Econo Lodge Wisconsin Rapids

... suitcases of about 50 pounds each. I have successfully packed my meds, teaching supplies, winter, summer and professional clothes with a limited amount of shoes and clutches. (1 clutch and 4 pairs shoes to be exact - which for all who know me well, know how this has broken my heart - please take a moment to remember all those beautiful color heels that are going to be neglected and miss out on walking the streets of CHINA!)

We arrived... got drinks... set up the tents while drinking... pretty happy before 5pm... oh no... no wood for the bonfire... went to gas station.. bought marshmellows, more drinks, snacks, hot dogs... walked out and noticed big pile of firewood... oops... guess we should get some of that too...

... info on the history and all the statistics about the canal, and on the top floor was a lookout where you could watch ships going through the locks. It was nice to see something different after so many ancient ruins and natural wonders. We stayed there for about three hours then went souvenir shopping near downtown. After exploring a bit more downtown, we went back to our hostel and got packed up. Our flight was slated to leave at 2 am, so we had some time ...

... bound Fender telecaster as a gift - a replica of the original one that we saw in Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame, oh man, imagine that! I took a lot of photos and all too soon we had to say goodbye to Archie's and hit the road. We felt so much at home and part of the family that we did not look forward to saying goodbye. We reached Portage, our train station to board the Empire Builder train, and dropped into a pub called the ...

Well, I am excited about taking a road trip down to Lawrence with fellow family members, should be fun! I was down in Lawrence in March for my interview, however, the interview was the whole day, and I therefore did not get to see much of this beautiful city. We are also going to ...

... and fly to Asuncion, Paraguay. Yea! for red-eye flights! Then begins the fun of attempting to learn 2 languages (Spanish and Guarani), figure out what exactly I'm supposed to be doing there (and how to do it), and finally accepting the realization that I will be away from home (as I know it) for 27 months. Now for the part you all wanted to know... my address (drumroll please): Carin Paupore PCT Cuerpo de Paz 162 Chaco Boreal c/Mcal Lopez ...

This entry is dedicated to a Miss Corrie Leech, whose cabin was absolutely amazing. Although at some points of the weekend, I thought that I was in American Pie, spending the weekend with 8 or so college students in a isolated cabin on the beautiful Green ...

... visiting friends and family along the way and also getting to know some new friends. We also had fun communicating with you on this travel blog. Penny now writing---------------------It was a great trip but as Phil said, it was a long way to go in such a short time - three weeks would have been better. We would have liked to spend more time at Bryce Canyon and Mesa Verde, rode the train from Durango to Silverton, and been able to spend more time with ...

... April 30th: Mt. Saint Helens! If it is not open yet, then to Astoria again! May 1-5th: Long Beach, WA and surrounding area! May 6th: Driving to Seattle! Checking out the market and the nightlife ;) May 7th: Seattle and Cirque du Solie May 8th: Seattle (hopefully staying with Kristina and Lance ?!?!? May 9th: Return to hell... oh, I mean Wisconsin Rapids. I can't wait for my adventure to begin!

Well, I'm back, and I thought I should provide some closure for the trip. After "first old photons" I went home to bed, taking some pictures along the way. By the way, that dark band on the horizon opposite the sun at sunset is called the Belt of Venus. It's actually the shadow of the Earth as the sun sinks. The next morning I got a few more pictures of Dassies and springboks, this time right outside my window. Then I waited for the shuttle ...