REFLECTIONS

As we were pulling out of the driveway headed to Heathrow airport, it was hard to believe two years had come and gone. It seems just like yesterday Amber and I were discussing travelling overseas and here we are, been there-done that-back home. As I reflect on the experience, there were many highs and some lows. I won’t dwell on the lows, that’s boring and depressing; besides they were mainly just frustrating adjustments to international life. I will focus on the highs. I think the highs for me were one part professional and one part personal. From a professional perspective, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that was provided to me and also that my loving wife was willing enough to take the plunge. It was an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to partake in setting up the shared service center and I learned so much from it, met so many wonderful people, and will have many lasting memories. From a personal perspective, the travel was unbeatable and the expanded view of the world is something you will never get in the US. It is so expensive to travel to Europe from the US, takes so much time, and really, until you live there, you don’t know all the secrets to getting around. We were fortunate to be stationed in London with cheap flights and the ability to leave on a whim and travel somewhere new and exciting. I think the most memorable places had to be Italy because it was the first big trip and also the France/Germany trip we took in the summer of 2008. Other memorable experiences were visiting the Youngs in Amsterdam and our parents’ visits in London. I never thought I would be the translator for my parents in an English speaking country. They aren’t even old yet!!! And it was really cool that Amber was able to surprise her Mom and take her to Paris (which was my suggestion by the way). Also, me surprising Amber by taking her to Vienna for her 30th birthday was exciting!

Living overseas also expanded my view of the world tremendously. Sitting in the US, you just never appreciate the differences of the others living on this globe, nor can you really understand. Many things came to life living in Europe. Europe is full of history, many different cultures and customs, languages, and ways of conducting business. While I am truly enjoying being back in the US with all we are afforded here, I am appreciative of the different perspective I gained living in Europe.

Most of all, I am happy to be back with my friends and family, which were too far away while we were there!!!!

~Matt

I can't add much to what Matt said. It was an experience that has changed us forever and we are so grateful for that opportunity. It was tough at times, especially when Matt was away for work and I was on my own in England, but our relationship is stronger for it. There were so many emotions throughout the whole process. I said that if we could make it through that we could make it through anything. I can't imagine seeing the world with anyone else! I look forward to future international adventures - and there definitely will be more! Maybe South America next...!

We want to thank our family and friends for all the love and support they've given us while abroad. We also want our new friends in Europe to know that we will never forget them and hope that our paths cross again in the future!

~Amber

Shhhh…Matt turned 30!

Shortly after returning to the States, we were on a plane again – this time we would be vacationing in Hawaii for two weeks to celebrate Matt’s milestone birthday.

Yes, for my 30th Birthday, I asked Amber to take me to Hawaii as a gift. It was a nice surprise and was very thoughtful of her to pick it out! No, really, we had wanted to go to Hawaii for some time now and we thought it would be a good time to go during the transition back to the US.

The only downside to our trip was that we were still fighting with various things related to our move back home and my lost golf clubs on the way to Hawaii. Whatever you do, don’t use FedEx for shipping boxes between UK and the US. They will royally (no pun intended) mess up your order from start to finish. Be prepared to get aggravated and spend a lot of time on the phone with various people, though. Okay, moving on to the fun stuff in Hawaii.

We took off on Wednesday for 2 weeks, looking forward to lots of fun! Wednesday was pretty shot with travelling from Denver to Honolulu and then on to Maui, our final destination. We were staying with my Uncle John, so he met us at the airport and took us back to the house up in Kula for a nice dinner with him and our new Aunt Boonta. Kula is located high up in the mountains at about 4,000 feet above sea level, and the views are tremendous. You get a complete view of the North and West shores from the house. The living arrangements were fantastic as we had our own bedroom and bath suite separate from the main house. We spent about 12 days in Maui and then another day in Honolulu before heading back to Denver. We had a fantastic time in Hawaii and thanks so much to Uncle John and Aunt Boonta for the wonderful hospitality and recommendations they provided during our stay!

Some of the highlights of our trip include:

-Helicopter tour: On my birthday, we took a tour of the whole island including the crater area, wetlands, and saw all of the celebrity homes. Amber and I got to sit in the front seats by the pilot and had great panoramic views of the scenery.

-Whale watching tour: We took a boat tour to go and watch the whales jumping out of the water. We were there towards the end of the whale season, though, so most of them had already started migrating back to Alaska. We found out it takes them about 60 days to travel from Hawaii to Alaska and they do it in one full swim, no stopping.

-Golf: I had the opportunity to go out and golf with my PGA tour capable uncle and some of his friends. Unfortunately, I am the farthest from PGA capable and it showed. I played a fair amount in England, but it went out the window. I swear the views caused my swing to mess up, so it wasn’t my entire fault. Meanwhile, they shot somewhere in the Tiger range and taught me some lessons.

-Road to Hana: This is a long windy road that leads from downtown Maui to the little town of Hana. The best thing about the drive is not the destination, but the scenery along the way. We traded our crappy Dodge Caliber rental car for a Subaru and put the all wheel drive to the test. We left Maui about 7am and without much traffic on the road, we ended up in Hana about 8:30am. It was supposed to take closer to 4 hours to get there with summertime traffic. With me driving - and if it had actually taken 4 hours - we would have arrived in a state of divorce, so Amber was partially glad for the shorter drive time, but her stomach was trying to catch up for a while. On the way back, we stopped for lunch at a roadside BBQ and it was one of those meals where you cannot stop smiling because the food was so good. (Matt was literally squealing with delight. ~Amber)

-Mama’s Fish House: For my birthday celebration, we went out to the famous Mama’s Fish House on the North Shore. The food was really good, but a little pricey, and we had great views while eating in the open air near the ocean.

-Parasailing: On our way back to Denver, we stopped in Honolulu for a day and went parasailing. It was a tandem parasail and we were the first to go up, so we didn’t have time to get scared beforehand. It was really fun and you could see a lot that high up. They even dipped us in the water on the way back down before landing in the boat.

-Pearl Harbor: Also while in Honolulu, we took the trip out to Pearl Harbor. It was nothing of what I expected; it turns out I was completely ignorant what to expect. It is a very sombering and moving experience going there. I have said before and will say again, to learn history you need to visit history and this is another point blank case of US history you cannot learn in a classroom. I would highly recommend the visit if you are in Honolulu, it is a must see thing to do. The ship is still buried in the water where it was shot down and a memorial bridge has been built above it to commemorate the fallen soldiers. Every so often you can see little oil droplets coming up from the ship and some say it is the ‘blood’ of the soldiers, a very moving place.

-Honorable Mentions: Haleakala Crater, watching the surfers on the North Shore, laying on the beach, snorkeling, Jazz night with David Benoit (he is incredible)

Our Dear Friends in Poland!

So, in Europe they want to say goodbye to you with a big bang. My office sent me off with a bowling party, Matt’s office sent him off with a dance party, and we said our final goodbyes to other friends in England.

Last dinner with my friend Ela

Unbeknownst to me, my ‘Leaving Do’ started out with a Sushi dinner with the Poland SSC leadership team. There was a huge sushi boat platter enjoyed by all! Amber doesn’t like sushi, so when I travel, I love to go out and get my fill. The guys in Poland love sushi and so we always have a good time.

Then afterwards, I was told we were going to a bar to have some drinks (well, something along those lines). It was earlier than normal that evening when we ate, so something didn’t feel right. We ended up parking our car near Sopot (seaside resort town), which has a lot of clubs and bars, and started walking towards the beach. Then we walked into a bar I hadn’t been to before. As we walked in, I noticed the DJ, who was near the door area, was staring right at me. I have always been conscience when walking around Europe, but I couldn’t figure out why she was staring directly at me. Then I took a few more steps and………the whole room erupted. Many of my colleagues had come to dance (with me of course) and party the night away. I had many fun nights dancing (no, I cannot dance, I just pretend and have fun) and partying with the team in Poland and this night was added to the memories. I will definitely miss those guys and I just have to say that the memories will never leave me!!!

The only picture from our Farewell Party

I can never thank the team in Poland enough, especially Mr. February (who asked not to be mentioned in this blog), for the absolutely unforgettable experience I had there over the last two years. It was more than I could have ever imagined and wished for. I am definitely inspired by such a young group of hard working team members and look forward to getting back to visit. Keep up the hard work, stay young, party some more, and remember me when I return. I will need a place to sleep!!!

Amber with Management Team

And for some last parting memories, I wish to leave some messages for my colleagues:

Mr Luty-drink some milk, it will stop your mouth from burning!
Mr Izydorczyk-can I borrow your small software?
Mr Twarowski-we all know you had a baby boy last year…you can stop smiling now!
Ms Rakiej-can you ask them to highlight the numbers and put some footnotes?
Mr Andryszak-Those German footballers are good!
Mr Wanagos-I found the printer receipt in Warsaw, should I send it over?
Mr Lutkiewicz-We are still anxious to meet your assistant!

Matt and Management Team

To the UK team-I still have my VIB membership, wanna bowl?
To the German team-Excuse me guys, but the other residents would like to sleep!
To the Baltic team-You are not invited to bowl with the UK team and me; I learned my lesson!

To all: Dziękuję & Do Widzenia!

Matt

BBWCVS

I did not mention this before, but I got a job back in the fall. I was volunteering with projects through the Volunteer Centre at Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Council for Voluntary Services (BBWCVS) since the summer of 2007 and had gotten to know the staff pretty well. Last summer they had a couple of people leave and when the new Chief Officer arrived I volunteered to fill in temporarily until they hired someone new or until we moved back. It was great returning to work and what was even better was that my schedule was flexible and part-time, so I was still able to travel and volunteer.

Volunteering at the Basildon Library (taken for the Yellow Advertiser)

Shortly before the end of my employment, a colleague and myself had planned an ‘Away Day’ for staff and volunteers but the day happened to fall during the week of the blizzard. We had planned a day out in London, which would have been fabulous, but had to change the location to somewhere local. We ended up going to Festival Leisure Park for bowling and lunch. It was a great day and we were grateful that the entire staff was able to make it as well as a couple of volunteers.

Some of my BBWCVS colleagues

Staff Members and Chief Officer (l to r)

My last day of work was at the end of February and for my ‘Leaving Do’ we returned to Festival Leisure Park for bowling and dinner. It was such a fun evening and it was hard saying goodbye to my colleagues. I do hope we can all keep in touch – especially since most of us are on Facebook!

We broke from tradition this year and rang in the New Year with friends at a private bash in Rochester, Kent. Angela and Alan invited us to their members club – The Roffen – for an evening of dancing, drinks, and dining. As most of you know, Matt and I usually go out to eat at a Japanese hibachi steakhouse and then spend the rest of the night at home watching all of the crazy festivities on television. It may not sound like your idea of a fun evening, but it is the perfect way to celebrate the ending of one year and the beginning of another.





We thought that since it was our last holiday in Europe we would go out with a bang. The evening included a dinner buffet, two floors of dancing, cooked breakfast, and masks were provided late in the evening before midnight.

Cheyenne was able to spend some time with her new friend, Jesse, while the parents were partying it up!



Thanks for a great evening, Angela and Alan!

A Home away from Home away from Home

You read that right, Matt now has a flat in Gdansk. He has taken on a new role within the company and will be in Gdansk even more often now. Actually, this started back in August/September, but I am just now getting around to posting about it. On our August trip we went flat-hunting and in early September we moved into the flat. I say 'we' only because I was there for the first week (Sept 6-12) and the housewarming party, but it really is Matt's place and I have not been there since. This is a company flat and I believe that they may keep it on even after Matt's departure. It is within walking distance from the office and Matt says that from the time he gets on the elevator at work to the time he is entering the flat building it is 6 minutes.

So, not only do we have a home in England away from our home in Colorado, we now have a home in Poland. (Our heart still lies with the one in Colorado.) It definitely makes those weekly travels easier on Matt because he has his own place to go back to after a long day at work, rather than any given hotel for the week. Plus, it is a pretty nice place overall and is a new build. In fact, the complex is a gated community and is still in development.

Matt has really fallen for Poland. Well, all we've seen really is the Tri-City area, but the people are friendly and happy, the food is wonderful, and he has a great relationship with his colleagues. I think it will be hard for him to leave next year. Hopefully we'll always have friends in the area and can return for a visit.

Okay, it is too early to get emotional about leaving, so I'll talk about our housewarming party. Apparently this is quite a tradition and some of his colleagues were disappointed that he did not have a party scheduled. So, with just a day notice we invited everyone over on a Saturday evening. There are about 100 people in his office, so we had no idea how many people would actually show up. Our flat is very tiny, as you would expect, so that was the only thing we were nervouse about. In the end, I think there were 30 or so people there. It just so happened, though, that it was the warmest night in a while and it was quite warm in the place even with windows and doors open. At about 1:30am when most of the guest were gone, the few stragglers invited us out to continue the party in Sopot. We hailed taxis and went to a bar/club in Sopot. It wasn't what I was expecting, but we ended up dancing and drinking until about 3:30am. Matt and I finally said our goodbyes and went home to sleep. We left all of the cleaning up for the morning!

I flew in that Saturday morning and we had just enough time to do a bit of grocery shopping (quite interesting), tidy up the flat, and prepare the bits of food we purchased. Of course we served Polish Kielbasa! We knew our guests would probably bring lots of vodka and wine, so we didn't purchase much of that. There is still beer, wine, and vodka left in the flat. We'll need to throw another party just to get rid of it! Unfortunately we can't bring it all back with us.

Port Talbot, Wales

The Friday before our seventh wedding anniversary we decided to go out of town for the weekend (May 10-11). We had not been to Wales yet and decided that might be a good place to go for a short break. I found a hotel that allows dogs and was quite surprised to find that it was right on the beach. We hit the road late Saturday morning and were there in about 3.5 hours. We checked in to the hotel, which was the only one on the beachfront, and quickly set out to stroll the beach. It was not tourist season yet so the beach was quite unpopulated, but I tell you the water was too darn cold to go swimming...although it didn't stop some of the locals. Honestly, there wasn't much to do around the beach, especially with a dog, but it was still a pleasant day. On Sunday we headed home, but not before stopping in Cardiff to pick up a souvenir hurricane glass for me at the Hard Rock Cafe. We also stopped and did some shopping at Outlet stores along the way. On Monday, our anniversary, we ate at one of our favorite Italian restaurants - Ask - in Billericay, near home. I can't believe we have been married for 7 years! And, May 16 marked the tenth anniversary of when we started dating. My how time flies! We were just kids then!

Congratulations, Sailor!

Mom, Dad, Tony, Bridget, Sarah

Matt's brother Tony graduated from Navy boot camp on January 11th!!! He is now living in Connecticut for schooling to be a Machinist Mate. Good luck and best wishes! We are so proud of you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Matt and I were able to continue our New Year's Eve tradition and have dinner at an Hibachi Japanese Steakhouse. We didn't necessarily intend to start this tradition, but it was such a joy that we decided to do it each year. This NYE we took a train into London to dine at Benihana. The meal was superb - with shrimp, chicken, steak, and lobster! The Exclusive Chocolate Cake was one of the best I've ever had! Although, Matt was a little upset that they did not offer fried rice, as the menu was pre-set for the evening. We returned home to watch the celebration on television. There was a magnificent fireworks display at the London Eye downtown, one of the best I've ever seen. It was awesome on television and I bet even more spectacular live. However, I was glad to be home snuggled on the couch for my new year snog (that's British for just a kiss, for all of you dirty minds out there) with Matt. Some of our neighbors celebrated with fireworks as well, but it was pretty calm around here other than that.

Our last picture in 2007

The tradition began when we first moved to Denver in December 2001. We moved the week of Christmas and were on our own for the holidays in a new town. We decided to venture out for dinner on NYE and came across an hibachi (style of cooking using a special grill) restaurant. We waited a long time that evening but it was well worth it. The next year we entertained Matt's brother's who were visiting, so missed out on the dinner. But, when NYE 2003 rolled around we thought of the restaurant again. It is not just eating out but a dining experience. It is nice to go out for a special dinner and then return home to ring in the new year. We usually stay clear of the bars and downtown scene and prefer to celebrate quietly in the comfort of our own home. It may sound boring to some, but it is just right for us. I am glad we were able to continue this tradition in London. I can say that it is one experience that will always put a smile on my face. If you haven't tried it yet, I definitely recommend you find a restaurant in your area!

It's Our Anniversary!

Picture 1: Our Engagement Picture - Don't we look so young?!
Picture 2: Day after our engagement (July 2000)


Today is our sixth wedding anniversary! (And, May 16th marks nine years altogether!) So much has happened during that time and what a wild ride it has been. There are definitely many more years full of adventures to come.

We started the day off with some yard work - not my favorite thing to do. We finally bought a new lawnmower and cleared the forest we had growing in the backyard. Cheyenne would disappear out there. After a mid-afternoon nap we freshened up and went out for dinner. We went to a nice Italian place one town over. It was nice to get out of the house and focus on ourselves for a bit. Following dinner we decided to see what was playing at the local movie theatre. We decided on a British film called This Is England. It was set in England in 1983 and gives a lot of insight into the country during that time (fall out of the Falkland's war). Finally we are settling in for the evening around midnight. Matt can get Nascar (FOX) on his laptop through a tv web service, which should be starting soon. While it can mean for some odd hours to enjoy the race, Matt is just excited that he doesn't have to go without it for two years.


P.S. Happy Mother's Day weekend to all of you "Mums" out there!