End of another year and only 1% gained

It felt like a lot of traveling, but we only got one more percent completed in 2006! Maybe we'll have better luck in 2007!

Graduating!!

I'm graduating....well actually completing all my courses officially tomorrow!!! and after 2.5 years I'm going to have my free time back!

I've been thinking about this for a while now....about what I want to do with my free time, and thought that writing a blog about all the different things I do with my time might be fun, even if it's just for me :)

things I'd like to do include: volunteering for a make a wish, running a half marathon (or some time of walk/run), take a dance class, take a cooking class, go camping, catch up on all my scrapbooks....

any ideas on what else i can do?!

Chicago and Charlene and Neel's Wedding

Chicago
Charlene and Neel's Wedding

Whistler, Vancouver in the Summer

With all our travel for work up to the Northwest, Alby and I decided to spend a weekend up north and drive up to Whistler, Canada. The drive up the 5 was very smooth, and we found ourselves crossing the national border only a couple of hours after leaving work. The drive up to Whistler is on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, which is named for the drive from the ocean up into the Canadian Rockies. The drive was very picturesque.

Whistler is a great ski resort. The closest we both have been to a ski resort is Tahoe, but after being to Whistler, we realized how small Tahoe was in comparison. The Whistler Village was huge, with over 100 different restaurants. Alby and I drove in pretty late in the night on Friday but because of the location so far north, it wasn't even dark when we reached. The next day we woke up and signed up for a Zip-Line Adventure Tour. Zip line is pretty much how you would envision zipping down a line, we were put into a harness and then latched onto a wire cable and zipped down the hillsides of Whistler Mountain. It was definitely an adventure tour, and a great way to see the greenery of the mountain. Later we rented bikes and biked all over the area. I had never seen Alby on a bike before, and didn't think he knew how to bike, but he surprised me for sure! The next day we went the farmer's market and then made our way back to Seattle.

Work Travel Begins....'Sunny' Seattle Here we Come!

So after a year at work at Williams Sonoma, Alby and I rolled off and started work at Boeing...up in 'sunny' Seattle! It was a fun in the beginning to do the travel thing, flying up and having a per diem, and flying home (but 1 year later it wasn't all that fun anymore). The one thing about traveling for work is that money isn't as big of an issue. Alby and I definitely enjoyed Seattle on the company's dime :) So if anyone needs a good restaurant recommendation in Seattle, shoot me and email I do have many!

Let the travel season begin!! First stop New Jersey!

So this summer we have 3 family weddings and a equally important birthday celebration for our little niece, Seleena.

We combined our two east coast celebration into a one week long party, starting with Miss Seleena's 1st Birthday. It was wonderful being there for this special day for the little one and Nilam and Samir. The party was a lot of fun, and spending time with all the family that had flown in for the party was great! Because of our great jobs, Alby and I were able to work out of the IBM office near Nilam's house during the week, and spend the evenings with the family. Just before the long weekend, we picked up Neil and started our drive down to Washington DC.

We made a stop for one night at Sanjay and Neena's in Deleware. It was great finally getting to visit Sanjay and Neena and seeing their home. After a very short visit, we set out for Baltimore for Devang and Kamni's Wedding Weekend. The first day was a great mendhi party where we were able to meet all of Kamni's family and friends. The second night was the sangeet night, where the families put on a fun night of music and dance. Alby and I even did a dance for the smiling couple! The next day was the wedding and reception, and can I say, this was the most amazing setting for their wedding. Words don't do justice, so just check out the pictures...unfortunately I don't have any, but I'll find some and post them here!

Palace on Wings :)

After the trip to the south of India with the family, Alby and I flew up to Udaipur to take a tour of a few of India's beautiful palaces. In Udaipur, we found ourselves a very nice rickshaw driver that we paid for the entire day, and he took us all over the city. We started at the city palace, and booked dinner at Lake Palace for that evening. Udaipur was super romantic. Watching the sun set on the lake and then arrive at the magnificent Lake Palace, was very memorable.

From Udaipur, Alby and I flew to Jaipur, where we treated ourselves to stay at Rajvillas Oberoi (the top hotel in India). What a treat!!! If you ever want to be pampered to the max, stay here. The grounds of the hotel were massive, with their own golf course, tennis courts, spa, pool, etc. The spa was so great, that after the first day, Alby was ready to book for the next day again! We loved our time there just relaxing and spending time together. The staff at the hotel were great, remembering all the little details about what we liked to eat and order, so to have things ready before we even asked. I'm so glad that we kept our stay at Jaipur for the end of our trip, otherwise we would have peaked too early :)

Kerela and Ayurvedic Massages :)

From Bombay, my parents, Neil, Alby and I all flew to Cochin (Kerela) to visit the tea estates in Munnar and the backwater resorts of Kumarakom. The drive up to Munnar was amazing. The state of Kerela is so green and clean!! The drive to Munnar was a little long, but we had lots of stops along the way and it was very picturesque. We stayed at a nice resort in the hills overlooking the tea estates where we all tried out the famour Ayurvedic Massage. For a good laugh ask one of the guys about their fun experience.

After our stay in Munnar, we drove down from the hill station to the Kerela backwaters to the Kumarakom Resort. We had reserved these awesome villas that sat on a pool, so we could jump into the pool from our patio. The backwaters were a fun experience. Seeing how the lives of people were centered around the canals that wound through the area. We felt a little weird, as if we were intruding on the locals lives, as we took a boat tour through their 'neighborhood'. It would be like a bus load of people taking a tour along Cougar Circle :)

Start of 2006 ... at 6%!

At the start of 2006, Alby and I move a little closer to seeing 10% of the world!