Aspen's Thoughts

well, i am off to SJD again in 16 SLEEPS! uber-excited! i have been working like a dog, no more than 1 day off in a row, so 2 wks off is gonna be a dream!
i plan on renting a car and driving to visit the real Hotel California, maybe drink some wine there or something!
any other good places to visit near cabo san lucas? i like less touristy, more culture-revealing things to do.
think i'll be ok even tho i am spanish illiterate?! i will be with 3 others.
i can't wait!!!

well, here i am in Seattle for job training. its beautiful here, most of the days have started off cloudy but have turned sunny. today is the first actually rainy day i have encountered. unfortunately due to the fact that i have to be in class all day, haven't been able to see much of the city. i did havethe chance to go to a seattle mariners game last week. that was awesome, i have never been to a live baseball game before! had lots of fun, had some beer, chatted, watched the game...wonderful!
i get to stay in a pretty decent hotel, a nice breakfast etc. unfortunately it is nowhere near downtown, so haven't got to see downtown at all yet.
this weekend i'll be doing all that sight-seeing type stuff. and on the 22nd, Salman Rushdie is speaking at the university, so i am planning to go, as it's only $5 to see in person this man whose work i have read, and whom i have heard so much of.
so, that's pretty much the entirety of my plans so far. i am staying at a downtown hostel called the Green Tortoise, it sounds pretty cool. am making friends with a few people who work for Horizon Air, so i'll have people to go visit in the future.
anyways, guess i should get back to class now, i am sitting here in the computer room typing while we are "learning" stuff...i have learnt it all before so i am trying to look busy like i am paying attention and following the class, while at the same time not falling asleep...so back to class for me!

well, since i cannot right now plan a huge trip for myself, having just made a year-long commitment to volunteer with a little girl, i am lucky enough to have short travel opportunities. i am going to visit my mom in Montana for 4days, a nice relaxing holiday in the midst of a frenzied work period for me.
after that, in Sept, i get to go for job training in sEattle...the thing is i'll have been on the job for 3 months already, so i will kn ow almost everything they'll be teaching me. i figure it will be pretty relaxing, and hopefully not too boring...lots of time in the beautiful city of seattle.
that's my mini-travel plans. any ideas of neat things to see in Seattle would be welcome!

well, i'd just like to invite anyone and everyone who reads this to send a quick whisper of thanks out into the great unknown for all the people on the AirFrance flight who will be making it home alive.
*thank goodness!*
the entire flight, 240ish people, made it safely off the A340 airbus that crashed in Toronto yesterday. that's right EVERYONE on the plane is a-ok, from what i hear!!!!
wow, what a miracle.

one tiny downside of travel...a bit of a gamble sometimes. but if i were to think of that i would go mad from nerves, so i try to ignore it.

all's well that ends well!

later!

Wow! people ARE actually reading this!!! how heart-warming your responses are too, thanks so much! nice to know that there are really people out in the amorphous blob of internet world

Yesterday i began researching different travel programs...i am finding it rather frustrating and unfulfilling though, any suggestions of some good volunteer/work abroad programs would be swell. i know ther are some scattered in amongst others questions and answers, but they really are scatterd!

What a funny species we are part of. I have been introduced to the bizarre ways of the 20-yr old BOY at work. i never would have believed that this demographic is the worst source of gossip if i had been told. but now, having worked with around 50 of them for the past 9 months, i have been introduced to this unlovely fact. my mind is blown away by the fact that they find my life intriguing enough to twist and spread around amongst co-workers (other 20yr old boys...and i say boys intentionally here).

Live and learn i guess. the worst part is that most of them are what i would consider friends...

Just increases my desire to get the hell out of this country and society, into one where i have an excuse to not understand the actions of others...different language and culture.

I really have a hard time understanding why there is so much drama in my life when all i want is complete and utter simplicity.

i would love to hear some stories of human kindness, if anyone is willing to share...clear my mind of how much i hate my species right now.