Santorini continued...

My. body. hurts. Biggest waste of massage Euro today as only hours later my sandal decides to slide down a staircase, cement might I add, on the side of the mountain whilst entering our dinner venue. Ummm yes. Not my finest moment. Lets just say we didnt eat dinner there. A very nice German in her best attempt to help yelled 'Get ice put on it make better'. I'm  not quite sure how my left hip is going to feel in the morning and I'm not looking forward to it. In all honesty it could have played out much worse, and if not for my 16 years of nearly breaking my neck as a gymnast and 7 more in Cheerleading, I wouldn't have had the cat like fall reflexes to catch myself strategically and not break bones. I did however break ego for a hot minute. 

Aug 21

Last night here in Santorini after a day on a catamaran. We had a great time and it was exactly what the doctor ordered, although now I'm dehydrated a bit and my skin is as sun scorched as it has been since Hawaii trip, 2001.  We saw the red and black beaches and got to do some cliff diving. I thought  it would be impossible to relax as much as we have been but I'm starting to get to the point in the trip that the relaxation is having the opposite effect and making me anxious. Probably because I know just how much work I have ahead of me as I haven't even been home for three weeks now (a week before this trip I was on a work trip in Pa). Putting that out of my mind is becoming harder and harder. I'm looking forward to seeing my fur babies and things like that but will continue to enjoy our vacation of course. Exciting things ahead in Istanbul! In spite of the recent car bomb near Syria that went off & the fact that we hear women are treated quite differently there (tourist or local), there are always risks wherever you live; we'll travel as safely as possible.

Santorini, the Granddaddy of them all!

Sunday, August 19th-Santorini

I should have known after three high speed ferries in the past seven days that (unlike those) when we all unloaded onto the closed vessel of the ship to get off and opened the massive 30 x 50 foot door for the grand reveal/exit that we would be embarking onto the best island of all. < insert gasp> 

I kid you not, I choked back tears of happiness and awe as we wound up the cliffs of Santorini to our hotel overlooking the water to Volcano View Hotel & Villas, and if there's one thing I rarely do publicly, its cry. The island of Santorini is set in a magnificent cliff with a view so grand it's indescribable. Seriously. You all MUST come here before you die; although if you don't, I'm absolutely certain that this is Earth's last stop for us before we get to Heaven. If Heaven is more beautiful than this then everyone should start believing in it because I'm not overreacting when I tell you, it would be hard to get better than here. Blair has traveled all over the world and as he put it, 'I should have never put it past you to pick the absolute #1 Bucket List destination that could ever exist, this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen', and it is. Santorini is unlike Athens, Paros and Naxos simply because you overlook the sea onto volcanoes & islands dated back to B.C, and an endless horizon of water and sunsets that only Bob Ross could paint. I'm dreaming...pinching myself...awaiting my alarm clock to go off in Ohio to then only imagine a Greece/place that is so grand, much like I've done the past 10 years, ever since I fell in love with the idea of Greece. Everything I've imagined this paradise to be has fallen short to its reality. This island & trip has far surpassed my expectations. 

#1 Bucket List, check! A well deserved #1 spot. It's breathtaking.....Oh, and the wine is finally "normal" here :) le sigh....

Monday Aug 20

I hate the part of vacation where you are over the hump in the trip and are turning the corner when time is closer to your travel home than it has been time away. We are home on the 25th after three nights in Istanbul and only have tomorrow left in Santorini. Booo. I guess all good things must come to an end, unfortunately. 

Today we spent gathering goodies for some of our loved ones while shopping in the uptown area. We met a man who owned an art store and also did the pieces himself as well as his father and daughter. We fell in love with much of their work, that of which mom, Vicki and a small token for ourselves was purchased to remember authentic Santoroni. We also found a third generation leather maker who was hand making bags and wallets, etc that we scooped some great leather finds from for Trent. He has been caring for our home & our fur babies while were away & I am certain they are running wild on him. After wine tasting and picking our favourite two bottles, I finally got my spa treatment I've been dying for. It. Was. Wonderful. I went for the full body deep tissue (standard) while Blair went into the steam, sauna and 'heated bed' room. I think masseuses' speak a universal language because regardless of where I receive them their hands ALL drill into the same troubled areas. Most of the time I spend wondering how they do this vs. relaxing...

Although this place is pretty darn close to heaven, there are a few things that we find funny and/or annoying about being in a country unlike ours. We have started a running list: 

1. Smoking was so 10 years ago...everyone still smokes here, even in restaurants & they have no regard for those around them who don't. 

2. Popped collars, also soooo 10 years ago. As well as swim shorts that your little brother could wear (I've seen so many love handles & buttcracks I could cry) -not attractive.

3. Know what the English means on your shirt before you purchase it. ie:

Young Girl carrying balloons wearing a tank that says 'BAD GIRL' or the man walking behind her wearing a beater that says 'ORGASM DONER' with 'Friday' on the back. Or the 6 year old wearing a T shirt saying 'I LOVE MY SELF'. Seriously? 

4. Id rather pay a tip and get served promptly. Here the tip is already included and you LITERALLY dine for hours and hours. 30 mins to get greeted, 30 more to order, 30 until food arrives & so on. Sometimes, we are in a hurry or have a timeline. Also, my husband likes beer....waiting an hour and a half in between coldie #1 & #2, not fun for me. 

I'm sure you were sick of hearing all my ooooohhh'ing & aaaahh'ing for one blog. So, there's  your dose of the Real Deal Holyfield AC ya know

Greetings from Naxos!

Tetanus shot in Blairs arse was a success and only cost us 10 Euro! They say it's never happened before to ANY guest before us (when you see a pic of this bad boy you'll find that very hard to believe) so, we've officially labeled ourselves as the 'Dumb Americans' throughout Contaratos Beach, ha! We are the onlyAmericans this week, we hear, so we are representing well ;) I continue to wonder how they know we are from the US before we even open our mouths .....

The pharmacist said the wound looked very clean, considering the rusty/dirty nail, thanks to my hospital grade Medline Sterillium Hand sanitizer I had with me I could give it a good clean. Thank you sample supply I stocked up on before departing the company. SCORE!

We stopped at a Garra Rufa fish therapy shop for a 'pedicure' which was certainly one of a kind and something worth Googling to look into details of what I mean! There are about 50 tiny fish that immediately gravitate to your feet and nibble (no teeth) at your dry skin, they say it's wonderful for treating those with  Psoriasis, but next to the electric sensation throughout your body and a tingly pulse at your feet, we didn't see any difference in our dry skin to follow. It gave us a good laugh and who doesn't like their feet rubbed anyway? It made for a good 20 minutes to conclude our last night in Paros. 

Aug 17

We have arrived in Naxos and its already very different than Paros. We have a much more modern hotel & room, think city modern meets ski town. Our rooms walls are all stone and ceilings are exposed beams with a garden and ocean view. One of my favorite words and places that can sum up Naxos is MOUNTAINS. The mountain views are my favorite part here immediately. The front desk claims we are the "luckily couple" as this is the best room facing the North (sunset on west) with a fantastic evening breeze, I'll take it! We are here for only two nights where we plan to beach it up & enjoy this massive infinity pool we're laying out at as I type (you ask yourselves how I find the time in paradise or bother to type these blogs instead of enjoy every single second) well, Blair & I only have so many topics to cover & books to read 24 hours daily, 7 days a week for 14 days. Half the reason we get along anyways is that we don't 'pointless talk' and both love to read. Perfect-Thank you iPad! We have already blown through two books throughout 5 days and a bajillion hours of travel, so book suggestions are now welcome for rest of trip & home.

I'm starting to feel like a foodie as I LOVE the food here & am certain I'll be traveling home with a Fupa/food baby in my belly. I can finally understand why people live to eat & not eat to live... Bring it on! Fall is near in Ohio & there are layers of clothes in my near future. I think people find it odd that I take pictures of what they serve esp myfavorite dishes, but you'll soon see why. Ah-mazing.

I've learned a lot about myself during this trip. For example, I don't give myself enough travel credit. I've always felt I am an anxious traveler, someone who would fly into full blown panic attack when it comes to a day +of planes, trains, busses and ferries but the truth is I'm probably just like everyone else. Some ways of travel are preferred over others (not loving the high speed ferries, without Dramamine i feel like I'm on a fair ride) but quite frankly unless I can find a way to re-create Docs time machine, it is what it is. It really is just a matter of trying to live in the present as much as possible or to let your mind daydream about a time when the uncomfortable moment you're in will pass. Oh, and a lot of book reading :) Lazy night in /balcony breezin tonight ....Antio! 

Aug 18th

Now would be a good time to confess that not only am i challenged at Math, Geography is my second weak spot. Lol! I swear i graduated with honors (somehow) from OSU but i was the studier who crammed, took the test & slowly forgot most, unfortunately. Which is another reason why i journal and make detailed note to location & places. Poor Blair fills in most of my recall blanks when i'm telling stories regarding places and names; instead of The Notebook (love story where he reads his wife the story of their life together) he'll have to saddle up with me someday re-reading me the story of ours. When it comes to English, Lit, Languages and creative courses, Im good to go. I point out these flaws as it should be noted that I was looking at a map of Greece this a.m curious of our next two destinations direction to Naxos and saw that this glorious water I've mistaken for The Mediterranean all these years are really The  Sea of Crete & Aegean Sea! Pah! Either or, it's clear straight to the bottom and an incredible shade of teal. 

Last night was a perfect lazy night in on the patio with another stunning sunset. I was able to share the view via FaceTime with my Mom & Sister, hey I'm not stingy, if you have an iPad or iPhone & want to peek at the view, feel free to call :) I really wish all my loved ones were here to see the sights. I'd recommend the same route and places to stay to anyone looking to come this way. It's truly paradise. I'm so blessed to be witnessing all of this beauty & wish I could bottle it up and bring it home to Ohio with me. Which is exactly why I take so many pictures, add a photo book to our 'Notebook' of a story because this visual learner will need that for memory too! Poor poor Blair... Lol! Poor sap had no idea what he was getting into. 

Naxos is sporty and filled with young (as well as older) fit people  and is much more active then Paros. Where it lacks in charm factor from Paros, it fills it's void with breathtaking mountain views, great beaches and wind surfing. We walked the beach last evening (sunset is around 8p here) and people are in the water at all hours. It looks like a scene from Bonnaroo, nude bodies all cuddled up or people rubbing each other as if they're on estacy! Luckily, per noted above, they are all beautifully built ... We must look like siblings vs lovers with our public PG -13 display of affections, ha! We are touchy but let's just say nothing can compete with the French. Maybe we'll step up our game today ;) 

We leave tomorrow at noon for a three hour ferry to Santorini where we'll be staying in a cliff, what that island is known for, for three nights. I've yet to have my spa day, which the Greeks dont really focused on, poor women don't know what they're missing, so I'm hoping Santorini has a different idea/take on this. Otherwise, it gives me much to look forward to with our three day stay in Istanbul; Turkish baths in mass quantities please! Momma needs a rub down. Antio for now; more updates in Santorini! Off to soak up our last day in Naxos...game on French folk! ;) 

Paros! (minus pics, stay tuned)

Aug 13-14th-Athens 

Greetings from Greece! I'm currently  siting on the ferry to Paros after a long travel day yesterday, 10 hour flight from NY that luckily was rather uneventful. It's a bit sad to admit that this is my first trip over the pond, partially because I was always busy in college with a jam packed athletic schedule and also because our family vacations as children weren't ones that ventured out of the US. Hawaii is the furthest I've been until now, or Canada and Mexico. Blair on the other hand has been overseas many times and even lived abroad one summer. It makes it easier to have someone with me who can handle the currency difference, or is well versed in math calculations/ money counting skills. (This is par for the course regardless of where we are really with my  math skills)!! 

We got in yesterday at 9a Athens time and dropped our bags at our hotel. It was small (as everything is over here) but clean and modern with a cute balcony right in the uptown of Athens, within walking distance to beautiful restaurants and streets. We had a fantastic 

Iunch at Thanasis, pita "kabobs" with thick strips of beef, tomatoes and onions. I cannot get enough of the food already, it's delicious. We strolled around like zombies as we were approaching 26 hours of being awake, so after seeing The Parthenon and other stunning  monuments (what happened to architectural designs as magnificent as the Romans built anyways?!) we decided to catnap, and woke up just in time for a perfect evening stroll ; the weather was perfect. We dined at Tipanas outside on their patio and had fresh    roasted vegetables, a risotto dish that was to die for and Mythos'! Yummo! Kathleen warned me if Greece's lack of delicious red wines, and I took one for a test drive at Tipanas and it was terrible. Served chilled and tasting like its been skunked for months; it's only plus was that it was strong! After meandering around a bit longer we ended up at our rooftop hotel bar for dessert (a slice of cheesecake that was BEYOND rich) overlooking The Parthenon all lit up. It was truly breathtaking. 

Paros has been the island I've been looking forward to the most, so I hope it's all that and more. We will be there for the next three days before another ferry to Naxos then ending greece at Santorini before taking our flight to Istanbul. Stay tuned.

Aug 14th-15th-Paros

Well, I was 100% correct. I'm madly in love with Paros. It's everything I've imagined and more. Beautiful all white buildings with teal blue or green shutters, floral arrangements that pop as everything is so white. We have a very authentic hotel with a balcony that overlooks the  Mediterranean. Everyone here is on "holiday", so its very authentic Greece. I can't even begin to give this place justice as I finally fully understand the statement "you have to see it to believe it", we are taking in every moment as it comes. Do you ever have those moments in life where you sit still, content, and just  think to yourself 'I'm happy'? That was today; Day 1 of Paros. You'll understand what I mean when I can finally upload the pictures when home, but even they can't convey how beautiful this place is. We sat drinking Champagne after a fantastic meal le Sud which was ranked #1 in Paros via 'Tripadvisor'. The food was fantastic but the service was NOT. Not to label, but the French in Paros are extremely unfriendly to us, the locals however, couldn't be more wonderful. I said to Blair this evening, "'see that woman up on that terrace? I could live on the same one and be perfectly content in Paros for the rest of my life"... luckily (or unfortunately) he  couldn't see himself there also so we'll eventually be back home. Otherwise, I'm not sure this gypsie soul would be! ha! So, to conclude Day 3 with our daily ritual toast, as I look out our balcony into the clear blue Mediterranean Sea, "to Aunt Mardell".... *clink :)

August 16th

Today is our last day in Paros before our early morning ferry to Naxos and we are going to be sad to leave. Just when we think  this place cant get any more beautiful we stumble onto another extraordinary place to be in awe of.  After our routine of breakfast and a day at the beach & pool we spent the rest of the day/evening yesterday strolling in & out of the  endless shops uptown. The colors in Paros are so unique to the eye as every building here is stark white, so when you see the pics of all the floral pops and bright blue shutters, balconies, pops of green and pink terraces, you'll see just how stunning it is. The color of the Mediterranean is unlike any blue i've ever seen, perhaps due to it's white surroundings as well. We met the first town Boxer today (who was also white) with one green eye and one hazel/blue eye, which made me laugh as it reminded me of Paige (same eye combo). Her name was Carla & she was 8, just like Casanova. It made me miss him even more than I already do, but it was good to get some love from the boxer fam nonetheless. Yesterday was a HUGE celebration in Greece where people travel from allover to Paros to celebrate The Blessed Mother. We came upon a church and sat outside (along with about 50 other people who couldn't even fit into the church) and listened to the 'sermon'. It was a lot of singing (sounding similar to a Catholic service in regards to the chanting, just singing instead) not much of a sermon & of course was in Greek, but was really pretty. We expected it to be really crowded yesterday as well as many things shut down for the holiday, but luckily that wasn't the case. We stopped at a pizza spot, Pizzarella, with a nice breeze out on the terrace which had two young Greek girls who really made great suggestions for us & were really hospitable. We then went to a music bar with the best view thus far, it was straight out of a magazine. As I type this, blair stepped on a rusty nail on our patio and we're leaving to get him a tetanus shot! Lol... Let's hope this is our only bump in the road! 

Travel woes

So I'm sitting here stuck in D.C airport after my flight got cancelled lastnight & is now 4.5 hours delayed because the flight crew is now held up in Baltimore due to weather. Sighhh. Luckily I'm loaded up with PLENTY to do as I'm en route to training in PA, but more importantly we leave Sunday for our dream vaca to Greece & Turkey for two weeks so I can't complain too much. I'm not a huge fan of being stuck on a germ tube airplane period, let alone for 10.5 hours from NYC-Athens so this delay today helps to prepare me for the lack of control I have while traveling, today as well as over the pond; it's a work in progress for me :)

Blogging from my iPhone because my iPad isn't bringing up wireless signal makes me giggle... I mean how can one really hate traveling when next to books, mags, iPad books & mags (nook, newsstand), I have HBOGo, movies, work to catch up on and every other entertainment/distraction tool known to man. Oh, and xanex if things really take a turn for the worse! Ha! I have to say as pathetic as it is, I'm going to miss my fur babies the most. Which is EXACTLY why we are making ourselves book this dream trip now, before life continues to pile up or kids come onto the scene, etc. as it would continue to be just that... A dream.

My grandmother's deceased sister, Aunt Mardell and I used to daydream together about Greece, for whatever reason we've always felt fondly about going, our #1 on our Bucket List. We'd talk about floating all day in the Meditteranean and cliff diving, riding mopeds around the islands and dining in restaurants tucked away in cliffs in Santorini. Aunt Mardell never got to go to Greece as she was hit pretty hard with breast cancer almost four years ago & although she beat the cancer the chemo took her life in the end. I know she's in a far better place now than Greece but I can't wait to take her with me in spirit. I have a feeling her & I will connect over there on multiple occasions; I know she'll be there ready to lead me to all of her favorite spots she's already discovered. She'll be there in spirit! She's motivated me (and Blair) to jump already and to stop delaying this adventure any longer... 6 days away! Eeeekkkk! :)

If not now, then when?

Xo,
Andi

Positive influence & making a difference

I read this today and found it so poignant... if only this world could truly cultivate this way of thinking, what we could truly accomplish as a human race!!

"Life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness and compassion. It's about sticking up for what you believe in and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. Its about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone else's in a way that could never have been achieved otherwise. These choices are what life's about"

Amen.

It's been awhile.

...and ALOT has been happenin!! The move, my sisters 'Sip N See Isaac' that I hosted (less than a week after we moved in, argh), anddddd (drumroll) I GOT THE NEW JOB WITH B BRAUN MEDICAL! *grinning ear to ear
 It's been a long time coming/interviewing ...5+ months to be exact, but I got the offer last week and I could not be more ecstatic. I finally have reached the type of company and position (manufacturing med sales) that Ive been aspiring to obtain since, well, I started my sales career in 2005.  I couldn't be more excited to join the B. Braun family! Ambulatory Care Clinical Specialist for OH and WV, here I come <3

Summer has been awesome thus far, we absolutely love our home and are getting unpacked and settled in as well as starting to get the decorating in order day by day. We feel SO BLESSED to be here and just adore all the space and natural lighting, yard for the dogs and a GARAGE.. yes, a garage. After living in the city with one parking spot for 2 cars, a garage can actually be fun let me tell ya. My heart literally skips a beat when I push the button and pull in vs. filling a meter or circling the Short North for 45 mins, it's the little things. lol. Especially when you've been carrying all 30 grocery bags down the street around the corner and up 2 flights of stairs (while the bags dig into your arms, fingers,etc) for the past 4 years.

It's been a busy two weeks, but we've still found time to celebrate the 4th of July and spend some pool days with baby Isaac as well as celebrate Cody's graduation from the Columbus Fire Academy. Danielle's party was a blast and she has a BEAUTIFUL condo in the city; it was good to cruise back that way for a night & catch the fireworks from a pretty sweet balcony overlooking Cbus (thanks Danielle!!). Cody's graduation was so moving and we are incredibly proud of him and all of his hard work along the way to get where he is. The pics of him & the family def tell the story; knowing the pride felt is largely in the name of his Grandpa Davis (also a former firefighter in Columbus). Cody even gets to wear his old badge and adopt his badge number which is a HUGE honor.

Cant beat Summertime...ice cream, dog days, nephew lovin's and getting chased by pigs at pool parties. Yep, you read that right, getting chased by pigs folks... evidence is below. I mean, i nearly left a crap trail behind me as I beelined into the house when this thing came snorting across the yard for my beer. Who has a pig for pet, I mean, seriously!??!

Next on the line up-- Athens, Paros, Naxos and Santorini, Greece followed by Istanbul, Turkey for two weeks!! It's my #1 on the Bucket List of to do's so I'm still a bit in shock that it's actually going to happen in less than 30 days. It'll be my first trip over the pond to boot. Don't worry, I plan on blogging the trip and taking you all along for the ride. Doesn't get much better than this folks! Thank you God for all of these many blessings.

xo,

Andi