The Road Less Traveled: November 2009

As many of you know, I'm a true beach girl in every sense. Still, I thought it would be easy to move to a big city and a welcome relief to live somewhere with seasons (whereas the seasons in Puerto Rico were hot and very hot, humid and very humid). Well... I was wrong. As I've said over and over again this winter, I will never live away from a beach again! I was craving the warmth and sunshine by October and thrilled to be able to visit a beach (while not a couple hours drive, it was just a couple hours by plane) for Thanksgiving break. I will be the first to admit that I have been spoiled in my beach going the past few years; I would venture to guess I've vistited some of the nicest beaches in the world while living in the Caribbean and traveling through Southeast Asia. And I will also be the first to admit that the Canary Islands are no Caribbean-- freezing water, high winds, and many, many naked 80+-year-olds. None-the-less, I had a great time with good friends and got a little sunshine on my pale face.

Gran Canaria beach

Just a bit windy...

This pretty much explains everything...

Freezing cold water

Good friend Dana and I

Very cool dunes line the waterfront

Another good friend of mine, Jamie

Last day at the beach... a little color

Pretty sunset

Trish and Fil

Dana and I

Sunrise!

This trip makes me that much more excited for Mexico in February!

Besos a todos, Linds

One of the great perks of working at an international school that has a high tuition (but not a high salary) and a well-known headmaster in the international teaching circuit are free trips, such as the one that 90 of my coworkers and I took to Florence in early November. We spent 5 days at the Mediterannean Association of International Schools conference... but only about 5 total hours at the conference itself. (sidenote- I will say I was one of the only ones from my school that went to 3 presentations, most didn't go to any. Patt on the back...)

Pictures of this city just don't do it justice; everywhere you turn is another view of something wonderful. Although many go to Florence to see the David (which I did go see), Uffizi, Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, what I was most looking forward to was the food and shopping (big surprise, huh?). Oh, I could go on for days about the food. Pizza, pasta, gelato, waffles, cheese, wine, chocolate, fruit, bread... I would love to live in Italy but I'm afraid I may gain a few hundred pounds in the process. Florence lived up to all my expectations (and memories from 12 years ago) and more. I'd love to return in the summer and see what things look like in the sunshine instead of rain and overcast.

One part of the conference that everyone attended was the Gala, held out of town a bit on a hillside. We were told the gala was being held in the city center but after one hour on a bus, many of us were beginning to get worried as to where we were going. But all fears were put to rest when we were dropped off in front of an old palace, owned by a family who has kids that attend the Florence International School. They now rent the house out to big parties and weddings and boy, was it beautiful. Just touring the house was amazing, let along the food, drinks, and dancing. ASM (as we normally do) took over the dance floor for a night to remember. I'm now in the process of planning a solo trip to Rome in February to do it all over again (but this time, unfortunately, I'll have to pay for it!)