Just a Little Bump in the Road

I have made it to Copenhagen! Yea!!!

Unfortunately my bag was not so lucky. :( I filed a report or whatever and they expect it to come on the next flight in, but it could be tomorrow before it gets to me (they'll deliver it to the hostel for me). The unfortunate part about this is that I do not have a change of clothes, shower supplies, sleeping attire, my sleep sack, or pillow. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night. I can rent linens from the hostel and there is a pillow in the room available for me to use - but it is a little scary looking.

The flights for the most part were great. My first flight was about 7 hours and it went fairly quick. I watched 17Again which was dumb (do yourself a favor and never watch this movie) and then copied my notes about Denmark and Germany to my notebook. I tried to sleep and think I got a few hours in. I went through customs in Reykjavik and was worried for a moment that they weren't going to let me through. The guard asked me how long I was staying so I said 3-4 months. He raised his eyebrow, gave me a curious look, and then asked me if I was aware I could not be there for more than 90 days. I let him know I would be leaving the EU. He hesitated a moment and then went ahead and stamped my passport. Phew!

The second flight was quick because I slept the whole way! It was only a 3 hour flight, so not a huge deal, but nice that it went quickly. The couple I was sitting next to was from Corvallis, OR so we chatted it up a bit. They were excited for me for my trip, which was nice. I had been feeling a little unsure about my big plan to "see the world" so it was nice to have some reassurance from strangers - that I'm not completely crazy.

I landed in Copenhagen a little after 1pm and as you know my bag was lost. So sad. :( I failed at my attempt to purchase a ticket for the Metro. To my credit it was either the machine or my card that would not work. The attendant even tried for me and it wouldn't go so he gave me a free ticket (which was nice) so that I could get into town. I found the hostel rather easily and checked in. I am sleeping in a room with several other girls on what looks like a mattress that is older than me - all for only 150kr/night, but breakfast is included as well, so that'll be great.

I am now sitting in one of the common areas munching on my cheese-its as various other travelers pass through. It's funny to me how different languages can be. I'm used to hearing a few different languages in Seattle - mostly Asian or mainland European (Spanish, French, German, etc). The Scandinavian languages sound so interesting to me and I feel like a huge failure when I try to pronounce something! Oh well, I guess that's what this experience is all about.

Well, I am off to go buy a sim card for my phone and to figure out a plan for the rest of this evening. I hope to get to at least one museum tonight as most of them are free on Wednesdays. I will update more tonight and post my itinerary as I've been promising. :)

On My Way ...

I’m sitting in the SeaTac airport waiting for my flight to board and have decided to use the time productively. I cannot connect to the internet so you wont actually see this posted until I arrive in Copenhagen, so bear with me, if you please.

I’m excited for my adventure to start. I’m also nervous. Eddie had the pleasure of wiping away a few tears last night as I stressed out about the last minute details. I’m ready now though. I have my bags packed, my camera, computer, cell phone, extra batteries, European converters, phrasebooks, and so much more. I had planned to carry on my backpack as well as my daypack, but the attendant at the counter took my pack from me. Apparenly it looked too heavy to carry on. Oh well – hopefully it gets there since I didn’t pack any clothes in my daypack, otherwise I’ll be “enjoying” my travel attire for a few days longer than expected.

I am flying Icelandair and have a layover in Reykjavik. I don’t think it’s a super long layover and I definitely wont be leaving the airport, so it doesn’t really count as a country I’ve visited. I land in Copenhagen (if all goes well) around 1pm I believe – I think that’s 2am here, but I’m not 100% on that. I’ll let you know. My plan of action is to find the metro and get to my hostel, check in, and re-group. It’ll probably be 3pm by the time I’m all settled in and most likely all I’ll want to do is sleep. I am planning to force myself to stay up until at least 8pm – which probably wont be too difficult since I’m in a room that is set-up with 14 dorm beds. Hopefully I’m so worn out there wont be any noise that can keep me up.

Many of you have been asking about my itenerary and where exactly I am going when. Well, the details will be postd soon - I promise! If you have any friends or family in any of the cities or countries, let me know! If it’s not too much to ask I’d love a couch to sleep on or even a coffee date to get some tips on where to go and what to see. Any information is helpful! Also, if you would like a postcard send me your address. I’d love to send word from your favorite city (be sure to let me know what city that is)! You can send it via facebook message or e-mail, gohricka@spu.edu or anngohrick@gmail.com. Either one will get to me. I’m also going to be on skype occasionally so if you’d like to set up a skype date, let me know. My skype name is ann.gohrick. As you can see I’m not super creative with my e-mail and skype names, or my blog name. I guess simple and direct is hard to forget. :)

I have a long flight ahead of me, but I think I’m ready for it. I have Eddie’s ipod charged and ready to go, a good book (well hopefully a good one), and all my travel notes that I’m going to re-write in my journal so that it’s compact and in one area. I have plenty to do and lotsof time to do it. I’m set. :)

Well, we are about to start boarding so, I guess that means it’s time to put the laptop away. I will probably post some pictures and an update once I have settled in at the hostel in Copenhagen. I hope you all enjoy your nights rest in a comfortable bed in the silence and privacy of your own rooms. I will try to enjoy my attempt at sleeping on the airplane and corporate dorm experience. I know it’s not really fair to complain – I did this to myself AND I’m going to be in Europe for goodness sake!

Officially Unemployed

I had my last day at SPU today. That's kind of weird to say. I've been at SPU almost every day for the last seven years (four years as a student and three as an employee) and now that it's over, I can't decide if I'm sad it's over or excited to move on. Perhaps a little of both?

It's funny because I remember at the end of every school year I had this sinking feeling when I left campus. It was as if the whole event was very anti-climatic and no one really seemed to care that we were parting ways for the summer. I hated leaving each year and always tried to stay on campus as long as I could. Today was different though. Maybe it's because I was taken out for lunch or received a "goodbye" card, or perhaps my outlook on the next phase of my life is different.

Whenever I would leave school there was always this "unknown" out there. I didn't know what I would be doing during the summer (or with my life after senior year) and even though there would always be some plans of some sort, there was nothing ever big and vast waiting out there for me in the distance. This next phase of my life is big and right around the corner. I leave in one week and I have so much to do, it's not even funny. I thrive in the chaos of life, so I'm not really concerned, but it is daunting.

When I left college each year I wasn't ready for that time to be over. Every year I wanted more time. It was like summer camp, I wanted just one more day or one more week, but I couldn't have it. Maybe leaving SPU as an employee is different because it was on my terms. I picked my departure date and I decided when I was ready to leave. They also wanted me to stay, which is a nice feeling. I left on good terms and I did my job well all the way to the end. It's an accomplishment I can be proud of.

It's true that I don't know what I'll do in December (realistically January) when I'm back, but I know now what I am capable of and worth. I will have an awesome experience under my belt along with three years of stellar service at SPU. I'll be ready to go when the time gets here and in the mean time, I will enjoy the ride. My four months "off" wont be completely stress free and wont exactly be the relaxing vacation I know everyone thinks it will be, but it will be fantastic.

Maybe that's what makes this transition easy. I'm basically going from one form of fantastic to another. Life could be so much worse.

Two Weeks Left!

I started this yesterday afternoon and then had to stop before I finished as I received a phone call and had to drive to Mt. Rainier to pick-up Eddie and his cousin Tessa – I’ll explain more at the end.

I am busy at work trying to put together “how to” documents for my successors to use to do my job in my absence. It’s quite a daunting task and I need a break, so I’m going to take a quick break and update the blog. Aren’t you all so very excited?

I can’t believe that two weeks from this very moment now I will be boarding a plane to Iceland for my connection to Copenhagen. So weird. I’m a little afraid of my connection in Iceland especially since I have absolutely no hope of pronouncing the name of the city I’m flying into. There are way too many consonants for me to even give it a shot phonetically. I should probably make some hostel reservations and figure out where I’m going to stay once I get into Denmark. Hmm, I should really take care of that.

I’ve been a bit of a bum these last few weeks and I foresee that status continuing as these next two weeks approach. I am pretty easily manipulated by my own self justifications, especially when it comes to things I want in the moment. For example, if showering is going to be optional in the morning, I should do it the night before or be prepared to apply baby powder to my hair or rock a greasy pony tail. Being happy about getting up in the morning is not a skill I have ever acquired – the snooze button is a trusted friend.

In the last few weeks I have consumed a half a batch of cookie dough, more than the necessary amount of cheese-its, more Diet Pepsi than I have probably had in the last three months prior, and a number of other guilt laden foods that I had learned to avoid over the last year and a half. I have justified all of these consumed foods by embracing the idea that I will be on my feet for the next four months almost non-stop – so it’s ok if I splurge a bit now. Right? The worst habit has developed from eating lunch in Gwinn (the cafeteria at SPU) every day. The desserts there are delicious and after I leave SPU I will probably never return to said cafeteria, so I should enjoy all the wonderful tasty treats now. Yes. I like that plan.

My friend Shera came into town on Sunday so of course we got greasy delicious food (burger and fries) for dinner and went and sat down by the docks in Interbay to catch-up, just like old times. I can’t tell you how many late nights or evenings we have sat parked on these docks laughing, crying, and just enjoying each others’ company. It was so good to catch-up with a good friend. The funny thing is that Shera and I talk almost daily (via instant message) but since she got married and moved away a year ago I have only seen her three times (this being the third time) and we rarely talk on the phone. Even though we keep pretty up to date on each other’s lives, it’s just good to sit with her in person and hear her voice and see her face.

It’s also been a great week for Shera to be in town – especially with Eddie gone. Not only can I give her my undivided attention, she’s also helping to distract me from dwelling on Eddie’s absence. I do miss him but Shera is a reminder of how good I have it. Eddie will be back in just 6 more days – Shera’s husband, James, is in the Airforce and is deployed to Afghanistan right now, scheduled to be back in November – if everything goes according to plan. I could never date or marry someone in the military, my friends who do and have, amaze me every day.

Phone Call …

I received a phone call yesterday afternoon from Eddie. I was so excited to hear his voice on the other end of the phone but was worried that something was wrong – I wasn’t supposed to hear from him until next Monday evening! I asked how he was doing and his response concerned me, “not very well.” I immediately demanded to know what was wrong and if he was hurt. No, nothing like that, he and Tessa were just rained off the trail and were hitchhiking down the mountain. They had made it halfway through the trail but because of the downpour couldn’t go on (soggy socks, shoes, pants, and more). They were either going to hitchhike to his car (a good 2 hour drive from where they’d come out of the park) or …

Without hesitation I told him I’d come get them. I left Seattle around 5:20 and we got back a little after 11. I’d say it was a pretty quick trip considering I had to get to Elbe (a little town about 20 miles from one of the Mt. Rainier park entrances), find them, drive to the other side, and then come home. When I pulled into the gas station in Elbe where I was supposed to meet them I was so excited. I didn’t want their hike to be canceled but I was happy that I would get to spend a little more time with Eddie before I left for Europe. I got a big hug and it made me smile.

The only down side to his early return is that I won’t get to spend a lot of the time with him since I already have plans! Tonight I’m having dinner with some friends in West Seattle and just hanging out. Friday I am headed to my parent’s house with four of my close friends for a “girl’s weekend.” So, it’ll be Sunday night before I can really spend much time with him. I think that’s a good thing though. We will have some more time apart to “practice” for Europe, but we’ll still be able to see each other more than we thought we were going to be able to.

I’m still really excited to spend time with Shera today and tomorrow. It’s so great having her here!

Who Knew?

I have an hour before I need to leave for church and instead of spending that time reading about France, Italy, Ireland, or England – the countries I have yet to research for my trip – I am here, lying on my bed writing another blog. In case you didn’t know, procrastination is my middle name. I have actually gotten some things crossed off my list today. I sent some e-mails and made some phone calls that were long overdue and I cleaned my room – quite the feat if you ask me. I even did two loads of laundry and have showered for the day.

After church my dear friend Shera will be arriving into town from Montana. We will probably have dinner somewhere and then settle in for the night. She is going to be staying with me for the week while she works in her office in Fremont (she normally works from home, but is in town for just this week). I’m very excited to see her. She stayed with me six weeks ago and we had a blast together. I’m glad that I get to see her one last time before I leave for Europe.

As I mentioned, I should be reading and researching for my trip, but I’m putting it off. I don’t know why these last few countries are so daunting for me to get through. If I had to put my finger on it and give you a reason, I’d guess it’s because I know that if I finish my research then it makes everything that much more real. To be perfectly honest, I’m scared about the reality of my situation and the lack of control I have over it.

Yes, I have an itinerary and yes, I am researching as much of it as I can, but there are a lot of unknowns. I’m throwing myself into this adventure head first and hoping for the best. I’m sure I will make mistakes along the way, but hopefully nothing too drastic. I have a good head on my shoulders and am a pretty logical person, so I don’t see myself getting into trouble, but the practical side of me wants to plan as much as I can so that I can find the most economical way to do everything. I don’t like wasting time or money or relinquishing control. Maybe God is teaching me a lesson here? Hmm…

I find myself thinking about how quickly life can change. It was a little over a year ago when I decided that I was going to do this trip once and for all. I planned to leave in January/February and return in December. It was going to be my dream trip and I was going to do everything – include spend my entire life savings. When that plan changed in November and I discovered that my dream trip was an impossibility, it hit me hard. I don’t want to say that I settled for this coming trip, but it definitely wasn’t my first intent. I think God had other plans for me and there have been reasons that I needed to stick around until now. My four month trip is not my year long adventure but is going to be amazing, no doubt.

Also reflecting on changes, I never would have thought three months ago that I would have a boyfriend, let alone someone who is seemingly the perfect guy for me. When I e-mailed him back in May I expected nothing more than a fun story about the guy from craigslist who took me out for a drink before I scared him away with my craziness. Who knew that my e-mail response, sent on a whim, would turn into something real? I am so thankful that I did not let the rational side of my brain talk me out of sending that e-mail since I knew I was leaving and didn’t want to have an excuse to stay. I am also so thankful that Eddie is the kind of guy who would never let me sacrifice who I am or make me feel bad about my individuality in order to give in and conform to what others might expect of me. I have felt blessed everyday of our relationship and know with certainty that I am cared for and cherished.

I guess I have recently just come to more readily accept what I’ve always known – which is that God has a plan and He is always watching out for me. I am the one with the crazy notion that I am in control of my life but I gave up my control a long time ago when I gave it over to Him. I keep trying to reach up and take it back because all I can see is the short term and I feel confident that I can take over the reins again, but I am so glad that He sees the bigger picture and doesn’t let me make a mess of things (too much). Hindsight is always 20/20 and when I look back on the 25 ½ years of my life I can see how He has worked in it in so many ways. Without His guidance and strength I would not be where I am today and I would not be the person that I am.

I am nervous, anxious, and excited about my trip. I am nervous, anxious, and excited about my relationship with Eddie. I am nervous, anxious, and excited to see what my life will be like once I get back in December and try to find a job, a place to live, and figure out what the next step is. But overwhelmingly I feel a sense of peace and clarity that I know can only come from God. I know it is cheesy to say, but I know that He is right by my side and is walking each step with me. I know that every turn I make will be guided by Him and that while I will make mistakes and wrong turns, He will be there to show me the way back to where I need to be – even if it means a few detours.

The last few months have been a blur and I’m sure that the next four will be as well. So much can change in a short period of time so I really have no expectations for what is ahead of me. I guess I just have to take it one day at a time and do my best to trust in Christ. Here’s to the unknown – a guided unknown. I can’t wait to see what happens.

An Update ...

On Friday, a friend of mine asked me, “When, when, when are you going to update your blog?” I guess I’ve been keeping you all waiting in suspense far too long aye? :) I don’t think highly enough of myself to believe that you all are checking blogspot every day to see if I’ve posed anything new, but it is nice to know that at least one person likes to read what I write here. Life has been crazy - in so many good ways – lately. I haven’t really had time to sit and write anything, granted I haven’t carved out the time or made it a priority, but a lot has been happening. I am hoping that while I’m in Europe I will grow some discipline as I update this everyday and maybe when I get back I will continue writing on a regular basis. We’ll have to wait and see I guess.

The main reason I have more time to write now is that Eddie is on a 10 day hike around Mt. Rainier with his cousin Tessa. It’s called the Wonderland trail and it’s something like 100 miles total. They’re pretty much crazy if you ask me, but it’s something he’s super excited about doing and it will be a huge accomplishment once he finishes. The time apart will probably be good for us since we’ve seen each other every day since we started dating on June 22 (up until today/yesterday since it’s now after 2am – he came and said goodbye to me at work before he left on Friday), but I will miss him – in fact I do miss him. I guess it’s practice for when I leave for Europe, although at least in Europe I can e-mail or we can skype, and we won’t be completely shut off from each other.

My plan for today (Saturday) was to sleep in, get up and go for a walk/run, clean my disaster of a room, do laundry, blog, finish research for my trip, review/edit my sister’s resume, send out a few e-mails and make some phone calls to catch-up with some friends, figure out what I’m going to do for my health insurance once everything at SPU expires at the end of the month, and maybe start to pack-up my life. It was an EXTREMELY ambitious plan and it overwhelmed me a bit which may be why almost none of it was accomplished.

I did sleep in – way in. I got up around 1:30pm, which doesn’t sound as bad when you know that I went to bed at 2, but still, that’s a lot of sleep. I guess I needed it. When I got up though, I rolled over to my computer and watched a few episodes of So You Think You Can Dance online instead of working out. It wasn’t on my list of things to do, but it was something I’ve been meaning to do for awhile. I ate a little bit and chatted with my roommate, did some dishes, and then around 5:30 I was tired again, so I took a nap. Yes, I realize how ridiculous I am. I slept until almost 8 at which point I got up, had dinner, took a shower, and got ready to go out dancing with my roommate! It may not be the most productive day I’ve ever had, but it sure has been an extremely relaxing one.

I’m now back from the club (Susan and I went to Nectar for their 5 year anniversary dance party). There wasn’t a whole lot of dancing going on at first, but we made our way out onto the floor and shook our groove things. I have never been very scandalous when I dance, but apparently since dating Eddie, I’ve toned it down even more so. I was dancing with this guy and all of a sudden he stopped and asked, “You have a boyfriend don’t you?” Obviously the answer to the question is yes but it was funny to me that he even asked it. I’ve never been asked that question before while being out and it’s ironic to me that it happened the first time I’ve been out since dating Eddie. Having a boyfriend turned out to be a great conversation starter. I told him about Europe and he gave me some information about a few girls who live in Vienna that I could probably stay with. I also ended up being a "wingwomam" of sorts for him and tried to help him find some single ladies to dance with. I don’t think I was a lot of help as the night ended and he was still alone, but I tried and that’s what counts right?

It was a fun night all together. I wouldn’t say that Nectar was a great place to go dancing, but there sure were some characters. There were two bald headed gay men who looked like they had walked out off of the Village People stage and then there were two lesbian girls who kept flashing each other. There was the short stocky little fellow who kept elbowing me to try and get my attention, and the myriad of men who felt that it was ok to pinch Susan’s cheeks – and I don’t mean the ones on her face. People are so funny when they don’t think anyone is watching. I’m sure I am ridiculous as well, but fortunately I don’t carry a mirror in my back pocket so I get to walk around in ignorant bliss at how silly my own life is.

There are many other things that I want to discuss here, but I think they will have to wait for a new posting. So stay tuned for:

My thoughts on my upcoming trip – how nervous and yet excited I am for it and how overwhelmed I am by all the details I still need to figure out.

My trip to Vegas last weekend with Eddie – I want to wait to write about that one until I can post pictures and those are on Eddie’s camera so I won’t have access until he returns on the 17th.

How things are going with the boyfriend – I’ll leave it as they’re going great for now.

My excitement and anticipation of Shera coming to stay with me in Seattle this upcoming week – she’ll be here tomorrow and I’m so glad I get to see her before I head out of town.

There are so many thoughts (related to what’s above and so much more) swirling around in my head that I don’t really know where to begin. Hopefully I will be able to sort through them enough to articulate thoughts here on this blog for my own sanity and for your reading pleasure. So, on that note dear friends, I hope that your days are full of clarity and greatness and that I didn’t bore you too much with my ramblings. Until next time …

Things Are A Changin'

It’s been almost a month since my last blog and it seems like a lot has changed in such a short period of time. I know I’ve needed to post an update for awhile now, and I’ve started to write several blogs over the last few weeks, but I never seem to get very far. I think I have so much going on that I don’t really know where to begin. I guess the best thing is to just start and hope that my thoughts go somewhere coherent.

I guess the first big thing to happen was that the summer conference season started. The first few weeks were not as busy as they have been in past years, but it definitely felt busy. Amy, my manager, was out on maternity leave during this time, so the work load increased for my co-worker, Kyara, and I. Plus we were training our new student staff in the midst of welcoming clients to campus. I did survive though and feel pretty good about the whole process. We have a good staff this summer and they are all very competent people.

The summer has been building and we’re probably at the climax this week with 18 groups on campus. Don’t worry though; there are no more than 14 here at any given point. Yes, that is a lot of people. I am keeping my head above water and am actually feeling pretty good about the summer so far. Nothing too major or catastrophic has happened. I’m not sure if it’s me, this particular summer, or just the way the cards have fallen, but no matter what the reason is, I’m thankful for it. I really don’t need to deal with a million small fires at one time.

The second “big” change in my life is that I now have a boyfriend. It’s completely ironic to me that something like this happens now, while I’m on the verge of an epic adventure to Europe. The whole process of how it developed is a pretty crazy story involving a slow day at the office, craigslist, and little expectations. Let me explain …

Several months ago (perhaps even sometime in 2008) my brother and sister informed me that they had each posted personal ads on craigslist in hopes of meeting someone. I, being the older and of course wiser sister that I am, thought that that was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. In my mind, 19 and 23 year olds should not need to put personal ads online to meet someone, so I teased them relentlessly about it. It did spark my curiosity though, so I started looking up craigslist ads on occasion when I was in need of a break at work. I had no real intention of ever responding to any of them, but just perused them for amusement.

Well, as you can imagine (or may already know) I ended up responding to one in May (the 13th to be exact) and began e-mailing with a seemingly nice guy named Eddie. My only real intentions were to meet someone new and maybe get a free drink or meal out of the deal (I’m terrible, I know), but I assumed that even if I did hit it off with someone, he wouldn’t be interested in starting something when I would be leaving for Europe for four months. Well, since we all know that God has a sense of humor about these sorts of things, it only makes sense that Eddie and I would hit it off.

Eddie and I e-mailed each other pretty frequently and quickly discovered that we had a lot in common. The e-mails quickly became short novels and you wouldn’t think there’d be anything left for us to talk about, but somehow the words continued to flow. After a week and a half or so we moved on to the next natural phase of online dating, which of course is becoming Facebook friends. That was followed by the exchanging of phone numbers and several late night phone conversations. Finally, on June 7, Eddie asked if I would want to meet in person. I agreed and we had an impromptu first date at Kings Hardware in Ballard at 11:45 at night – too funny.

After several dates over the next few weeks, in the midst of Eddie’s random hiking trips and going to visit friends in other states, we ended up becoming official on June 22. It was a pretty cute, but very cheesy moment, which seems to be a trend for us. It’s been over three weeks now and he’s had to deal with many challenges already – such as meeting my parents, sister, close family friends, close friends visiting from out of town, and a random emotional outburst from me. I am thoroughly enjoying the time that I get to spend with him and am going to be sad to leave in August.

Even though it’ll be hard to leave all my friends and family behind, I am still going to do it. :) I have purchased my plane tickets (I leave for Copenhagen on August 25 and will return from Dublin on December 23) and given my official notice to SPU. My last day working for the university will be August 18, which will give me a week to get my act together before I jet off. Everyone at work seems to be sad to see me go, and quite a few are concerned for my safety, but I’m ready for this new adventure to start. Life has a funny way of working out and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me when I get back.

I will be posting a detailed itinerary of my trip (or at least a loose timeframe) in the next week or so. I am anxious to hear about any connections you may have overseas as I am trying to get as much out of my experience as possible. Basically, I want to see as much as I can and spending as little as possible, so any help that I can get would be greatly appreciated!

So, that is pretty much the update on my life, at least in the broad sense. I’ve included a few pictures of Eddie and me below for your viewing pleasure.

4th of July at my parent's house

Margaritas on the 4th of July - aweomeness.

Out to breakfast, being goofy.