome bonuses. Sure, it’s nice to get that big pop of points, but that’s not the only thing to focus on when building a strategy to maximize your points and miles. I’ve now opened myself up to hundreds of additional dollars in annual rewards, simply by looking past a welcome offer and recognizing the value of the Amex Gold for my regular purchases.

Bottom line

Over the last year, I must admit that I’ve felt a bit like the black sheep at TPG team dinners, as I watch colleagues pull the American Express Gold Card out of their wallets to earn 4x points. I resisted applying for the card myself, since I knew I wasn’t eligible for the welcome offer. However, when I finally sat down and ran the numbers, I quickly realized that the card was a great fit thanks to the earning rates at restaurants and supermarkets.

The end result? I am now a proud holder of the Amex Gold Card — even though I will not earn a welcome bonus.

If you’ve held off on getting the Gold card for a similar reason, I encourage you to crunch the numbers on your annual spending patterns to see if you’ve been missing out on valuable rewards.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, please click here.

Featured photo by Isabelle Raphael / The Points Guy

Read more about this at thepointsguy.com

https://blogsandtravels.com/why-i-decided-to-get-the-amex-gold-without-a-welcome-offer/

[2019dclmed]

Debarkation/Return to USA - Sat., June 1, 2019

Debarkation/Return to USA - Saturday, June 1, 2019

Settle in for another flying adventure, folks!

We set alarms even though we know the ship docking always wakes us up. It’s a good thing we set those alarms, because somehow the ship docked smoothly and quietly. We gave ourselves about 30 minutes to get ready/get out since most of our luggage was already gone. It’s also a good thing we give ourselves a bit of extra time because this was taking longer than anticipated. 

At some point Kara decided to dash down to claim her limoncello and meet me in Cabanas. FYI we never dine in the Main Dining Rooms (MDR) for breakfast. The times are always earlier than we want (especially with Main/early dining) and we find the meals to be too fast and lacking options. A buffet, where I can pick & choose what I want and how much, is always going to win. We calmly sat back to dine and wait for our luggage character (Minnie) to be called. While waiting we chatted with our Palo server, Alvin. 

Kara: It has been hit or miss whether you actually get Mickey waffles in the buffet on this last morning - and we DID!!!

Too soon Minnie was called. We headed down to Deck 3 to wait in the 2 dreaded lines to drop off our cruise survey and swipe off the ship. :( 

We were likely off the ship around 8:30am? Fairly quickly we found our luggage and were happy/surprised there was no customs to contend with!

We hadn’t booked transfers to the airport and this time were very glad we didn’t. While the taxi queue was long, it moved quite quickly. We even got to jump ahead because there were only two of us (vs the larger families with a bunch of luggage needing a larger vehicle). 

Traffic at the BCN airport was crazier than anticipated. Once inside we went to work to reorganize our luggage, moving a ton of stuff from the morning carry-off the ship into the checked bags. Kara also needed a break, as she wasn’t feeling well. We had plenty of time as we were probably at the airport by 9am and our flight was at 12:50pm.

Sidenote: Either the night prior or that morning Kara tried to check us in for our flight, but said she couldn’t. I thought this was lack of signal or being out of data….

It was time to face the American Airlines check-in - a place that had traumatized us just days earlier. We again went to the Priority line, as we’d booked Premium Economy for the return. At the desk our agent types. Looks at us. Types some more. Uh oh. I lean over to Kara and offer something like, “Since we didn’t arrive on American, I wonder if they think we never got here and canceled our tickets?” The agent then looks down the line to the (dreaded) station labeled “pasajeros con incedentes” (roughly “passengers with incidents” and picks up the phone. OH NO.

Kara: I realize now we didn’t include this the first time but we had visited this same lady last Saturday morning when we’d arrived/returned to the airport desperate for our luggage.  We needed some direction as to how to get down to baggage claim even though we didn’t have security screening.  She was, on that previous day, helpful. Today would sort of be a seemingly different story.

The agent then indicates for us to follow him to the dreaded station, where the same woman (Isabel) from last week is working. No. NO. NO! Isabel gets to typing and yep - that’s exactly what happened. American canceled our return tickets! Isabel says no problem she’ll just add us back, and… the flight is sold out. Are you freaking kidding me?! At this point Kara and I were so beat down from the arrival debacle, we were in a joint “Whatever”-mode. We were going home and had no time table so there was no reason to freak out (this time). 

Isabel finally finds us a Barcelona to JFK flight that she joyfully proclaims, “...will get you home 2+ hours earlier!” Whoopie. JFK?! Yet another of our most hated airports. And to keep adding insult to injury, of course Premium Economy was full and Isabel couldn’t figure out how to add us to the waitlist. Yes, because this is the international flying fate we have on this trip. She keeps trying, but at this point urges us to head to security. This flight shows it boards at 10am! YIKES!

So off we go! We quickly toss our full bottles of water and eventually find our way to security. Through a snaking line we make our way through, but OOPS (Americans), Kara and I both leave our tablets in our bags and are made to take them out and go through the process again. (FYI there were no signs.)

After this we immediately find ourselves in an equally long line for Customs. (FYI I think there was an expedited line for a few countries, including the USA, but I’d forgotten USA in Spanish is EU and didn’t connect it as an option.) As we are in this line, I realize it’s now 10am! (I also noticed a small group in front of us are going to Japan and their boarding passes say they board at 9:50am.)

We eventually make it through and are trying to dash to our gate. We see every gate number except ours as we look around frantically and realize there is barely any A/C in this airport. It had to be at least 75F in there. We finally ask and the man points to a gate yes, but there are no seats anywhere. (Not all the seats are full, but rather there is no seating at all.) We ask for the restrooms, which are hidden fully out of site behind walls facing the glass looking out onto the tarmac. Yet another line for the restroom, which only has 4 stalls, 3 sinks, and one dryer. 

Exiting the bathroom we notice there is now a line snaking fully out into the walkway that ends at the doors of our gate. We hear no announcements and of the 2 lines to our gate, we don’t know which to stand in. We kinda guess. Eventually an employee comes by, needs to inspect our passports, and puts a sticker on the back. Weird. Then another walks through inspecting carry-ons, noting if they needs to be gate-checked or not. Boarding moves along quite slowly. 

We were about 2 people from the front of the line when we hear our names called over the speaker. What now?! In a miracle Isabel was apparently able to get us on the Premium Economy waitlist and it came through. While we were in Premium Economy we were in the middle of a row of 4 instead of the window option of just 2 seats. At this point we’d take whatever we got. 

We scan through and follow other passengers… to stairs leading down?! Then I remember a single article I read about having to bus to your plane. Yep, we load onto one of those busses with the joint in the middle. Exiting the bus there is no direction if we are to go up the stairs at the front or rear of the plane. Knowing we were in Premium Economy (PE) we headed for the stairs at the front. (How did they handle any passengers with disabilities?!)

Our aisle seatmates were obviously already seated and settled in. Thus, we were tossing items in our seats trying to figure out what to put in the overhead vs keeping at our seats. Since we were in the first row of PE there was a divider/bulkhead wall, so we couldn’t stow our backpacks on the floor in front of us.

I spent a good deal of the flight typing this report; it was the only reason I packed the portable keyboard all the way there and back. FYI I felt stupid that I couldn’t get my in-seat screen to deploy, as I thought I’d tried every button and knob in reach. Apparently not. On this note the earphones plug into the back/under the armrest, where even on my knees and using my phone’s flashlight, I could barely find the port! After all that frustration, I settled in for “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald”. The first film in this series I just couldn’t get into and thought a flight with no interruptions would help. I really enjoyed this follow-up film; it’s what I thought the first one would be and am looking forward to the next. 

The lunch was pretty ok; I got the cauliflower mac & cheese. Along with a small salad and roll there was also some chocolate ganache cold pudding. The snack, which Kara can probably detail, was a set of (to me) disgusting options to the point I only ate the dry cracker straws. 

Kara: I have absolutely no recollection of anything other than a not great container of ice cream. The premium economy option was nice but I felt hindered by not having my backpack beneath the seat in front of me and thus I was anxious the whole flight. I prefer having my things in reach - like I said - anxious flyer.

About 6 of our 8 hours in we started chatting about our connection, primarily what time it was. While the in-flight screen showed a connection to IND, there was no time listed! We knew Isabel had told us we had like an hour and ten minutes, which was perfectly “legal”, but this is JFK! How would we make that with customs, claiming, & re-checking luggage?! 

As we are landing an announcement comes over telling people on 4 specific connections (IND included) to see the gate agent immediately upon landing. Ok. Long before this Kara had gone into “over it” mode and we brainstormed if we missed this connection. She said she’d either get a car to drive home or even take Frontier (an airline we avoid at all costs). I offered, “No, we’ll take Southwest... if it flew out of JFK.” (FYI it doesn’t.) As long as we were back in our country (or even Canada!) we’d get ourselves home! 

Exiting the plane we see 4 taped signs of the connections, one being IND. We approach and see neon orange Express Connections envelopes with our names on them. 

We’re told to keep the envelopes in our hands on top, which will expedite us to the front of lines. Ok.

We go to get in the LONG customs line (it’s JFK - and yes, remarkably they are still playing the Tapestry of Nations music from EPCOT that I remember from my 2011 trek through JFK!), but are looking if there’s somewhere else we are to go. (I initially looked for Mobile Passport, but it seemed this magical Express Connection would trump that.) Kara goes to ask, we are directed to another queue, but it dumps us out at the same place. We use the Customs kiosks, and with those receipts, are luckily plucked directly in front of a Customs window. As we wait, our little bright orange EC group grows to about 8 or 10 of us.

There is miscommunication that the expedited window is somehow taking regular people. As the last passenger in our Customs window leaves, the Customs agent closes the window and leaves! At this point, I’m on it and walk down the line to the airport employee trying to organize the lines. When I tell her what happened her eyes grow big and says she’ll be right there to move us. 

FINALLY we get through Customs, get to the baggage carousel and our bags haven’t dropped yet. Ugh. Not too long we get our bags, dash to the Baggage Re-Check area, literally toss them and take off. We are in Terminal A and our connection is in C. We find ourselves at the airline check-in desks area and luckily affirm we are headed in the right direction. At TSA we’re directed to Pre-Check (which we unexpectedly already have on our boarding passes), and luckily there were only about 4 people ahead of us - a miracle! 

After that I’m the one scoping the gate numbers. First we have a long connection hall to traverse and then we arrive at like Gate 12? We need gate 31. Seriously. I’m basically jogging at this point on behalf of both of us, as Kara is in “given up” mode. 

Kara: I was actually jogging as well - and let’s be clear - I don’t jog.

Huffing and puffing at the gate, we still need to get seats assigned. We were supposed to have Main Cabin Extra on this leg, but this plane didn’t offer that. This time our seats weren’t even together. Kara asks how much time before boarding, as she has to go to the bathroom. The response? 8 minutes. More jogging/dashing! 

At the gate we’re basically just trying to text/message people we made it back to the USA when we hear the announcement our flight is now delayed for maintenance. REALLY?! Luckily only about 10 minutes later we are boarding a tiny jet with that terrible 1-2 seat configuration. Whatever. Just get us home.

Luckily we effortlessly returned to IND, which we casually strolled, now that all the upheaval was behind us! 

Next up - What’s Next?

I describe this trip in 3 parts: 1) best Disney Cruise Line “cruise” experience of our lives, 2) port adventures were hit or miss, and 3) airline nightmare.

In an embarrassment of riches, we were traveling together again less than 72 hrs later. We had the opportunity to attend Disney Institute’s inaugural Women’s Leadership Summit (with complimentary registration). Clearly no one bypasses that opportunity, so Tuesday we were headed to Disney’s Contemporary Resort!

Some of you may also know that the next Thursday Disney Cruise Line announced their Fall 2020 sailings, which is what we were waiting for. (I will be leading, and perhaps also Kara joining, a Rome/London study abroad May 2020, so we needed to push the next cruise to a later/regular fall time.)  

We were hoping for a New England option (with better ports than in the past), but no dice. So we got our options down to a September 5 night Halloween Double Dip on the Fantasy or a November 5 night Merrytime (San Juan to Miami) on the Magic. There were pros & cons to both. We went with the latter based solely on the lower cost. (And honestly after the amazing experience we just had on the Magic, this is the first time we actually used a specific ship as a factor in our decision! This is an especially big deal for me to give up having a Vanellope’s/Sweet on You feature!) We’re both wanting to do some home improvement projects, so we need to keep this trip cost low and may even consider skipping it altogether. We know there are at least 2 BIG trips we want to do 2021-2023 and those take priority. Stay tuned! 

P.S. Once home we did electronically submit refund requests to American Airlines, since we didn’t get the Business Class cabin we paid for. It said if we didn’t get a response in a week - which of course happened - to submit a follow-up email. Remarkably, about a week after that Kara and I each received our notable refunds. And yes it was actual refunded “cash” to our credit cards, not ridiculous airline points or vouchers! 

Disclaimer: I (Gayle) am a travel agent with Authorized Disney Travel Planner agency - Off to Neverland Travel. Contact me today for a no-obligation quote!

[emilyzh2019-blog]

Tips For Renting A Car In Ireland

Ireland Driving Guide

Renting a car in Ireland and driving around the country yourself is a wonderful way to experience the Emerald Isle. But here’s some advice about the best way to do it.

When my family and I were planning our genealogy trip to Ireland to learn more about our ancestors, we were initially hesitant about renting a car to explore the country by ourselves.

Ireland has a bit of a reputation for narrow and scary winding roads!

Plus of course, they drive on the other side of the road, so there’s that. But the more we researched, the more we realized renting a car in Ireland would allow us to make our itinerary as imaginative as possible.

I love the freedom of road trips and planning my own travel itineraries. Ireland is such a diverse country that it made sense to rent a car so we could stop anywhere to discover small villages, castles, and go hiking in the mountains at our own pace.

Here are some important tips we learned from our experience renting a car in Ireland, to help you save money and stay safe while driving around the country!

How To Rent A Car In Ireland

Driving in Ireland for Tourists

Should You Rent A Car In Ireland?

Hey, if you love those big group bus tours, by all means, go book one. It’s a decent way to see Ireland if you don’t have a lot of time.

No planning, no driving, just sit back and let someone else do all the work!

But if you’re like me, you prefer the adventure of independent travel.

No set schedule or timetable — driving around Ireland with the freedom to stop anyplace cool you find along the way.

If that’s the kind of traveler you are, renting a car in Ireland is the way to go!

Just keep in mind that some of the backroads in Ireland can be very narrow, and often feel like a single lane (but they’re not). With some practice, you’ll gain confidence on them!

Another nice thing we enjoyed about having a car was the ability to store things in the trunk, stopping off in Irish towns with small daypacks rather than hauling luggage everywhere.

Learning to Drive on the Opposite Side!

Where To Rent Your Car In Ireland

The best site to book your car is Discover Car Hire. They search both local and international car rental companies to help you find the best possible price. This is the easiest way to rent a car in Ireland.

We rented our car from Dublin Airport after spending a few days in the city. Our South West route brought us to Cork on the M8 before moving on to Killarney National Park and then Glengarriff, where my grandmother was born.

After tracking down our family history in this small coastal fishing village, we drove North on the Wild Atlantic Way up to Dingle and the famous Cliffs of Moher, then to Galway, and finally back to Dublin.

However there are many different road trip routes you can choose when driving in Ireland. Other major airports to consider picking up a car are Shannon in the Southwest and Cork in the Southeast.

Crazy Irish Winding Roads!

The Amazing Cliffs of Moher

Car Rental Insurance In Ireland

Some of the rumors about driving in Ireland are true, and the roads are VERY narrow in areas. Especially the backroads outside Ireland’s smaller towns. Don’t worry, I’ll share some tips for dealing with them below.

This is why I highly recommend getting full insurance coverage.

Typically, rental cars in Ireland come with a basic Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), but this isn’t exactly insurance, and only covers the car for up to €1000-3000 EUROS worth of damage.

This is the amount they hold on your credit card until you return the car in one piece. CDW typically does not include tire, cracked windshield, or undercarriage damage either.

While you can often save money booking your car with a credit card that includes car rental insurance, you REALLY must read the fine print, because many people wrongly assume their card covers them in Ireland.

If you get in a wreck driving in Ireland, declined full coverage, and you suddenly learn your credit card doesn’t actually cover the damage — you’re screwed. I can’t tell you how many travel horror stories I’ve heard like this…

It’s why I usually pre-book full coverage online. It’s cheaper than at the counter — and then you won’t have to worry about accidents at all!

The Stunning Cobh Cathedral

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Car In Ireland?

Renting a car in Ireland is going to cost you around $25-$40 USD a day, depending on the type of car you get. Our 4 door sedan was about $30 per day.

I recommend renting a car with an actual trunk (no hatchbacks) to hide your luggage from prying eyes. It helps to prevent break-ins if thieves can’t see your stuff.

Gas Prices

Gas (petrol) prices in Ireland might seem cheap to Americans, but remember that the rest of the world quotes gas in Liters, not Gallons (1 Gallon = 3.78 Liters). Currently, gas costs about $5.90 per gallon (€1.40 per liter) in Ireland. Diesel cars will often save you some money on gas.

Automatic vs Manual

Automatic cars are more expensive to rent than manual cars (but manuals are more common in Ireland), and you must specify what type you want when booking.

One-Way Rentals

There’s also an additional fee for one-way car rentals, which can vary by company. For example, if you want to drop off the car in a different city than you started from.

Admin Fee

If you opt to use your own credit card insurance, companies will charge you an “admin fee” of about €30 EURO.

Credit Card Fee

I was charged an extra €5 EURO just for using a credit card. Which is strange to me, but typical in Ireland.

Irish Taxes

Car rentals in Ireland have a very high tax rate of 13.6%. Ouch!

Age Requirements For Renting A Car

The minimum age for driving in Ireland is 18 years old, however most car rental companies enforce their own age limit of 21 years old to rent a car. They also charge an additional fee if you’re under 24 years old.

Driving Through the Town of Killarney

Irish Driving Laws Tourists Should Know

The most confusing part of driving in Ireland for most tourists is driving on the left side of the road — with the driver’s seat on the right side of the car.

If you’ve never been to a country that drives on the left, it’s wise to practice a bit in a small town before you head onto the highways of Ireland.

For example, just North of Dublin Airport is the town of Swords. Maybe spend an hour or two getting the hang of driving there before you enter Dublin or onto the main highways.

While challenging at first, especially if driving a manual, you’ll get the hang of it quickly and will be ready to explore Ireland by car in no time!

The speed limit on local roads is generally around 80 km/h while on national highways it’s up to 100 km/h.

International Driver’s License

No, you do not need an international driver’s license to drive in Ireland or rent a car there. Just bring your passport, credit card, and your driver’s license from your home country.

Ross Castle at Sunrise

Helpful Tips For Driving In Ireland

Watch out for sheep! In many smaller towns, local shepherds move their sheep on the roads. You can easily round a sharp bend and find yourself stuck behind a huge flock walking down the road.

Narrow backroads in Ireland don’t have standard break-down lanes as we have in America. There’s often no room for error or pulling over.

Sometimes your side-view mirror will be inches away from stone walls or hedges while passing other cars! It can make driving here nerve-wracking.

Remember to carry some cash for road tolls on Ireland’s major highways. Irish tolls can cost between $1-$3 for a passenger car.

In the countryside, some roads are truly single lane, but with traffic in both directions. In these situations, there are pull-outs so one of you can pull over for the other to pass.

USEFUL TIP: Buy a cheap “learner” sticker (L) sold at gas stations so locals don’t get pissed off at your incompetence on their roads!

The Colorful Town of Glengarriff, Ireland

Advice For Renting A Car In Ireland

You don’t need a rental car for Dublin itself. Parking can be a pain and Dublin is very walkable with excellent public transportation too.

If you’re starting your trip in Dublin, maybe book a rental car when you’re ready to leave the city, for exploring the rest of the country.

Don’t book a car without reading the company reviews. You’ll find plenty of bad reviews for every company (people love to complain online), but try to pick one with the LEAST bad reviews.

You may not always get the make/model/type of car you booked. If they give you a smaller car, or a manual when you asked for an automatic, be pushy and ask for an upgrade.

Inspect your car thoroughly and record video on your smartphone pointing out damage before you leave. This is a backup if they attempt to charge you for damage that was already there.

Pay attention to if your car takes regular petrol or diesel fuel, so you fill up with the correct type at gas stations.

Use Google Maps on your smartphone for directions. Bring your own hands-free adapter and buy an Irish SIM card at the airport.

Enjoy Your Ireland Road Trip!

Exploring the small villages, ancient castles, green mountains, and coastal cliffs of Ireland in a rental car was definitely the right choice for us.

Self-drive road trips get off the beaten track to see things most people miss! ★

Check Car Rental Prices & Availability In Ireland

Packing Guide

Check out my travel gear guide to help you start packing for your trip. Pick up a travel backpack, camera gear, and other useful travel accessories.

Book Your Flight

Find cheap flights on Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine to find deals on airlines. Also make sure to read how I find the cheapest flights.

Rent A Car

Discover Car Hire is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal. They search both local & international rental companies.

Book Accommodation

Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. Or rent apartments from locals on Airbnb. Read more about how I book cheap hotels online.

Protect Your Trip

Don’t forget travel insurance! I’m a big fan of World Nomads for short-term trips. Protect yourself from possible injury & theft abroad. Read more about why you should always carry travel insurance.

Enjoy This Post? Pin It!

READ MORE FROM IRELAND

How To Visit The Cliffs Of Moher The Best Of Dublin Travel Guide My Irish Genealogy Road Trip Claiming Irish Citizenship By Descent

Any questions about driving or renting a car in Ireland? Are you planning a road trip there? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

[randomvariablefactor]

Hey Q! It's 2017, not 1981!

Yeah, no shit! I hear it often. I realize that I'm 51 and not 15. My recent stay in the hospital taught me that for sure. I am not bulletproof. I am not invincible. That said, I am still The Q and that must count for something.

The 15 year old Q listened to Led Zeppelin and the first three Van Halen albums religiously. He still does at age 51. Van Halen and Van Halen II get regular rotation in Donna's Jeep. Most of my Zeppelin CDs are in my car. I have the Deluxe Editions at home in my personal library.

I often hear people ask the question of if you could talk to your teenage self, what would you say to him? There's a thousand things I would say to him. I'd probably slap him upside the head because the 15 year old me could be an ornery prick at times. I trusted nobody, was mad at the world, hated school, and hated where I lived. My original escape was through sports, though I was never any good at it. The escape route later came through music. My parents hated that idea.

A girl I dated in high school took me to a dance at St. Mary's in Lynn. There was a band onstage made up of kids from the school playing the classic rock covers of the day. My date totally lost my attention. Sorry Pam, and thank you. I was mesmerized by what I heard, not to mention what I saw in the crowd. There were girls dancing to the music. So what if a bunch of them dressed like their boyfriends in flannel shirts, Levi's, and work boots. Many of them sported the Farrah flip do from Logan's Run that I still like to this day. I started saving for an electric guitar the next day. 36 years later, I am still playing music. Why? Because I can? Sure! Because I want to? Yeah, that too. The correct answer is because I HAVE to. This thing is in my blood. Most guys take up music to meet girls. I was no exception. The only problem was my taste in music was undesirable to most of my local lady peers, meaning if I wanted to date, I had to listen to crappy music. I gave in and gave up often. My music always won.

But back to that mano a mano with Q51 vs Q15. In the back of my 15 year old head, I had a blind faith that things would get better, though I was also very cynical. I often associated myself with older people. I could not relate to my own age group that well, but give me some people 10 years older than me and it was a different ball game. I wanted to be like Larry on Three's Company at the Regal Beagle having drinks with an airline stewardess in a spaghetti strap or sleeveless summer dress with a flower in her hair. You know, like the girl on the cover of Bob Welch's French Kiss album. It wasn't happening.

Teen years are tough. Later I learned that we all had a hard time going through them. Let's face it, we are awkward and geeky. I was blessed with the Grand Slam Of Teenage Hell in junior high: skinny, glasses, braces, and freckles. Throw in a bad haircut and a Prince stache and you got it. People told me I'd get through it if I stuck to my guns. Would I have listened to the 51 year old me? Who knows? I'm betting no. Listening wasn't my forte unless it was, say, a Grand Funk or Alice Cooper 8 track.

Yeah, I had to learn a lot of things the hard way as a teen. My alcohol and drug problems in high school, college, and most of my 30 somethings. Even now, I found out I have Type 2 Diabetes and must watch my carbs. I wouldn't have listened then and I didn't until I got diagnosed. I honestly thought I was never going to make it to 25. I was surprised when I did. I was on a deathwish. Both of my parents had major health issues. We lived on red meat and starchy vegetables. Like The Mick once said: "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

I think the discussion of Q51 and Q15 would be mind blowing to the young buck. Telling him that he'd move out of Southie and go to Dorchester for 13 years. Unthinkable during the Bosco years. Southie and Dot guys broke each other's balls. It was a time honored tradition. That he'd forgive people that screwed him over? I'm Scotch-Irish. We invented the grudge. Even when it was sister Pat off her meds blabbing more info than they needed to know to my classmates. How about people who I thought were my allies that weren't, be it a classmate, bandmate, coworker, girlfriend, or someone that had the misfortune of hitting my radar on a bad day. Life is too short to be angry all the time. It may feel good when you are 15, but not at 51. At 15, a good bout of anger was like drinking 3 cans of Jolt. It makes you wired. At 51, it makes you tired. No more Jolt for this kid. When I went to the clinic to get checked out for what I thought was just a bronchial issue, my blood sugar was 723. I should have been in a coma or worse. Today it was 101, which is good.

Telling the kid he would meet a beautiful woman and be with her for 11 years and counting? He wouldn't believe it. Telling him he had everything he needed except for a little self discipline and self confidence? He would have said that I sounded like all the other people that talked to him over the years. That he'd keep a steady job and not miss a paycheck for 35 years and counting? You gotta be kidding me. That eventually he would find some like minded music people to play with? That some of those people that asked him to play music with them played on records he had as a teenager? That the suggestion his sister Patty once made that he should buy a Fender bass would open up a whole new world? That same sister that he shrugged off that day for being crazy had a good idea for that 15 year old kid. It would take him almost another 15 years to buy a bass, but when he did, the light at the end of the tunnel was no longer an oncoming train. Being sought out to resurrect Alice Cooper and BOC tribute bands and honor the memory of a dear budzo who would enlighten him beyond belief and mean the world to him? The kid would think I was off my rocker.

How about telling him that he would embrace other forms of music like jazz, soul, early R&B, funk, electronica, and even the dreaded disco!

Q15 was a dog lover. He'd be shocked to find out he became the owner of two ginger kitties. Would he be shocked to find out that he'd move to the North Shore? Telling him about the advancement of electronics and the role they would play in his life. DVDs of Classic TV shows, the Compact Disc, the Internet, the cell phone. The things you could tell him.

Yeah, I could tell him all that, but I think what I'd say would be simple. Be yourself, stick to your guns, don't be an asshole, treat people the way you would like to be treated, and hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. The things you dream about wanting to do, if you work hard, they will happen. If they don't, you'll find other stuff to take your mind off of it. Oh yeah, and someday South Boston will get cable and there will be a station called Telemundo that you will love because all the women are hot. The only problem is that the show is in Spanish and you're in your fourth year of French. Go get yourself a Latina girl, maybe a New Yorker. Make sure she can speak Spanish so she can translate for you. You'll do fine kid.

[whereisyaya]

Amsterdam:

On August 2016, I became a naturalized US citizen. I was excited about two things the most; voting in an election and visa-free travel to Europe! The day of my oath, I immediately registered to vote and then applied for my passport. Once the passport arrived in the mail, I grabbed my laptop and began searching flights to Amsterdam!

Amsterdam has been on my list for a while but I had made a promise to myself that I would plan that trip only after I got my US passport. So, pretty much. This was the year that Amsterdam finally happened.

I was really hoping for a direct flight because I would rather pay extra than dealing with lay-over issues. However, as I began searching I realized that the difference between direct flights and those with layovers was quite significant. One particular airline WOW Air, was literally offering a round-trip for half the price. The only catch was a lay-over in Iceland.   I kept toying with the idea but was not sure if I wanted to pull the trigger yet. It was going to be a quick trip. A long weekend with a day here and there, so 4-5 days max.  That meant that if I wasted even a day stuck in an airport in Iceland that could ruin my entire trip. Plus, I had no idea about WOW and had never heard of them. A quick google-search provided some reviews and most of the complaints were about the fact that they charged for everything from a glass of water on the flight to check-in and carry-on luggage larger than a book-bag. On the other hand, there were very few complaints about being stuck at airports and delayed flights. I surmised that I didn’t really need luxuries on a plane and since I travel mostly with just a book-bag, the complaints didn’t really apply to me. Still, I wasn’t sure or ready to take the risk yet.

Fate works in interesting ways because that night, I was meeting some friends for dinner and the waitress also happened to be a friend. As we chatted, she mentioned she was heading to Amsterdam with some friends later that week and was flying WOW Air! This was a sign! She was just as nervous flying the airline but I figured, this was just the push I needed. I walked home from dinner – luckily the restaurant was across the street from my building – and booked a roundtrip to Amsterdam without giving it a second thought! The next day, I began researching lodging options and before you know it, I was on my way to a solo trip to Amsterdam.

All Aboard!

My friend Jordyn messaged me on Facebook when she arrived in Amsterdam to confirm that it was a pretty smooth flight but I should make sure to grab a bottle of water before I boarded the flight. LOL, point taken!

A few weeks before my flight, WOW did scare me a lot with their constant emails about the 20-30 minute changes in my flights and I was started to worry about missing my connecting flight. I spent an hour on the phone with a customer rep called “Mary” from a call-center in India, who assured me that I should not miss my connecting flights even with a 45 minute layover. Still, I was getting quite nervous at that point. The day of the flight, we found out that our flight was delayed an hour and everyone was freaking out because they all had connecting flights. This time another passenger called and he was assured that they would adjust our connecting fights accordingly. Ok WOW Air, don’t let me have a meltdown in Iceland!

I am glad I took a water bottle with me on the flight because, you did have to pay for everything and since I wasn’t really hungry, I didn’t mind.  The layover was pretty smooth and quick and once the flight took off from Iceland, I was a lot more relaxed because next stop was going to be Amsterdam!

Schiphol International Airport is an interesting airport which falls somewhere between pretty basic to not completely barren. Make of that as you will! I had read on travel blogs that cabs are very expensive and so if you are staying close to Centraal Station, it is probably best to just take the metro. I only had a book-bag so I went for that option. The yellow ticket machines were quite confusing and the lines were long. Everyone was getting frustrated. Luckily, I found an NS counter where I could interact with an actual human

With my newly purchases Anonymous OV Chipkaart, I was able to board a direct railway train to Cetraal Station. The trains run pretty frequently and I was at Centraal Station within 15-20 minutes of boarding the train. As I stepped out of Centraal Station, I was already enchanted by the hustle and bustle around me.

I had arrivedin Asmterdam.

I had jotted directions down on paper and since I still don’t have a smart international phone, I didn’t have google directions to help me. Note to self, yet again. GET AN SMART PHONE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL! I remember making this mental note to myself after my recent Mexico trip.

I asked a few policemen for directions and was then able to walk to my AirBNB which was not more than a 10 minute walk!

 Tip:  Try your best to book your lodging within walking distance to Centraal Station because, it is the easiest way to get from the airport to your hotel. A cab will cost you close to 50 euros. The metro costs 4 euros. You do the math!

 Lodging!

I had spent a week trying to decide where I should stay in Amsterdam. I had no clue. What areas were the best? Where was the nightlife? What was central and what was close to public transportation? I wondered if I should stay in a house-boat to make the experience unique but then again, I did not want to end up in an area far away.

When it came to this booking ordeal, I was in for a rude awakening:  a vacation in Europe is much different than a trip to Asia or Latin America. Everything was quite expensive. The travel gods may have been extra benevolent the day I finally took the plunge and booked my lodging because I managed to pick the perfect place! I settled on a hotel called Hotel Anco in the heart of the Red Light District. The Red Light District is generally a good area to stay in because it is central to everything and within walking distance to Centraal Station and thus all the Trams you need to take. For those who would prefer staying in hostels, there were plenty of hostels nearby as well on Warmoestraat (street) which is also where a lot of the nightlife is. You can walk out of your room and go next door to a bar!

From Centraal station, it was a quick 10 minute walk for me and my room was one of the cutest and coziest rooms I have ever stayed in. The steep spiral steps up to my room were scary but I realized they were very indicative of how a lot of buildings in Amsterdam are. The room was quite tiny which I loved because it felt that much cozier. Perfect for resting my head late after an exhausting day and night and sleeping in till 2pm the next day. Yes, because of jet-lag, I wouldn’t wake up till after 2pm every day (but hey it was my vacation) and I would often miss the free breakfast in the morning. Oh well. All I needed was a cup of tea anyway which they were always happy to provide.

My room overlooked the canal and I could literally see a brothel from my window. In the morning, as I would bring up and bring a cup of tea from the café to my room and plan my agenda for the day on my desk, I would look out of the window and enjoy the boats floating around the canal. At night, when I returned home late and sat writing on my desk, I could watch the drunk revelers stumbling in and out of the brothel rooms while the working women gestured for clients and haggled for rates. It made for a very interesting people-watching experience.

The staff was extremely friendly and I would always stop by the café for a cup of tea after a day of sight-seeing and converse with the person working their shift. They gave my tips of where to go and since I was so depressed after the 2016 election, we even had some very interesting conversations about politics. My room had a small TV which meant that as much as I did not want to, I could not peel myself away from the constant news cycle of Trump winning the election and the wave of protests all around America. I knew that if I had not been hiding away from reality in Amsterdam, I would probably be on the streets of DC joining the protests as well. Soon, the news was too much so I switched the channel to brain-dead MTV and watched constant marathons of Catfish re-runs. What a peculiar show.

I honestly loved everything about my room, the hotel and the staff! I was right in the middle of the nightlife and also within walking distance to Centraal Station which meant that any Tram I needed to take, I could find at that station.

Tip: Book your lodging as close to Centraal Station because how easy it is to navigate the city from there. Also, staying in the Red Light District not only adds a unique Amsterdam touch to your trip but you are then also close to all the action. Pardon the pun!

Public Transportation

 At Schiphol airport is where I began my public transportation experience and took my first metro ride in Amsterdam.  The city has a metro system and a Tram system but the metro is the equivalent of a commuter train while Trams are what everyone takes within the city. Most sights and landmarks are accessible by Tram. I took the metro only to and from the airport but for the rest of the trip, I was hopping on and off Trams like nobody’s business!

It should also be noted that Amsterdam is fairly small and one can walk everywhere. Trams also stop running around 10pm or midnight so I rode the Tram a lot during the day to see the sights and at night, I traveled mostly by foot.  

I opted for the Anonymous OV ChipKaart which I could load with more money as I needed. It was also the option many travel bloggers had recommended as well. I paid about 8 euros for the card and loaded 20 Euros on it. The good thing was that it works on Trams as well so I thought it was a good option. Surprisingly, I didn’t have to reload my card at all during my trip so 20 euros lasted me the entire time.

Another point to note is that the ChipKaarts require a minimum balance for travel which was very strange and different from most other places I have visited. For inner city travel like Trams, your card must have a minimum of 4 euros and for intercity travel like the metro, you must have a minimum of 20 euros. I don’t know. Don’t ask. I am sure there is a logical reason for that somewhere.  

On my last day, I had about 4 euros left on my card but I couldn’t use it to get back to the airport because of the minimum requirement. Do in Rome, as the Romans do. I guess. Besides, it wasn’t a big issue because I had already made the most of my card during the trip. So to get back to the airport, I bought a disposable one way!

All Trams leave and end at Centraal Station so as I went sight-seeing, I would just walk to Centraal, hop on the right Tram and go visit whatever I had planned for the day. Afterwards, I would jump on whichever Tram was heading back towards Centraal and voila, I was home! It was that easy.

Tip: Get an anonymous OV ChipKaart. If you are going to reload at the yellow machine, make sure you have coins as they only take coins! Remember the minimum requirements on the card and use Trams mostly for daytime travel. Oh and did I mention, how convenient Centraal Station is for Tram travel. Oh I already did. Good!

 Red Light District

 I had arrived in Amsterdam on a late Thursday afternoon and technically I could salvage that day by hitting up a quick sight but you all know that I HATE and absolutely DETEST a trip where I am exhausted from constantly being on the go. Thus, I deliberately decided that  I would take it easy that day. Since I was staying in the Red Light District, I could possibly maybe walk around that area and check that off my list. Other than that, I was just going to relax! The decision was further confirmed for me when it began to rain and though it was pretty to watch the raindrops splatter over the canal from my window, I am NOT a fan of getting wet so I definitely was not going to venture too far off on my first night. I was also still emotionally drained from the results of the elections so I was struggling to find my happy travel place. Instead, I checked into the hotel and sat on my bed watching CNN.

 When the news got too much for me, I switched the TV off and went down to the café of the hotel where one of the nicest staff was on her shift. Debbie made me a cup of Earl Grey and we talked about the elections. Seemed like the entire world had spent a night of tossing and turning with worry of what was in store with Donald Trump as president of the US. Besides, political woes, Debbie also offered some great tips about the city. She gave me a map and pointed out where everything was. After the rain subsided, I decided to venture out for a walk and do a quick stroll through the Red Light District. Debbie was so nice that she even let me borrow her umbrella just in case the rain got worse again.

 The red light district was interesting to say the least. It was so strange to see scantily clad women smiling and beckoning drunk revelers from behind their glass doors.  I had read on many travel blogs that photography was absolutely prohibited and that made sense. Plus, I thought it would be too disrespectful to do such a thing since I had read that many of these women had day jobs as well.

 I popped into the Museum of Erotica, even though I had read on numerous blogs that it was a waste of money. After a walk around the street, there realy wasn’t  much to do, so I still decided to give the museum a try. Well, all the blogs were absolutely correct. The museum was a quick three floor space which really did not provide any insight. Felt more like a rip-off but since it was right there, I figured I would check it out while visiting such a sex-positive city.

 After my five minute jaunt at the museum, I walked over to an eatery and had my first of many meals that constituted of nothing but French Fries…or Patats or Frites. Whatever you prefer calling them, they are delicious and make for a perfect meal on the go. I would always get the peanut sauce on top but there were so many different sauces to try from that I would experiment with different combinations as well.

 I was also amazed to see all the different marijuana flavored food items everywhere. It was perfectly normal for someone to walk into a store at the end of the night and grab a bottle of water with a marijuana brownie or ice-cream. I spoke to a few travelers who were desperately searching for a coffee shop. Those who want to partake in the more herbal aspects of this city should know that Amsterdam has cafes and then it has coffee-shops. Cafes are regular cafes where one could order coffee or tea. Coffeehouses are where they can purchase marijuana and even smoke it there. Good point to note, if you decide to stumble into a coffee-shop expecting a cup of joe with your kids and are met with the biggest whiff of second-hand hash smoke instead.

 I returned home from my meal and sat on my desk for the rest of the night finishing up some writing as I watched the view from my room while trying my best to not pay attention to the news.

 Tip: Don’t waste your money on the Erotic Museum! Don’t try to take pictures of the working girls. They will yell at you and embarrass you, rightfully so.

 Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art

 As I mentioned earlier, my jet-lag rhythm was very different in Europe than it was for my trip to Asia. In Thailand, I would often find myself wide awake at 5am which allowed for a good few hours of travel prep and getting an early start. On my first day in Amsterdam, I didn’t open my eyes till 2pm. I wasn’t complaining but, I also realized that if I wanted to sleep in, I did not have the luxury to laze around in bed planning the day’s agenda with my lonely Planet books and the internet. I had to get on my feet and rush out the door within minutes.

 I ran down to the café and after a friendly chat with Karl and Debbie, I brought a cup of tea up to my room and sat at my desk quickly rummaging through my researched notes for the day. I had two museums to see; the Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art and the Van Gogh Museum. Chop chop, no time to waste. With the hour, I was dressed and walking over to Central Station to catch my very first Tram in Amsterdam.

 The Trams were fairly easy to navigate and they also run pretty frequently. One can take either the number 2 or number 5 and get off at the Van Baerlestraat stop. On my way there, my Tram passed the MOCO and I saw signs for a Warhol and Banksy exhibit. A friend had told me about the exhibit and although Moco was not on my list before, I knew now that I just had to go see an exhibit of two of my favorite pop artists. Perfect luck!

 I am a modern art person, so I enjoyed the Stedelijk a lot. The admission was about 18 euros which is pricey but I realized that unlike other cities, all the museums in Amsterdam charge an admission fee.  So for my thrifty travelers, make sure to budget for that! The lines also get pretty long especially in the summer so if you can purchase tickets in advance it may not be a bad idea.

 I got to see the works of some of my favorite artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Rothko, Mondrian and Matisse to name a few. There was also a room where one could make their own art and I enjoyed that area as well. I left the museum around 5pm and I was not planning to go to the Van Gogh Museum till 7 when the lines died down so after a quick bite of a delicious stroopwaafel, I got in line for the Moco. The Banksy and Warhol exhibit was everything I had imagined it to be and Banksy’s work and their messages were almost consoling and cathartic with the recent election results. If you are a fan of modern art, definitely go see the Stedelijk. It is worth it.

 Oh and the audio tour is free here so that is an added bonus!

 Some helpful details:

Admission:  18 euros

Address:  Museumplein 10, 1071 DJ

Hours:  Daily 10am – 6pm

Tram: 2,5 to Van Baerlestraat

  Tip: Good idea to visit the Stedelikj on the same day as the Van Gogh Museum because they are right next to each other! If you want, you can even squeeze in a trip to the Moco and make it a day of three museums like me!

 Van Gogh Museum

 The wonderful thing about the Van Gogh Museum is that it is right next door to the Stedelijk, MOCO and Vondel Park, so one can definitely hit up two – maybe even three - sights in one day.

 A notable point I read on all the travel blogs was that lines at Amsterdam museums get very long so purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended. Now of course the time of year you go, makes a huge difference too. During the summer, the lines will definitely be excruciatingly long. However, in the winter, they are long-ish but not interminable. I myself didn’t want to purchase a bunch of tickets in advance so I hoped and prayed that the cold weather of November would deter some of the tourists. I did make sure to follow the one golden advice I received which was that “if you are only going to buy one ticket in advance, make that the Anne Frank Museum.” The rest you can still leave up to luck chance. Which is  exactly what I did. I did plan my visits in a way, that made sure that I was able to see all the museums.

 Another helpful tip I received was that on Fridays, the Van Gogh museum has extended hours and is open till 10pm. So if you can, make sure to go on a Friday because the lines get shorter and shorter as the day winds down. I saved the Stedlijk and the Van Gogh for a Friday for exactly that reason. When I had first arrived that day and walked by the long line for the Van Gogh museum, I was intimidated because it was freezing that day and you have to line up outside. Still, I hoped the line would get shorter by 7pm which is when I had decided to go.

 The afternoon was spent at the Stedlijk and then after a quick stop at the Moco, I arrived to line up at the Van Gogh at exactly 7pm. Luckily the line had gotten much shorter. The museum was amazing and cameras are allowed. Just a general rule to follow with most museums; no flash photography. By the way, if you are looking for Starry Night, you won’t find it here. That is kept at the MOMA in New York City.

 I have to admit that I didn’t know much about Van Gogh’s art besides the fact that he is the painter who chopped his ear off. This museum was a great way to learn about, not just his art but his life as well. An interesting fact I learned was that he did not start an actual painting career till he was well in his forties. An inspiration for all of us who wonder if we will ever leave a mark in this world or if our time is already up. Also, he was self-taught and learned as he went along.  There was a time that he was in his hometown and became interested in farmers and peasants so his work during those days was primarily about farmers as subjects. When he went to Paris he wrote to his brother about the changing wave of art and began to teach himself the new tide which he was going to flow with. He also had a very close relationship with his brother and they wrote letters to each other a lot. You can see and hear some of those letters (translated in different languages) to get a feel for the artists himself and not just his work.

 There were three very insightful blogs that helped me plan my trip to the Van Gogh Museum.

 The first one that I recommend is Sarah Shumate’s blog The Wander Blogger. In fact, I read a lot of her other entries because she has detailed her entire trip to Amsterdam quite skillfully and I found it very helpful. For the Van Gogh museum, her entry “Expression Through Color: The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam” does a wonderful job in describing the museum logistics but also the art itself. She has shared some pictures and photographs of the work as well.

 http://www.thewanderblogger.com/van-gogh-museum-amsterdam/

 Another blog which I found particularly helpful in planning was Ashley’s blog titled – quite obviously – The Amsterdam Blog: Amsterdam through British Eyes. Her article “How to Avoid Cues at the Van Gogh Museum” is particularly helpful for obvious reasons.

 http://www.amsterdamblog.co.uk/things-to-do/sightseeing/museums/how-to-avoid-the-queues-at-the-van-gogh-museum/

 The last blog, I bookmarked was an interesting take called “The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam: Why I dislike it” by Riccardo and Martina of the “Travel like a Local” blog. It was quite an interesting take and although it did not deter me from visiting the museum, I did find some of the suggestions very helpful.

 http://www.travellikealocal.org/en/europe/netherlands/amsterdam/van-gogh-museum-amsterdam-hate/#

 Some helpful details:

Admission: 17 euros

Address: Museumplein 6, 1071 DJ Amsterdam

Hours:  9-6 (Fridays untill 10pm)

Tram: 2, 3, 5 and 12 Van Baerlestraat stop

 Tip: Go on a Friday evening. 7pm on a Friday is a good time to go!

 Anne Frank House

 No trip to Amsterdam can ever be complete without a trip to the Anne Frank Museum. It remains to be one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam where lines of hopeful visitors stretch for blocks. The lucky ones may have read a travel blog here and there and purchased an advance ticket. I was one of those and boy am I glad I did!

 My ticket was from 3pm on Saturday and I was petrified that I would sleep through and miss it! I had no alarm clock (no smart phone) and was so jet-lagged that I wouldn’t open my eyes till 2pm! Fortunately, I think this exact paranoia became my alarm clock and I woke up just in time to get ready and rush off on the tram to the Westermark stop. I figured I would just grab a cup of coffee once I got to the area rather than waste time drinking tea at the hotel.

 I had about 40 minutes to kill when I arrived significantly early at the museum. The line was already half-way down the block. The woman at the door told me to come back at 2:45pm with my ticket which was good to hear because I immediately went and grabbed a cup of coffee from a nearby café and then even did some souvenir shopping.

 When I returned to the museum, the line of hopefuls now stretched up to three blocks. Luckily, I did not have to wait in line and with my ticket, I was immediately ushered in. Once inside the museum, there is absolutely no photography allowed (flash or without flash) out of respect. One can, however take photographs outside the green door which is something I did when I first arrived.

 I also recommend reading the book Diary of Anne Frank before your trip so the visit to the museum would be even more informative. I had ordered the book from my library but it never arrived before my trip so I must admit, I was envious of those who knew the story behind each room and each person. Once again, as Trump’s team back home spoke about registries for Muslims and building walls for Latinos, I felt that this museum and the stories behind every room were both cathartic and nerve wrecking.    

 Everything at the House is organized extremely well and one can truly feel the emotions that come with the time and the story.  The museum also has a wonderful café where I sat down for another cup of tea and gathered my thoughts before heading out. Outside as I walked by all the tourists lined up, I couldn’t help but feel bad because many of them would probably not even get a chance to make it inside.  Last entry to the museum is about 30 minutes before closing time which is 7pm weeknights and 9pm on Saturdays. However, the queue for the House closes much earlier and depending on how busy it is, this can be as much as 2 hours before closing time. 

 After a quick supper of Herring from a nearby fish-stall and then a Stroopwaffel for dessert, I hopped back on the tram and headed over to the Rambrandt House.

 A blog that I found extremely helpful was Carly Moore’s entry on the Anne Frank House on her blog Girl out of Bounds.

 http://www.girloutofbounds.com/anne-frank-house/

 Also,  Sarah Shumate’s blog The Wander Blogger had a great entry on the Anne Frank House. She was also lucky and smart enough to read the book before the visit and her blogs remains a must read for anyone planning to visit the house.

 http://www.thewanderblogger.com/anne-frank-house-amsterdam/

 Some helpful details:

Admission: 9 euros.

Address:  Prinsengracht 263-267, 1016 GV Amsterdam

Hours: November - March  Open every day from 9 AM to 7 PM (until 9 PM on Saturdays). Different times for different seasons.

Tram: 13, 14 and 17 Westermark stop

 Tip: I will just repeat the tip I got! If you are going to buy one ticket in advance, make sure it is for the Anne Frank House.  You won’t be sorry. Also try reading the book before your trip to get a true feel for the House and its significance. Oh and no photography allowed.  

  Rembrandt House

 After leaving the Anne Frank House, I hopped on the number 14 Tram and made my way over to the Waterlooplien stop to pay a visit to the Rembrandt House. I was advised to visit the Rembrandt House before the Rijksmuseum so I could step back in time and get a feel for the artist himself and his environment before witnessing the masterpieces that came out of this amazing house. This was also the house which led to Rembrandt’s bankruptcy and where he lost his children and his wife, Saskia but they say, an artist produces his greatest work at times of pain and despair.

 There were no lines at this museum, so that was definitely a great plus. Also, the audio tours at this museum are free so I highly recommend making the most of those. One can easily loose themselves in the different rooms as they make their way all the way to the top floor. The kitchen where a violent argument took place between him and his mistress over his other mistress and was then later sued by mistress 1 for a breach of his promise to marry her. I also loved small and tiny cupboard beds which seemed both cozy and claustrophobic.

 The house offers free etching demonstrations at different times so do try to check those out if you can!  I enjoyed the visit a lot and sometimes, it’s just as fun to learn about the artist as it is to see their art.

 Kieren McGovern’s post “Rembrandt House Museum: Amsterdam” on the blog When in Amsterdam is a good one to check out to plan for your trip.

 http://wheninamsterdam-omyamsterdamtours.blogspot.com/2014/02/when-in-amsterdam-blogged.html

 Some helpful details:

Admission:   13 euros

Address:  Jodenbreestraat 4, 1011 NK Amsterdam

Hours:  Daily, 10 AM – 6 PM

Tram: Lines 9 and 14, Waterlooplein stop

 Tip: Visit the Rembrandt House before visiting The Rijksmuseum to get a feel of where many of the masterpieces were created and the artist’s own colorful life.  

  Rijks Museum

 On a Sunday afternoon, I headed over to see the Rijksmuseum. It was a wonderful museum and one of my favorites in Amsterdam. It is HUGE so account for an entire day. The great thing is that the famous Iamsterdam sign is right outside so if you want to try to climb the letters and get the quintessential Amsterdam photo, you can do that on the same day as your visit to Rijksmuseum. It gets really crowded so I actually went back there late at night and got my YaYa picture when there were hardly any tourists there!

 The line for the tickets is supposed to be long but I was lucky, the day I went because it did not seem as long. However, once inside the line to check your bags and coats was twice as long. Luckily I didn’t have a bag so could walk right into the exhibits. Make sure to not take any bulky coats or bags with you so you don’t have to wait in different lines all day.

 Rembrandt’s Night Watch is the main attraction here and there is actually an entire room dedicated to the painting called The Night Watch Room. It is truly a magnificent piece of art.  The Gallery of Honor is where most people spend their time but the entire museum is great. A fact worth mentioning is that four out of the 40 paintings ever painted by Vermeer are at the Rijksmuseum, so make sure to see them. All four are right next to each other. Photography is allowed, however no flash photography so knock yourself out taking pictures of the Night Watch, the Vermeers and many other amazing artists.  There is a great collection of modern artists and the famous Mondrian inspired Yves Saint Laurent dress is also part of the permanent collection.

 If you are short on time, there is an excellent article by Sonia Kolasinska called “How to See the Rijksmuseum in 2 Hours” which I recommend.

 http://www.eatingamsterdamtours.com/blog/see-the-rijksmuseum-in-2-hours/

 I have already mentioned the benefit of not taking bags with you to the museum so another great article about how to avoid long lines at the Rijksmuseum which you would probably find helpful is the article, appropriately titled “How to Avoid the Queues at the Rijksmuseum” by Ashley on her Amsterdam blog.

 http://www.amsterdamblog.co.uk/things-to-do/sightseeing/museums/how-to-avoid-the-queues-at-the-rijksmuseum/

 And for good measure, here is another excellent article by Cecily Layzell called “Marveling at Old Masters at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum” on the Forbes Travel guide.

 http://blog.forbestravelguide.com/marveling-at-old-masters-in-amsterdams-rijksmuseum

  Admission:   17.50 euros

Address:  Museumstraat 1 1071 XX Amsterdam

Hours:  Daily 9am-430p

Tram:  2, 5 to Rijksmuseum stop

 Tip: Iamsterdam sign is right outside so you can take some great pictures afterwards.  Try to leave the book-bags at home in order to avoid another longer line before you enter the exhibits. The Night Watch and the Vermeers are a must see!

 Vondelpark

 After my surprise discovery of Lumpini Park in Bangkok, I decided that a day in a famous city park, is not a bad item to add to my travel list. It’s a free thing to do and also makes for a calm, relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. That is why on my way back from Rijksmuseum, I stopped by Vondelpark and took a nice leisurely stroll.

 Although renting a bike is something most tourists do – I opted out – this is a great place to take a bike ride if the traffic of the city intimidate you. there are also some great cafes in the park where one can grab a bite and on Friday nights, it has the famous skate night. You get bonus points if you are able to spot Pablo Picasso’s sculpture The Fish. I wasn’t as lucky!

 Vondelpark is very close to the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, so it’s a great item to check off your list after a visit to one of those museums.

 One of the best blogs I read about Vondelpark was Martin Solly’s article “A lazy afternoon around Amsterdam’s Vondelpark” on the Late Rooms blog. It is the most detailed blog which talks about all the unknown gems about this park. It is how I found out about the Night Skate as well but unfortunately didn’t get to check it out.

 https://blog.laterooms.com/2013/02/a-lazy-afternoon-around-amsterdams-vondelpark/

 Another great article by Biking Amsterdam on Vondel Park.

 https://www.bikingamsterdam.com/en/blog/vondelpark/

 Sarah Shumate has another great article “An afternoon in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark” on her website the wander blogger.

 http://www.thewanderblogger.com/vondelpark-amsterdam/

 Sarah Shumate has another great article “An afternoon in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark” on her website the wander blogger.

  Admission: Free

Address:  1071 AA AMSTERDAM

Hours:  24 hours

Tram: 1,2,5 to Leidseplein

  Tip: A great place to bike if the city traffic daunts you!

 Food

 Yes I am a foodie all the way and love trying out the local fare. Here are a few local deicacies, I highly recommend!

 Fries:

Whether you call them fries, patas or frites! These are surely in abundance everywhere you look in Amsterdam and make for an excellent meal on the go. I would always get the peanut sauce on top but there are so many sauces to try from, that I couldn’t help but mix and match something new each time. It was definitely my go to meal whether I was in between sight-seeing or just walking back to my room after a night out. The grab-and-go nature of this meal is a great way of saving time when you have a packed agenda!

 Herring:

Even if you are not much of a fish person, you must try this delicacy at least once! I had read about it before my trip so I knew that I had to give it a taste! After visiting the Anne Frank House, I stopped by one of the fish stalls to try this local dutch snack for supper!  Although I’m not a big fan of fish unless its fried, I just had to. Although Herring  is known to tastiest in the summer time, one can enjoy it year round. It also lowers your bad cholesterol, so that is an added plus. For a nominal amount like 2 to 3 euros, you get a tiny, rectangular silver-backed cardboard plate with the herring cut in bite-sized pieces along with finely diced onions and some sliced pickles on the side. A toothpick is also provided to serve as a utensil. It was quite tasty – with the initial fishy taste – and the onions and pickles definitely helped.

 Stroopwafel:

If you are one to hunt for dessert (like myself) or just have a sweet tooth (also like myself), you must try a Stroopwafle from one of the stands. A waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough, held – more like glued together – by a hot, caramel filling. Heaven in a bite! Since it is nice and hot, it’s a perfect snack to warm yourself up on a cold day, which worked perfectly for me. If you want to really treat yourself, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to go along with it.

 Cheese:

There is cheese and cheese shops everywhere. Many tourists, will definitely buy a bunch to take back with them, however, I would always stop by the different stores and sample all their different types of cheese. Helps kill the appetite while also introducing your palette to the diversity of cheese. There was one in particular which had a very spicy tang to it and I bought a little bit to munch on in my room at odd hours of the day and night.

 Wok to Go:

Chinese food in a takeaway carton. Ground breaking! I know. But, once again it is a delicious meal if you are on the go and want to try something different after eating too many fries during your trip. They are open late at night, so I would often grab a carton after a night out and bring back to my room. I will always fondly remember the night I sat eating lo-mein out of the red Wok to Go box at 3am  as I tried to write but instead sat on my window watching customers haggling with the working girls. Hashtag Amsterdam!

  1 - Tips & Miscellaneous recommendations  

Beggars:

I read some warnings about beggars on a few blogs but I have to honest, I did not encounter any during my trip. Regardless, with Amsterdam or any other city you travel to, keep your wits around you and try not to call attention to yourself. For the most part, it felt like one of the safest cities in the world. What else do you expect from a city where recreational marijuana is legal.

 Tulips and Clogs:

Tulips and Clogs are the most common souvenirs in Amsterdam. Similar to rugs and carpets in Istanbul, don’t let the vendors sniff out the tourist in you. Apparently they can get very aggressive and will hike up prices for their items to an astronomical amount. I always just pop in and out of stores and ask for prices. Then on my last day, I return to the one place which seemed most reasonable and get all my souvenirs there. On this trip I bought two great T-shirts, a mug and tiny clogs.

 Bicycles:

Biking around Amsterdam is definitely a must-do which surprisingly I didn’t partake in because I enjoyed walking everywhere. Regardless I recommend doing the bike thing since it is a popular way to commute in Amsterdam. If traffic on the road overwhelms you, Vondelpark is a great place to rent a bike and bike around.  

 Oh and apart from the blogs I have already shared with you, I do want to give a shout-out to two wonderful blogs about Amsterdam.

 The first one is The Wander Blogger. I have already mentioned it a few times but definitely read all the other essays about Amsterdam that Sarah Shumate has shared on her blog.

 http://www.thewanderblogger.com/category/the-netherlands/

 Another great blog is by the New York Times bestselling author Nomadic Matt of the New York Times bestseller How Travel the World on $50 a day. On his blog, he has an amazing essay titled “How to spend 4 days in Amsterdam”. I thought it was quite apt for me since I literally spent 4-5 days in the city myself so it was great to know that it was doable. You can read that blog post here.

 http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/three-days-in-amsterdam/