Last Outing in Melbourne

okay so the time has come for me to pack the pack and head off to the airport late morning tomorrow (Jan 31).  The last few days here have been great.  Staying at Cam & Charlotte's in town for three nights made things pretty accessible.

one night Charlotte and I went out for one of the best meals ever at a place called veg-out time.  i had a great pumpkin red curry and butter tofu.  after that we went for a walk out on a long pier.  at the end there is a protected wildlife area as fairy penguins still nest there.  we waited until dark (when the parents come home to feed the day's catch to their young) and spotted about three or four.  i got within a couple of feet of one!  these have got to be one of the cutest animals ever.  i mean i always thought penguins ranked up their but these are the smallest of the 17 species of penguins.  look up some pics because it was too dark for any of mine to turn out...you can't use flashes because the light blinds the penguins.  :(

a shot from our walk along the pier of downtown before it got dark:

on my last full day here narelle and greg took me for one last drive along the mornington peninsula, right to the tip at the town of portsea. some more beautiful coastline and also some more wine country. numerous stops and photo ops. my fav photo of the day's trip:

i'm not in a very chatty mood tonight...focused on getting ready for the backpacking portion of the trip and just generally excited to see roel again and see southeast asia!

he told me today that he had his pack and two carry on bags.  :s  that makes me a little nervous.  i can't imagine what he's all bringing that i don't know about.  ha  looks like he'll have a lot to carry.  hehe
almost time to give him his wake up call for his 11:30am new york flight to tokyo where he connects for bangkok.

until next time, whenever that may be.  don't know how the photo uploading will go when we're travelling as i have to reduce them all to fit on the blog.

see you all in bangkok.  :)

Australia Day

day before yesterday was australia day (jan 26th).  cam and charlotte (narelle's bro and sis in law) invited me to their place for a bbq.  nothing more australian than that on australia day.  it was a small group that changed throughout the afternoon and early evening.  there was a lot of beer involved as well (mandatory).

i had a great time eating and drinking on their back patio until it got too cool in the evening.  the five of us remaining moved indoors and watched andy murray beat rafael nadal.  charlotte, being english, quite enjoyed it.  i stayed the night and narelle and greg went back home to upwey.  cam and charlotte had offered there place to stay for a couple of nights.  sweet!  they live in st. kilda close to a beach.  i'm going to be staying until friday (tomorrow).

yesterday i spent the day doing another self guided walking tour since it wasn't warm enough for the beach (22).  i walked along the shoreline for quite a ways and then headed to the shrine of remembrance (a catch-all shrine for fallen soldiers from this state - victoria).  it doesn't look dissimilar to the memorials in DC.  if anything i thought it to be underwhelming and said to myself 'i've seen this before, next!'.  BUT the difference here is that you can walk through the entire building including the basement/crypt and an outdoor balcony around the perimter at the top of the structure that provides brilliant views of downtown.

the shrine neighbours the botanical gardens.  it is better to think of it as a big park with a few interesting features.  i'm not complaining - it's free!  so using that as a base point... this place is huge and beautiful.  so many unique and picturesque spots that seem to keep appearing around each corner.

i had walked for a couple of hours by this point and australia day had caught up with me.  i found a spot under a huge umbrella like tree that was partially shaded in a meadow and had a nap while listening to songs that reminded me of roel.  (yes, i know, very cheesy)  i love me some naps and some roel.  so a perfect combination really.  :)

after i woke up i headed to (yup you guessed it) federation square to catch some tennis on the big screen (federer vs davydenko).  great match.  by the time this was done the sun was setting and i needed to get home.  i got home at about 9:30 and my feet were tired.  i had been out for 10 hours and walking for the majority of that time.  bedtime!

side thought:
i was telling roel on the phone yesterday that i thought melbourne was a fantastic city for so many reasons.  it's very liveable.  however i wouldn't want to live here because it's missing something, a certain kind of engaging energy.  once again i repeat: there is so much to do and it's a really cool place.  i just don't find it pulling me in as some cities have done.  as i was lying in bed i was thinking how strange it was but then i think i put my finger on it.  i don't know why i didn't think of it earlier (it's obvious now).  i lack a certain basic fundamental commonality to the people: i'm not australian and often can't relate.  This inlcudes fewer common terms of reference as compared to north american cities and people (duh!).  i think i was naive in thinking that canada and australia were more alike than they actually are based on what others had told me.

today is too cool again for the beach.  :(  we'll see what i get up to today.  only three more sleeps until bangkok!!  forecast is for 30C and 70% humidity at 10pm (about the time roel and i arrive).  the heat will be brought to a whole new level with that humidity.  ha  scary.

Australian Open

two days i ago i got up early and took the train to melbourne park, home of the australian open.  for those of you who don't follow tennis it is one of four major tournaments every year (others being wimbledon, roland garros aka french open and us open).

i got the very affordable grounds pass ($30 for the day) which grants access to all but the two main arenas. 
i arrived later than i had hoped due to some public transportation issues.  by the time i got to the main court i had access to (margaret court) all seats had been filled and there was a line-up of people waiting for seats to free up (rush seating).  i could here the game starting and i desperately wanted in!  lucky for me they had an odd number of seats in the second row centre court.  me being a single and all i managed to slip to the front of the line and grab that extra seat.  most people wanted to sit in a larger group or in two's.  i had written that court's schedule down for the day and decided before hand already that if i got a good seat i simply wouldn't move for the whole day.  and i didn't.

here's the breakdown of the matches i saw:

1. zvonereva (9) vs. dulko (women's)
my first pro game and i was underwhelmed.  it looks a lot faster on tv!  once i adjusted i realized that zvonereva packs a lot of punch on her forehand and moves well.  dulko is skilled but simply lacks strength.  zvonereva in straight sets.

oh and get this.  same line judge as serena threatened at us open! ha

2. davydenko (6) vs. monaco
davydenko is quiet and efficient.  amazingly quick compact swings.  he hits the ball so flatly with little spin yet still manages to keep harder swings in-bounds.  fun to watch even with his machine like personality.  monaco lost 9 straight games before he finally won one of his service games.  he jokingly bowed to the crowd after his overdue win and the crowd went crazy.  pretty funny.  he kept interacting with the crowd for the rest of the match which kept us cheering him on despite his losing in straight sets.

3. verdasco (9) vs. koubek
not even close.  koubek couldn't find points anywhere, which all made sense after he retired due to injury in the second set.  however verdasco has an amazing forehand.  when the ball sits up on a return he gets there early and jumps aggressively into his swing.


4. mixed doubles match with kleybanova on one fo the teams.  i've had my eye on her since the us open last year when i was so impressed with her doubles game.  i was hoping she'd start making some tournament runs in singles as well.  a day earlier she ALMOST beat henin in singles.  i had so much fun watching her school the male on the other team.  haha  he was trying to pick on her but she was matching stroke for stroke and made him look pretty foolish at times.  she must be used to this because she had a grin on her face the whole match.  ahaha  i loved it!  the only problem was that the team she beat was australian so i was literally the only person clapping for most of her points.

an extra note on kleybanova for those who know her.  in person she actually looks pretty fit but she is a big girls.  toned arms and legs with just bulk in her torso.  commentators always give her a hard time for her 'fitness' level.  just wait, her time will come!

after that i roamed the grounds before i went home.  i was beat after sitting in the sun all day without cover.  being this close to the equator the sun just bakes directly above you.  you have to look straight up to see it.  ha!  weird for a canadian prairie boy.

today i went back to fed square to watch tennis on the giant screen with everyone else from melbourne and also to visit the ACMI museum.  it's an interesting and interactive free museum that goes through the history of moving image.

tomorrow i change homebase for a couple of nights in st kilda near the beach!!  i'm excited about that.  narelle's borther and sister-in-law offered there spare bedroom to me.  beats the hostel i was going to stay in.  thanks so much cam and charlotte.

only fice sleeps until i see roel again!  it's exciting to know that this may well be the last long period of long distance we'll ever do.

Update

nothing too mind blowing but thought it was time for an update.  the weather has just gotten decent again so i think i'll be doing some more interesting stuff in the coming days.  we had two really cool days with rain on and off and a couple of sunny (yet cool) days too.

a few of the last days i have felt completely exhausted and have been forcing myself to just get out of the house.  i feel like i've been fighting something off.  today i do feel like i have more energy though.  thankful for that.

narelle dragged me along to a friends birthday party which was entertaining.  it had a burlesque theme and everyone was dressed-up so i felt a little out of place.  the highlight of the night was the two professional burlesque dancers performing.

i went to see up in the air at a really old local theatre.  it felt like i was sitting in a great hall.  the seats had obviously been updated but the space and proportions had obviously not.  very cool.  the movie was well acted and directed.  realistic.  you know what that means...no fake happy ending.  :(  i used to enjoy a good unhappy ending but don't have a lot of patience for it any more unless it is based on a true story (which this may have loosely been, who knows).

i have also made it back into melbourne two more times on my own.  the most recent exploration of the city was yesterday.  i meandered through the area called fitzroy.  a neat couple of streets.  it is a cross between (another vancouver reference here) 4th avenue and commercial drive.  i went just after lunch and it felt kinda dead.  apparently it picks up evenings and weekends.  it was nice to walk through but a return visit isn't warranted.  i came across st. pat's cathedral.  pretty impressive inside and out.  please disregard the lamp post.  ha

i finally had my australian mcdonalds yesterday - for comparison purposes only of course.  i should point out that i've already been here for over two weeks.  how is that for self control? 
fries get top marks.  mcchicken was very good as well.  however the chicken tasted more like a chicken select strip than a chicken mcnugget.  definitely healthier but missed a little of that deep-fried flavour i have come to expect and love.  i thought of my summer beach buddies: peter, pedro and steve (there were others too but these guys were the regulars).  we only had time to run to mcds between beach vball games for food.  (or that was my excuse)  good times.  nah, almost the best times!  i'm glad roel got to experience a beach vball weekend in van.

day before yesterday i spent walking down chapel street which i was told is the gay area.  it was more an upscale shopping street with a  lot of restaurants.  it was a pretty dead area too.  i was thoroughly bored so i went a few neighboorhoods over to explore and found a fantastic network of lanes and streets with old houses and mini-parks.  i then walked downtown by the australian open grounds on my way to a musem.  however when i passed by federation square (a very large common area downtown) i noticed a large gathering of people.  i went to check it out and they were all watching the australian open on a huge screen.  oowee!!  i settled along the perimeter and watched along.  i slowly weasled my way further into the crowd as people left until i got a great spot on some fake grass/turf.  i ended up falling asleep for over half an hour!  after i woke up i made my way home.

crowd watching federer play on big screen at fed square, downtown.  i fell asleep just under that tree on the left.

greg took me for about a four hour drive through the yarra range.  beautiful wine country.  there were a number of smaller farms as well.  every 15 mins or so the road would pass through a town centre.  you know the type..the man thru road with one grocery store, bakery, butcher and a couple of cafes.  very quaint.  between these small towns were older style houses with large yards, farmland and vineyards.
it was a great drive.  we even stopped for a classic aussie pasty for lunch.  it is a meat pie in the shape of a calazone.  later on we also stopped for a pint of brilliant cider on tap. oh and we drove by the area where they filmed the bulk of the movie where the wild things are.  i STILL am dying to see this one but haven't had an opportunity yet.  i must see it on a big screen.

do you see the wild things?

umm that's all i can think of right now.  i think i'm going to a get grounds pass tomorrow for the open.  i think it's my best day to try to see good players play decent players on the lesser courts i can afford.  wish me luck!  the only problem is the forecast.  36 and sunny with being outside all day could get a little much seeing as though you just bake in those stands.
all for now. ciao!

Hiking and Exploring with a Dash of Sentiment

from weds to fri this week i stayed local and went hiking on trails in the area.

i checked out the 1,000 steps/kokoda war memorial track (aussie's use the word track instead of trail). this track is meant to commemorate the fallen soldiers from WWII in papau new guinea. it is also illustrating to some extent the elements they had to deal with (with respect to the denseness of vegetation). soldiers usually couldn't see more than 10m ahead in the jungle (metres! not miles you americans!). for those that have done the grouse grind it is the equivalent of going about one quarter to half way up (20-25 mins all steep uphill). great weather and exercise. it looked like a popular spot for gym bunnies to get some cardio in too.

i attempted this trail again the next day but only as a warm up for the main event. i hiked a good way across the dandenong national park (3 hr hike up and down). some beautiful scenery and friendly faces with most people saying 'g'day mate, how ya goin?' (cracks me up every time) although for many parts of the hike it felt like i was the only one in the world. it's nice to spend time with yourself every once and a while.

i didn't really see anything new on this hike..oh wait..i encountered a couple of small sunbathing lizards that were too quick to catch on cam. one other thing of note is the number of rosella's along the trail. they would scatter into the trees about 15 feet before you on the trail. they are a beautiful native australian parrot that are usually found in small groups together (well at least from my experience). i took a bunch of pictures but they are terrible. check out the link: http://www.fiu.edu/~larkinsg/Crimson_Rosella_b.JPG

the second tallest variety of tree in the world covers many parts of the dandenong mountains. it is the australian mountain-ash. they are tall and slim with little foliage so their presence isn't as great as one might think.

i also did a few hikes behind the house which is also part of the dandenong national park. here i can count on multiple rabbits dodging back and forth, duck varieties i've never seen, cockatoos soaring across the valley and laughing kookaburras. the vegetation in this area is much different than from the previous hike i mentioned. it is lower scrub brush on smaller rolling hills.

there is a great path for jogging around this large pond that i hoped to do today (saturday) but it is already 32 C at 11am. by the time i'm finished it will probably be ridiculous celsius. could still do it but then i'd be zapped for the rest of the day. pass.

apparently this area is also kangaroo filled but i haven't gone quite at the right time of the day yet (just before sunset) but i will soon. one day i went with narelle and we found a great lookout spot where you can see the distant city skyscrapers and long swooping valleys where farmers have jammed in some small fields and livestock.
i've been missing roel intensely the past few days. he's working on tying up loose ends in new york. resigning from his job, sorting and packing up the apartment and saying goodbye to friends. i'd love to be there for him as i know it can get tough. i should know seeing as though that was me a few months ago. as much fun as i'm having here jan 31 can't come soon enough. i can't express enough how happy i am that we found each other. i'm starting to get exited about getting a celebration reception together once we're back in north america.
also, seeing narelle and greg's network of friends reminds me of my own and how i miss them. it also reminds me that when roel and i settle down i have to start the extremely painful process of trying to find new ones. i know it should be fun getting to know people but the problem is i don't like spending time with most people i meet. it's not that i dislike them but i would rather just be on my own. i'm just on a different speed setting. i know few people who don't drain my life force. most of all though i am thankful for the friends i do have. the ones who go out of their way at the right times without you having to ask because they just know you probably need it.
so i'll end this with a general thank you to my friends and family for loving me so. i wish you could all be here with me.

Meandering Through Melbourne

earlier this week (tuesday) i decided it was time to check out the big city. melbourne is australia's second largest city behind sydney.

after about an hour and a bit on the light rail train i had arrived at flinder's street station (a beautiful building in itself...look it up!) at noon from where i would set out for the day. luckily across the street is melb's main info centre for tourists.

i started off at the national gallery of victoria (victoria is the state that melbourne is in). this gallery is made up of australian art on four floors and is free. there is also another whole building dedicated to international art but is closed on tuesdays (i'll go back for that one though - it's free too). i found the aboriginal and contemporary art most intersting. there is one floor nearly all dedicated to realisitc landscapes. snore! a shot of the indoor/outdoor space in front of the gallery. it was filled with cafes and shops.

i explored back laneways and alleys that are home to some of the best tag (graffiti) work in the world. these side lanes that are nestled full of cafes and restaurants have embraced it (as opposed to fighting it). these lanes reminded me a bit of what you might find in some parts of old montreal except way more expansive. melbourne has the charm of montreal but with a more big city/metropolitan feel. at the same time it is also softer, lacking a certain hardness or convitction (whatever that means to you).

i encountered two different examples of buildings that were built around older significant buildings. this way they preserve the building (as the government has ordered) and get a bang for their property development buck. there was a huge building (covering about half a city block) that completely ate up this beautiful place. i admit i thought the whole idea was kinda cool, didn't bother me at all. :)

my fav moment of the day comes from an unexpected art installation behind the huge arts centre. it was entitled 'coming and going'. random and delightful.

i then walked the entire CBD (central business district - for those unfamiliar). i passed by some amazingly tall buildings, the supereme court, many older victorian style buildings, amazing indoor/outdoor shopping plazas/arcades/malls. suffice to say i packed in more into one long afternoon than most tourists would see in three days. by the time i got home at 8pm i was totally spent but very pleased with what i had all accomplished.

i don't know if i'll go back to the city for a while seeing as though i plan to stay close to downtown (in st. kilda) for the last week of the month. the next few days will be filled with hikes in the dandenongs which i'll post about very soon! but tuesday will be a day off.

one of the last buildings of the day i went to see was melb's tallest: eureka tower. colour accent setting on camera was used.

A Week Along the Great Ocean Road No 2

we took a few different day trips from our little home in anglesea.

on the second day there we went out to appollo bay to visit one of narelle's old college friends and explore the town a bit. along the way there were stunning coastal views and numerous little seaside vacation towns that seem to be very similar other than the fact that the further away from melbourne you get the more charm they've retained.

we stopped for a washroom break and not two steps out of the car greg points out a koala streaking across the parking lot! it was screaming and moving at an incredible pace. i managed to get a shot of it just before it disappeared into the thick leaves. apparently i got extremely lucky as they sleep 20 hours a day.

apollo bay has a permanent population of under 2,000 that probably swells to five times that during peak season (this week). beatiful beach and lookout point that we hiked part way up to the top. there we were greeted with a rolling grassy hillside that gave us a panaramic view of the area.

two days after apollo bay narelle and i went to lorne (another seaside town along the great ocean road). we took a beatiful hike to a waterfall. it was very similar to a hike in bc but the vegetation was decidedly different. i have about 20 pictures of this place i could post but i'll limit myself to two.

another stop we made was at a golf course near anglesea. this golf course is inhabited by wild kangaroos from the surrounding hills. there were groups of them everywhere you looked. on the three holes that we checked out i probably saw close to 100. CRAZY! they'd let you get pretty close too.

as i look at the thermometer i notice that the outside temp is 44.1 and the indoor temp is 31.8. i'm sitting at the dining table with a fan blowing at my back. quite comfy actually. i'm just going to relax at home today as the high tomorrow is only 29. then it's finally time to explore melbourne. plus i over did it today with what i thought was going to be a pleasant jog at 10am. well lets just say that what i thought as going to be 20 mins was actually an hour with the temp rapidly rising in the middle of the arid hills.

until next time.

A Week Along the Great Ocean Road No 1

i'm baaack! i have an internet connection once again! although i must say i was happy not to have one for the last week. it allows me to be completely in the moment. also, this no cell phone thing is fantastic however i now do see it as a necessity in this day and age. i'll enjoy these next few months without in the meantime.

where do i start? hmm okay, here goes...

my hosts (narelle & greg) had the pleasure of using their friends' caravan in anglesea for a week. it's a campground for permanently stationed 5th wheelers that have an annex built along one side. a five minute walk to the beach from ours.

this beach is spectacular. i've seen finer sand and bluer water but the entire effect had me lost for words. not so captivating for many who have seen this kind of coastline before but i was enthralled (clearly).

the town of anglesea mines its own coal from the area for its power plant. however they are completing a geothermal power station now to replace the coal burning one. you can actually see the coal (black) and iron (orange) deposits by looking at the layers where chunks are crumbling off these cliffs. you can actually break apart the coal in your hands and there are bright orange tidal pools from the iron leeching out (which stain your feet for days!). check out the blue detail on the top right of this pic. ha

other notes about my time there:

-caught my first boogie boarding wave.. i had no idea how long you could ride a wave without surfing it. great fun.

-lots of lazy time to read and do my fav thing: nap!

-great food all week long courtesy of our gourmet chef, greg (thank you so much)

-went fishing one afternoon from a 'jutty' along the river. unsuccessful but a great time with cold beer in the warm sun and cool breeze.

-were joined by n&g's other friends and family part way through the week. i had the pleasure of listening to aussie's get excited and speak australian. it really is another language at times.

-played a little bit of very informal cricket on the beach with the gang

-drank a lot of tea. haven't figured out of it's just what this group does or if it's an australian thing. i mean really, multiple cups of hot tea on a 35 C day?? haha

-on the drive there from melbourne (about 1.5 hours) narelle stopped the car frequently for my benefit at various look-out points

we also did a number of other things and day trips outside of anglesea which i'll post about shortly. ciao for now.

Arrival

After 21.5 hours of flying I made it! It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. Not fun but totally doable. I felt a contented daze from the jet lag and from finally making it to Australia after one year and four months of talking about it. This sleepy euphoria would stay with me for the rest of the day. I never felt like I was completely in the moment but enjoyed every minute of it.

I must have looked silly when landing in Melbourne. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. A four month old baby sitting two rows ahead of me couldn’t stop staring and smiling back. haha Customs has a lot of scary signage but they couldn’t have been more harmless. One line stamped my passport (no questions...I just handed them my destination info on a small declaration card) and while in the second line (actual customs line which was pretty long...4 international Qantas flights arrived simultaneously) an official asked if I was bringing any food items into the country. Done! And he pointed me to the exit missing any real interview or questions. I felt special but so did everyone else.

The weather was a mix of sun & cloud and mild (about 20 C). Melbourne was kind to me for my arrival...apparently it was 40 C only a few days ago and it can flip back to that heat at any time (and it will). It's a bit of a change from Christmas in Winnipeg.

I took the express bus to Southern Cross Station downtown where my friend Narelle picked me up. I didn’t know if it would be awkward at all since I primarily know her through a working relationship back at UBC when she spent half a year in Vancouver. It wasn’t. It was great to see her again and comforting to know someone and have a ‘home’ even if for a short while to get sorted. She took me the long way around to her brother’s house (where we were picking up her boyfriend/partner, Greg) past St. Kilda’s beach. She was kind enough to let me call Roel and my parents briefly from the car. Thank you!

St. Kilda is a cool beach hangout area of the city that the yuppies are catching on to. It feels like a beach town (no high-rises, just cool two story buildings from about 1910-1930, inlcuding fully functional and buzzing fair with wooden roller coaster). The beach was beautiful and I fell in love with this area instantly. Oh and beach volleyball courts that I’ll definitely go back to check out!!

After meeting her bro and his wife we went for a beer back along the beach area and walked through a cafe and restaurant strectch oozing with character (Acland Street).

I thought all of Melbourne was younger (the city itself). I am very impressed with the character I’ve already found here. Imagine Vancouver’s Yaletown waterfront as a more laid-back beach town feel right in the heart of downtown...yeah, I can’t either. hehe

I was feeling very trippy after the drink seeing as though it was actually 16 hours earlier to my body and I hadn’t been eating too great on the plane. We walked it off and had a small tasty bite at an indian restaurant (cafeteria style service). We then headed on to Narelle & Greg’s friends' house. A warm and welcoming couple that offered us a freshly squeezed cup of carrot juice and some fruitcake. Narelle explained to me how this was regular when being welcomed in a home in Australia. After I bought it she had a good laugh. lol We all strolled through their yard and I was completely fascinated with their garden. They have many similar plants but with an Australian evolutionary twist.

I told Narelle that I felt like I was 5 years old again and asked too many questions about everything. They all seemed to be amused at my curiousity. My incessant questions would continue for the rest of the day..I hope their patience doesn’t wear thin.

A shot of my lovely hosts on our walk through St. Kilda:

After a quick stop-off at the local grocery store (fascinating in itself) we made it to their house in Upwey (30 mins east of downtown) in the Dandenong mountains (like a combination of very large rolling hills in the DR and the Okanagan). Except these mountains have kangaroos! However we failed to spot any today.

Greg (an actual chef) cooked us kangaroo steak (tasted just like beef to me), yams (with brilliant flavour cooked in OJ) and a fresh mango salsa. YUM!!! We had a bold red Austalian wine to go along with it. Thank you Greg for one of the best home cooked meals ever. I apologize if my description hasn’t done the food justice.

We relaxed after dinner and went for a short walk at dusk listening to the cockatoos (some kind of scary war cry of terror) and kookaburras (yes, they actually sound like hysterically laughing children just like Mr. Keyhayus taught us in Grade 5).

Bedtime. Goodnight my love, I miss you and wish you were here.

Completely spent I brush my teeth and lie down in bed. Asleep before I evennnnnn

Off and Running

So here we are. Brand new year and I'm starting the adventure to Australia. It's awful that Roel can't come along but in less than a month we'll meet up in Bangkok! Yay!!!

There seems to be many cliches to tap into with new beginnings, diverging roads given the situation and time of year but I'll simply leave with a photo of one of my favourite moments of 2009.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!! I wish us all love, peace and safety. See you on the other side (of the world that is!). I'm literally out the door to the airport as soon as this post is done...