The Final Countdown...

Only 6 more days! And then a nice loooooong weekend -- 15 days abroad. A week to learn some French (ie how to talk myself out of jail...)
Here's how its gonna break down...
Day 1 9/4: Travel CMH-LGW; overnight flight
Day 2 9/5: London; Arran House Hotel
Day 3 9/6: London
Day 4 9/7: London; train to Paris in evening; Hotel Paris L'Annexe
Day 5 9/8: Paris
Day 6 9/9: Paris
Day 7 9/10: Paris
Day 8 9/11: Train to St. Raphael; ferry to St. Tropez; Chambres d'Hotes de Charme
Day 9 9/12: St. Tropez
Day 10 9/13: St. Tropez
Day 11 9/14: St. Tropez; ferry to Nice; flight to Rome; Veronica & Tony at Westin Excelsior/Dustin, Seth, Rome at Hotel Garda
Day 12 9/15: Rome
Day 13 9/16: Rome
Day 14 9/17: Rome
Day 15 9/18: Travel FCO-CMH

Just heard the ice cream truck

Well...u can assume I'm not in downtown Columbus if u read the title of this post. Gone to Cleveland via Sagamore Hills for the Feast of The Immaculate Conception (say a Hail Mary for me). I hear it's also like Jersey Shore. Leaving the kiddies and dogs in the burbs and heading downtown now. This could be interesting...








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Aloha & Mahalo

Well, it was a lot easier to say I was going to write every day than it actually was. It wasn't easy getting a good Internet connection at sea and I took so many pictures that I spent more time actually uploading them to my computer than I could justify while being on vacation. It's been an amazing week but I'm starting to feel VERY far away from home and really just want to sit by the arena pool and take upside down margarita shots from the ladies at Cantina. Good thing no work on Monday!

High

When we got to Honolulu, I told myself that I would have been happy staying there for a week. I was totally stoked to just be in Hawaii and didn't need to go anywhere else. But I'm glad as hell that I didn't. Every island has had something different to offer. Endless water sports in Maui...Volcanoes and rainforests on the Big Island...And the the most unbelieveable views I've ever taken in on Kauai (even throughout about 15 rainstorms). We're wrapping up the first day on Kauai now and I thought I'd have more to say but I'll let the pictures do the talking.



Quiet day on Hanalei Bay, Kauai


Flea market, Kauai. Paris in September!


Juice stand on the eastern coast of Kauai.

What I Learned in Maui:

1.) Jet lag STILL sucks.
Day three out here and we're all still adjusting to the time change. Just ask my cousin Carly...


2.) I'm really not any good at golf
Ok, so maybe I didn't learn this here in Maui, but I'm really not any good. But its one of the few sports that I can play without getting overly competitive and a great chance to bond with my dad. We played at Wailea Emerald course and it was pretty nuts...


3.) I got my pool crashing skills from my mother.
We dropped moms off at the Four Seasons and didn't hear from her for another 5 hours. When we were finally able to meet up, I never wanted to leave--


4.) Eating fish tacos in the back seat of a convertable is impossible.
...But I will do anything for fish tacos. The taco truck that is usually parked outside Little Beach on the South East Side of Maui was closed for the day, but we found the restaurant instead and now there is probably more rice and slaw on the floor of our red Mustang rental (when in Rome!) than in my stomach. No pics of the aftermath, but here's the guilty party (apparently one of Maui's best)...


5.) I take way too many pictures.
Didn't really learn this here either. I bought a waterproof camera for the snorkeling trip. Within 5 minutes, I had used up the 27 exposures that the box told me the camera had. Thank God that the box was wrong. I had 4 more pics available to catch the sea turtles on the second dive--they were UNREAL! More pics when I get the disposable developed, but here's the beach off Lanai that had all the crazy sea life...


6.) I want to come back here. Maui does NOT suck!
I could probably keep myself entertained on this island for weeks. With the surfing/girls/snorkeling/fishing/beaches/seafood/waterfalls/mountains/etc, there is no shortage of shit to do. Just taking it all in...

Jet Lag Sucks

So, I had full intentions of going out last night in Honolulu. Even got hooked up with a couple locals. But my biological clock had other plans for me. 9:30 and I was out. Thanks Goodies for calling me out on this. But in my defense, that is 3:30 EST, and I usually don't even make it passed midnight back home. So unfortunately I have nothing to report on Honolulu nightlife. FAIL!

I can say, however, that this place really is paradise. A paradise in the middle of ABSOLUTELY nowhere (9 hours flights also suck). I assumed it would be very cliche for some reason. But even with all the tourists, shopping, hula dancers Waikiki gets it done.

Surfing in a couple hours.... :)

"Dude, What's Mine Say?"

You may be wondering where I'm going with this title. I'm not actually going anywhere--literally or metaphorically. I just wanted to get one more post in to sum up 2010 so far before I head west 6 time zones for the first big trip of the year.

NO, this wasn't a search for the Continuum Transfunctioner (If I make it to Amsterdam this year I'll make sure to report back if we find anything). But, rather, an equally epic romp around Manhattan with my bro's from college ("Dude" was always on rotation at our house). We weren't exactly the menaces to society that we were in back then, but I think its better that way.

Grubb...and then...

Bryant Park. Who doesn't want to move to this city after kickin' it here?!

Beer's @ McSorley's in the East Village. Coincidentally a very Ukranian neighborhood--scored mad brownie points from gramps with that one (as if I needed any being his only grandkid. ;)

I feel like I should add some Jay-Z quote with this one