Back Home...

We're back home in Munich after a whirlwind month. After weekend trips to explore Viennese tortes, fine German automotive engineering, salt mines, medieval cities, and the former East-West border, I began a new job with 2 weeks working on Long Island. Even better, I was able to meet up with some good friends in NYC while there.

Those of you who know me well, know my history of horrendous luck with travels....72 hour trips home for Christmas, lost bags, volcanoes, snow storms, mechanical problems, and so on. This time, I knew I was tempting fate booking so many trips close together. So, with less than 24 hours home between a weekend trip, NY, and a trip to Japan, I had packed very carefully for all three trips. I had a few hours Friday to run home, swap suitcases, and get back to the airport in time to meet Herr J for our long-awaited trip to meet friends in Japan. What we hadn't counted on was the disaster in Japan....

Luckily we were able to cancel everything going to Japan, and Herr J quickly put together an amazing adventure for us in Northern Finland. Even more lucky, the "Is there a doctor on board?" announcement (my 3rd or 4th!) did not result in an emergency landing and I was able to get home, pack for a new trip, and make it back to the airport in time.

A week of winter sports in a national park, with homecooked meals and no TV or internet was the perfect break. And of course we tried some Finnish beers. Stay tuned!