Adventures in London: Issue 251

It has been an incredible month! I finally realized a dream come true this month….but more on that later.

The month kicked off with our company away day. Every year the whole company goes away for a day and evening of unleashing your creativity, bonding with your co-workers and sharing in new experiences.

As my first away day, I was rather skeptical of the whole event. Not really a fan of organized fun, I must admit it was a lovely time. It was good to spend time with my team outside of the office and to interact with other co-workers and meet new ones. Things have been hectic, but over those 24hrs I realized why we do it….its the people. Working for a company always comes down to the people that you work with, the people you surround your self with. May not always see it, but I am really lucky to be apart of my team, to work with such great and inspiring minds.

It was truly a wonderful day…. from learning to Up Our Elvis, to learning to walk it out, to the most interested spa, followed by dancing with Elvis. It was a great day out…the next morning on the other hand was a tad slow and sleepy.

Training for Berlin has not been the most ideal. I thought I was on the right track and I sorta was…but things went tits up 20 days before the marathon when I rolled on my ankle. To say that I was annoyed beyond anything is a complete understatement. I don't know what I expected. I am burning the candle at both end of the stick. Training for a marathon needs focus and dedication and right now I am a weekend trainer. My weeks have not allowed for an ounce of running so the only time I have in the weekend. That's not right and I am not pleased by this. The marathon meant the world to me so I am annoyed with myself, with things around me that I have distracted me. There needs to be a balance and I thought I had found it, but these last few weeks, months have made me question. If you cannot do the things that I are important to you…is what you are doing instead really worth it?!

There was no time to mop or to allow my ankle to recover as it was off to Brussels to conduct some training. Every time I travel and meet the network I am reminded that I am in a new company. I forget that I don't know this network as well as I knew my previous company.  I miss that network. I don't miss the work, or the politics, but I miss the people.

It always comes down to the people. People can make or break things. Lately its been the people that have been dragging me down, making me question things, distracting me from my vision.

Thankfully in this case the people made the trip. It was good to spend some time outside the office with a new team of people and get their perspective on things.

Sometimes when we step a way we get clarity on what is important. I am glad there was some downtime on this trip so I could get my ground back underneath me. The one thing it made me question was if I had been to Brussels before cause I certainly remembered going to the Eurostar lounge. Cannot for the life of me remember though and swore I hadn't been to Brussels before.

I was excited to come back from Belgium as it meant it was time to catch up with family!! With everyone who has recently moved away and living abroad there is nothing like family time. On Friday I went out with D and my dear uncle. This visit marked the third time I was seeing my uncle which is impressive given where we both live.  We went to a local (to work) wine bar…Vagabond. It's one of my favorite places to go I must say as its such a great experience. You top of a card (kinda like an oyster) and then you go around a 'self pump' you wine. You can choose to have a taster or a proper glass. It something different and always makes for a good night.

I don't get to see these two gentlemen often, but truly enjoy every time I do. We got into a very interesting series of conversation that evening; from life, to politics, to life again. What is important in life…working and 'making it' or finding someone you love and want to spend your life with? Something to think about. We certainly did have a long evening of catching up and discussion. It was a great evening and one that I will truly cherish always. The bond that is between us is on that can never be broken and each time we see one another I feel like we are closer and closer.

The following week I was delighted to catch up with my aunt. The amazing thing about family is that you can just pick up where you left off…like no time has passed at all. It was a lovely evening of catching up, laughing, sharing in some great food and getting to know one another better. The older I get I am more and more appreciative of the  direct bonds that I am creating with my family. There is nothing that can compare.

Its been truly great seeing my family these last few weeks. Just what I needed to get my head in the game for the marathon especially as I couldn't train anymore. They've reminded me to just enjoy! Life is too short.

Speaking of the marathon….

…After years of dreaming, months of training and lots of fingers crossed….it was finally time to run my first marathon.

You would have thought that after the last two attempts and especially after breaking my ankle and the surgery I would have hung up my running shoes, but no. It made me want it even more. I was disappointed in myself that I didn't train as I should have, but sorta pleased as I think that is why I stayed injury free (relatively speaking). I stayed out of my head (for the most part) and listened to my body. I cut back on speed and for once was "smart" about my training. Berlin wasn't about speed, it was about enjoying the race. My first marathon :-) And that is exactly what I did :-)

Going to the expo was absolutely amazing and one of the best experiences EVER! The massage was a bit interesting and I will likely not opt for that experience again, but roaming around the grounds really pumped me up and made me more than ever want to finish and cherish the experience.

I was pleased that I did an abroad marathon as it took the pressure off. I had all I wanted, good tunes, new shoes (which I broke in, but could have broken in more), and my best friend…what more could you want as a support system.

We ended up going a couple of days early which was good cause it gave me the opportunity to disconnect from work and settle in. Also gave us a chance to explore the city a bit. Berlin is not like the other European cities…you forget how young the city actually is and what it has gone through over the last 100 years. It was remarkable to walk around and hear the history of the city. It also made me rather excited to run and explore the city some more :-)

 

It was a new experience for me. Running not photographing the marathon. I did have a little dilemma as Shalene Flanagan was running (and going for the American Record). What to do?!

Thankfully we were staying close to the start, so we walked up. We ended up going via the start line which cleared up my dilemma. We stopped and watched the elite runner and commentators. Of all the marathons I have watched, cheered, photographed…never have I even got to see the start live. I have seen it on TV, but never up front and personal.

I am glad that we stopped as watching the elites, listening to the music, and watching the commentators (one of which happened to be a childhood favorite Katarina Witt) really got me pumped to run my own personal 26.2 adventure through Berlin.

Once the gun went off and all the top runner ran by I bolted to my section (thankfully I was in the waaaaay back).

The race was truly incredible. I know this sounds odd and you likely don't believe me, but I had a lot of fun running the Berlin marathon. Honestly one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I was scared beyond anything when I started, but made sure that I took in everything around me. For 26.2 miles I soaked in all the atmosphere, enjoyed the music, the food stops and even enjoyed a wee little dance by the side of the road with some ladies to a rocking live band.

The moment I gave up going for time…I was focused solely on enjoying myself. That said, I did keep calculating my time based on my pace, etc. Once I hit the half marathon marker that is when my body started to shut down. I couldn't believe that at 21k I was only half way….blimey how would I do that all over again is what repeated through my mind!! But I kept charging forward, determined more than ever not to stop (unless for food or a dance) and to finish.

What got me through the streets of Berlin were certainly the people, the fuel station (with a lovely hot tea), music and taking photos. It's amazing…but taking photos can get me through almost anything…and it certainly got me through 5 hours of the marathon.

People always say…its the last .2 miles that will test you and in my case it was the same. At the 40km checkpoint I was in a real battle with myself. I just wanted it to be over. The pain was kicking in, my arms felt like they were 20lb potato sacks, my stomach was hurting and I was all around in agony. We were in the city centre and with every corner I was hoping to see the finish and was deeply sad when I didn't. There was a moment when I was really to bow out…was nearly convinced that 41km was enough and I should be proud of that. That moment lasted for about 2.2 seconds…I wasn't coming all this way to not cross that finish line. I was going to do this and had sub-5 in my grasp. That moment of destitution though did cost me as I crossed officially with 5:01.  Once I saw the finish line I dug in and tried to find everything within me to have a strong finish, but I couldn't break the 5 hour line.

It felt amazing to cross that finish line. But once I did all I wanted to do was to find my best friend so we could eat. That is all I could think about the last 2 hours of the race. I felt great up until the point I stopped. That is when all the pain kicked in. I managed to walk back to the hotel, but after an optimistic bath….it went downhill. I took a 10 minute nap that lasted for the evening :-)

I am glad that I had the support network that I did for this race. I was sad however that I hadn't had a call or anything prior to the race from my family. I shouldn't be disappointed, but I was a little down. What counted I suppose were the congratulations post race. As they say…something is better than nothing.

Sunday evening was a rather chilled one as I had not capacity within me to leave my bed. Barely had the capacity to eat the room service we ordered. I am in awe of those runners who you see walking around and in the restaurants & bars post race. Maybe next time, but for my first there was no leaving my room.

The next day I was sore and although I was walking like a penguin, nothing was going to stop me from  exploring the city.  We took the hop on/ hop off to spare my legs and I am very pleased by that decision as walking was getting us NOWHERE!

It was remarkable seeing the city for a second time. Taking the bus post race was actually the better way around. I am glad that I ran not really knowing where I was. I was able to appreciate listening to the history the second tour around the city.

The history of Berlin is unique and you can see the influence of the post war and the west/east divide until now. Really amazing how the city changes East Berlin vs West Berlin and the influence of the Americas, Brits and Russians.

It was an incredible weekend in Berlin. I was lucky with the weather (especially on Sunday and I have the tan lines to prove it), the blessings of friends nears and far, and for my travel partner and crime. Could not have done this weekend without you :-)

Thank you Berlin! This will be a weekend I will always cherish and never forget!

Adventures in London: Issue 250

Once the conference came to a close it was time to relax for a couple of days and explore the city. I have been on the go for the last couple of weeks so it was nice to have a few days off. Rather than flying back I took the opportunity to spend the weekend in Chicago to catch up with my baby brother. Although between you and me, he isn't so little anymore…he is a gentleman now. Can hardly believe how much he is grown up…and that he has graduated from law school. Seems like just yesterday we were in Cincinnati and he was roaming around with his cute little pilot's jacket at the age of 3. Time flies. 

We had a great couple of days together; experience deep dish pizza, drinking, tasting Goose Island and touring baseball stadiums.    My visit kicked off in great fashion. We met at the Goose Island brewery for lunch and a wee bit of a tasting and then it was off to explore the great city. Our next stop was wrigley field, our plan was just to see it, walk around and then head off…but the stars aligned and we opted to take a touch of the stadium. What a wonderful stadium with incredible history. For all the years that I spent in Boston & New York I am gutted that I never took a tour of any of the hometown stadiums…especially Fenway. We got to see everything of the Cubs stadium, the stands, the press box, the clubhouse and even the dugout. Walking out on the field was incredible. I was in awe and speechless by that experience. It was truly unexpected…never would I have thought that they would have taken the tour through all that. I wonder if the same is for other ballparks..or stadiums. Speaking of, I really ought to take the Emirates stadium as its part of my membership. 

That evening was followed by even more baseball….this time to see the White Sox courtesy of Laura Desmond's seats :-) Those were some seats!! I forgot how much I missed watching baseball and how much I missed watching it live. There is truly nothing like watching a live match, with the atmosphere, the singing, the $8 beers, the helmet of nachos….everything! Oh those nachos. Seemed like a good idea at the moment and boy were they tasty…but logically eating them was a nightmare. How did they think people were going to eat them. Suppose I could have done what the guy in front of me did and go all hands in, but lord no! And truth is, seeing him eat his nacho helmet was rank and put me off of eating my nacho. Bummer as they were good…miss that fake ballpark cheese!! You just don't find that here in the UK. Whilst I may have been wearing the wrong color sox it was good to watch the sox win….even better I was with family. 

I didn't leave Chicago without a running tour of the city. Every city I visit I try to go for at least one run. It's truly the best way to explore any new place and get your bearings of the area. I have got to say, Chicago is beautiful. Back in 2005 I came here for a client meeting and just feel in love. Back then I was ready to move here in a heartbeat. I have to say, even now I feel the same. It is such a great city and I had a brilliant time running around and seeing new parts of the city. Who knew you could run to another state if you fancied!! That would be tempting if I lived here…probably best that I don't. The heat was intense…gosh, but it felt great. I ran along the beach and waterfront and thankfully unlike NYC, this path had water fountains. I managed to run 11.5 miles before I overheated…my body is not used to this heat. I much prefer running in the heat than in the cold. There is nothing like it. Winter running does have its charm, but if I had to pick I would go summer over winter….best weather is autumn! That is the ideal time to run :-) After my run I spent a chilled afternoon with my cousin in his neck of the woods. We walked around a bit, explored some of the sites and had a low key cousin catch up. It was just what I needed.

It was funny, there were a few of us in the team who extended our conference trip to the weekend.   One had a very posh Chicago tourist weekend with her family, one had what can only be described as a stag do, one had a romantic Chicago weekend and I had the all American weekend family style. As they say, all good things have to come to an end…and so did our weekend. Not before a family Sunday brunch (very American midwest style) and a shopping splurge before heading to the airport. Oh how I miss Target…I would be in heaven if they came to the UK. How amazing would that be, they would have to sell all the American stuff too!! 

It was good to be back from the States. It was a lovely 10 day visit between Chicago and NYC, but certainly felt nice to be back. Sadly, my return meant it was time to say farewell to another Yank in the "Americans in London" crew. This summer has been hard that way and its not been easy saying farewell to two members of our family here. To say farewell (and indirectly celebrated Nugget 2.0), we went to the Dalston Street Feast. That place is just lush. It was really the perfect evening of catching up, eating, laughing and spending one last girls night together. London is not going to be the same without Powers. We have been through so much together over our 7 years here and during our years in NYC as well. Who knew from our first meeting in NYC that we would be best friends now :-) How times have changed. Wishing you all the best in Rochester!! Cannot wait to visit and meeting Nugget 2.0. 

There was no time for resting though as it was time for Thailand to see PAT & FAI for their WEDDING!!! I was gutted by the change of circumstances and trip itinerary. I was super excited about this trip and seeing Pat & Fai just sad that it ended up being a fly in/ fly out trip and not a long two week holiday island hopping. That will need to wait for another time :-(  I am not going to lie I wasn't looking forward to the long flight to Bangkok and traveling alone. My flying anxiety hasn't gotten any better and probably has worsened over the years. That hasn't stopped me from traveling though…I won't let it. Though I don't quiet sleep on flights like I used to....which meant I was dire need of some sleep when I landed. I had high hopes when I got to Bangkok and all the site seeing that I would do. Yeah none of that happened. Instead I checked in and crashed. I did manage to wake up in time for the drink at the Lebua hotel (where Hangover 2 was filmed apparently as I haven't seen) followed by the hen party. 

I am glad that I pushed myself to wake up as it was such a lovely evening with Fai, her friends and Pat's family. Before we get into that, I need to say I am impressed by the subway system here. Really organised, cleaned and efficient. The street traffic on the other hand is a beast like no other. What is incredible in Asia is the openness of the two price system; one price for locals and another for foreigners. In India the discrepancy was insane and the same goes for Bangkok. The benefit of the ridiculousness of taxi drivers not wanting to take a fare or overcharging was that Fai and I ended up taking a tuk tuk to the club. I honesty love tuk tuks/ rickshaws. I know they are not the safest or the healthiest, but I just love the experience of them. 

Sadly I couldn't party the night away as the following morning I had a jammed packed schedule of site seeing tours. Had to squeeze in as much as I could with my 1 day extravaganza. The tour started with Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. It was so hard not to eat the food...but as tempting as it was I refrained. Did partake in some fresh coconut water...I am a sucker for that. The floating market was followed by shopping at the craft market and then I had my own personal tour of the temples. It was a very odd, long and peaceful day. I should mention, I lost my SD card with all my photos from the trip, I am glad that I downloaded some of them to my iPad as otherwise I wouldn't have any photographic memory of that day. Visiting the temples were my highlight. I could have stayed there all day walking around and just sitting and admiring the various statues. It was so peaceful seeing the golden Buddha. I really cannot wait to go back. 

 

The next day it was off to Pattaya to kick off the wedding celebrations! Pattaya is a complete 180 from Bangkok. It was truly paradise....and once I entered the lobby I was officially on holiday and ready to relax. What a beautiful resort. The first evening we were all treated to an amazing homecooked BBQ at Fai's family house. What a delicious spread! OMG! I could not stop eating...there was one course after another after another and I couldn't get enough of them. It was a very chilled, intimate evening chatting, sharing stories and laughing. It made me miss all the Americans in London and the BBQs & parties we would have. It's was surreal seeing Pat & Fai again. It was like he never moved away the way we chatted and picked up, but it also made me realise that he did move. I miss having him in London so much, but seeing the smile on his face was worth it. I am glad that he is happy. 

The next day was meant to be a day of site seeing, but with the go-go-go of the last couple of days all I wanted to do was chill out and enjoy the pool....which is exactly what I did. I went for 5 mile run on the beach. Yes I realise that isn't the definition of relaxing, but I had to train for Berlin. I was meant to do 17 miles, but that was out of the picture about a mile into it. The heat was unbearable....also didn't help that I ran out of road and my waterpack leaked all over my back (yup learned from NYC & Chicago).  The rest of the afternoon was (play the violin music) chilling in the pool soaking up the sunshine. Oh it felt so nice to just relax and unwind a bit. The highlight of the afternoon was meeting the little stud Felix and my oh so very handsome date to the wedding. 

And finally it was Sunday...WEDDING TIME!!! The wedding had an early start and that was probably a good thing as even at 0830am the heat was intense at that time of day. Being from the grooms side we did our procession into the hall. What followed was one of the most beautiful ceremonies. I had never been to a Buddhist ceremony so I wasn't sure of what was in store. I am so glad that I came to this wedding (gutted that I am not going to NYC though) and got to experience the serene, peaceful and loving ceremony. What a classy ceremony and honestly what a way to commit to one another. Listening to the Buddhist monks chant was the most peaceful and calming thing. Their voices just brought you to a different place. Was honestly and out of body experience and very moving ceremony. I am so honoured, thankful and blessed to have been apart of their special day. 

    

Between the ceremony and the reception there was a 5 hours which allowed plenty of time for a lovely and relaxing 2 hour massage (all massages should be at least 2 hours long), a quick dip in the pool and an outfit change.

The evening was magical. We started by enjoying cocktails overlooking yet another beautiful sunset (the color of these sunsets are mesmerizing…photos don't do them justice). Once the sun set we were treated to one of the most amazing rituals…the floating latter ceremony. Everyone was given the opportunity to light a lantern, make a blessing to the newly wed couple and then release it into the sky. It was such a beautiful sight to see….all those lanterns floating to the sky, each carrying a blessing and best wishes for Pat & Fai. What a ritual….wish we had lanterns in the UK! Doubt we could get away we that even in a park…too dangerous :-(

Its been a crazy couple of months and when I left the UK it was under some very interesting circumstances with work. Its a new situation for me…hard being the new kid swimming in a new pool. I have to learn to how to navigate myself in these waters.

This trip has been good. Its been tiring, but its been to get away and get some perspective on things.

I am going to miss some of the solitude here and time for reflection (and maybe even my shower froggie)….but I am looking forward to going home.

It was great to see everyone in Thailand and especially to come home to a delightful surprise that Diamond was going to be in London :-) That could only mean one thing…GIRLS NITE!!!

We went to Vagabond (local serve your own wine bar)…which essentially made it my second time this month. Really like this place and the way that it is set up. We had a GREAT evening catching up. It was a very laid back, 'sophicated' evening, just like old times with my ladies. Its amazing where time takes you. 6 years ago, we were all pretty much new to London, new to another and now look at us. We have +1, we are settled, we have families, homes, some have moved…we have grown up, but the most important and fundamental thing is that we have not grown out of one another. We are and always will be family. 

It been non-stop since the end of June. Don't know where the summer came and went…but its come and gone in a blink of an eye. It was good to have the 10day Stateside trip, and Thailand behind me, but that meant that Berlin was that much closer and the panic was starting to kick in. I had to log the miles and quickly. I ended the month by attempting an 18mile run. I had to make sure I had the right route, fuel and tunes. I took a tour along the Thames unto Tower Bridge and back. It was a great run and made me realize how lucky I am to live in London. In what other city can you on a regular run pass by sites like Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Peace Pagoda, London Eye. My only regret is that I ran on the South Bank. Boy was that painful. The good thing though was that there was a promotion for Fosters Shady…I was 10 miles into my run and my pack was running low. I took a gamble, but I poured 4 mini cans into my water pack. Could have gone all wrong for me, but thankfully those cans with the little water I had left carried me through the remaining 8 miles. 

   

The run felt great and got me really motivated for Berlin. I can do this! If I take it easy, pace myself I will make it to Berlin. Slow and Steady :-)

Amazing Poppy installation at Tower Bridge