Emerald Isle

Ireland was exactly what you think it would be.
Charming, mystical, musical, down-to-earth, green, windy, chilly, and in the particular bit that I visited, ready for a cup of tea! My TEFL friend Kate was the perfect person for me to travel with. I believe this may have been our second of four stops for tea on this particular leg of the cross-country road trip.
We took the scenic view from Dublin to Galway, stopping over in Kilkenny to picnic on the lawn of the castle before going inside to watch a puppet show put on by a story-teller friend of her sisters.

and there was MORE!

The Cliffs of Moher to be specific. (Ok, bad pun, I know. The bad pun police already have my on their top ten list, but there's no stopping me!) We took in spectacular natural views all throughout the trip, but the cliffs were a particular attraction.
Kate and I determined that there was a five second limit to how long you could be out-of-doors and still have your hair left in-tact by the wind on the day that we visited. We both managed to stand planted firmly enough to maintain our view from the top which I have sampled for you below.




There were also Extremely Dangerous cows there, per this sign, but that did not keep me from venturing closer for a view of the cliffs from the other side.

Besides, Kate tells me that the most dangerous creatures on the Island are bees, so I wasn't overly concerned.

We made the return trip from Galway to Dublin in just around 4 hours.

...

4 hours. Cross-country.
We may have consumed more tea on the trip than the car consumed fuel on the journey.
I'll have to check with Kate on that one. I don't quite have my conversions down yet! ;)

All-in-all it was a very satisfying addition to my European excursions.

Jolly Good!

I've arrived in England and am already having a jolly good time!
My accommodations are with Michael, a friend from the fire department, who is set up nicely in a place right around the corner from Windsor Castle. The food is hearty and the weather unpredictable, a little taste of home!

I have done lots of exploring, a fair bit of relaxing, and even made some new friends!

Paris, Versailles, Paris

This was a whirlwind trip!
I had one whim to spend coming into/ through Paris on the way to Versailles and I spent it on Notre Dame. Verdict = Whim well-spent!





Wednesday I went to dinner with Virginie and met her friend Mary. Pizza and ice cream and a lot of smiles!




Thursday was another travel day for me, but Mary was amazing and took time over her lunch hour to show me some of the big sights I'd wanted to fit in while in the city.

There are a few other pics that I will have to add from this amazing adventure, stay tuned!

Thanks again Virginie and Mary for your hospitality!

Southern France

It really doesn't do it justice to try an fit all of my time in the South of France into one blog post, but at the pace I'm going, I'll be home before you hear about it otherwise!
I have been able to visit with all of the student visitors from Bordeaux University that came during my time with the Overland Park Fire Department.

Emilie (2008) did a wonderful job of coordinating everyone on somewhat short notice for my arrival and accommodation for much of my stay. A big thank-you and hugs to her, as well as congratulations for finishing her University program and passing her test!
Here she is on the day we spent together taking in the sights of Bordeaux; setting an example of enjoying the French aire!

My next stop was a visit with Aurelie (Olathe 2008) to stay with her family in La Teste France near the sea. Here we are pictured preparing to hike up the famous 'Dune du Pyla', Europe's largest sand dune! We were able to bike to the Dune in 20 minutes from her house and just on the other side is a breathtaking view of the Atlantic ocean to the South and to the North, the bay of Arcachon. Another congrats is in order to Aurelie and her family on the marriage of her brother Michael as well as an early Happy Birthday to Aurelie!

I had a short stop-over with Manon (2009) and her family at their home in Merignac near Brodeaux. We went into the city center to observe the Bastille Day festivities and watch some fireworks!


I enjoyed a lovely drive through French pine forests with Elodie. There is still much evidence of the huge storm that came through earlier this year and took down many of the pine trees that are a large part of the economy here. She explained to me that there is now a great fear of fire with all of the downed trees drying out and in fact since I have been here there were fires set in the forest and already 6 Spanish fire fighters have died in the battle. Please keep them in your prayers.

We drove on to Julien's (2007) home for a celebration very similar to what takes place in Pamplona Spain surrounding the running of the bulls. I walked into this somewhat blindly, but everyone was great to get me up to speed quickly! Elodie's parents lived very nearby so we went there one afternoon and evening to celebrate her birthday! Everyone was in a spirited mood and I had great fun as well as some really good conversation as everyone was eager to practice their English with me and I was happy to try to improve my French!

Elodie was kind enough to host me the day of our return and then for the following week I stayed at the Jansens home with Manon and her family.

I had a lot of fun going on bike rides with her sisters, meeting with friends of the family over home-made French meals, visiting her fire station, meeting Remy, the English teacher for the students of the Bordeaux program, touring wine country and learning about St. Emilion, taking a trip to the other side of the Bay for an afternoon at the beach, climbing and swinging through the tree tops at an adventure course with Manon and her youngest sister Clemence, and going to a special show depicting the Battle of Castillion.

I am so greatful to all of my host families for their incredible hospitality, for introducing me to new and wonderful things, for being so patient with my limited ability to speak French, and for sharing their homes and their lives with me, making memories I will always cherish. Bisous!

Farewell Madrid!

Gathering of friends at the flat to wish a fond farewell.
It was an AMAZING party! Tacos and a pineapple coconut cake made by my roommate Lisa kept everyone's tummies happy. Sherry and Yolanda kept us rolling with their antics and there was plenty of jovial conversation!


We had a special toast starting with one in honor of my fabulous Aunt Katy.

International dance was breaking out all over. Yolanda led us through some sassy Latin, Sherry gave us a demonstration of Thai fan dancing, and Kate guided us through kicking up our heels Celtic style!

TEFL Madrid Graduation!

Friday I graduated from the Madrid TEFL course! We are a proud and happy bunch.




Now it is time to celebrate with a night on the town!

We met up at Madrid's mascot bear-tree combo in the famed Sol plaza for a tapas crawl.

This was one of my favorite places we went to. See again the famous bear-tree rendered in stained glass.

A wonderful evening with people I am so proud to have worked with!

Week 4 of Madrid TEFL Course

Early in the 4th week, I endeavored to perfect my crepe making skills and to provide an opportunity to study for TEFL exams. I was very happy with the results and I think my roommates were also pleased at this improvement in my cooking skills! Oh, and my phonetics got a work-out as well! Seriously, yum.

I designed my last class around the topic of Slow Food. At the end of class, students got a chance to really put their skills into practice as I supplied some context in the form of bread, cheese, basil, tomato, and fresh juice. We toasted our accomplishments and the idea of taking time to enjoy food and the good company of friends.


The directors walked in toward the end of the lesson. I think they approved, but the camera tells it better than I could!
Wednesday brought exams and the end of big stress for me for awhile. I passed! Now what?
I had a portfolio to turn in and a Materials Assignment to present to an independent moderator for the program, but my head was spinning with what to do with the free time I suddenly found myself with!


I celebrated on Thursday by going for chocolate y churros with a friend and playing tourist for awhile.

The Spanish are really into their ham. Here I am pictured in front of one among many purveyors of the much celebrated substance. It all works out because I'm rather cheesy and we all know those two make a great combination!

It was a really nice change of pace and when I came home my roommates were in a goofy mood which added to my lifted spirits. I'm going to miss my Madrid family!

Week 3 of Madrid TEFL Course

Week 3 was incredibly intensive with classes, teaching, and an oppressive heat which threatened to drain all energy or motivation. Somehow, through the grace of God, along with supportive classmates and roommates, I made it through.

I did manage to get out to the park with my Language Partner, Ricky. There is a little pond just in front of a pretty glass building and on the path alongside it they built this cave-like tunnel with a waterfall that made for a fun photo op!

Week 2 of Madrid TEFL Course

Debut of the ninja pants!
We started teaching during the 2nd week of the course.
It is amazing how much confidence wearing ninja pants can give you.

Ben had a little hiccup with his lung collapsing. This pic is of Lisa, Julie, and I visiting him in the hospital. Truth-be-told, there was much worry over the situation and much relief as a week and a day later he finally left the hospital. We love you Ben!

The TEFL course teaching had us all in full gear with studies and stressing. This first week really had me focused on what I wanted to get out of my experience both personally and professionally.

Madrid weekend #1

Saturday of my first weekend here in Madrid was spent with some of the girls from my class. We got out and did some shopping in Fuencarral, had some tapas, and crashed a party.
I also found some sweet ninja pants which will be featured in a future post.

Here we see the lovely Cathi enjoying the grass floor of one of the shops in Fuencarral.
Lukas, you would have enjoyed it!

Week 1 of Madrid TEFL Course

A big week and I am going to see if I can fit it all in to one blog post!
I was really fortunate to connect with some great people right from the get-go here in Madrid.
Ben did a great job with my accommodations that came complete with 2 incredible roommates!
My first full day they took me to what is considered to be the Madrid version of the church I attend back home. I met a girl named Julie Brown who, as it turns out, also attended Jacob's Well back in KC. She was gracious enough to invite us over to celebrate at her place and the rest, as they say, is history! But the story doesn't end there! This is one instance where I did not have my camera on me, *gasp*, so this photo is courtesy of Julie.


My class got off to a good start and I'm very glad to have arrived early so that I had a chance to map out how to get there so I wasn't struggling with that element on the first day.
We have a really diverse group in our class, which I personally like. The program directors are British and Australian and our class is such a great mix of people from all over. I am picking up so much fun vocabulary! By Thursday of the first week we were starting to get into a groove and four of us girls decided to go for tapas after class. First tapas! Cheers! Slante! Prost!On the topic of good friends and good food, it turns out that both of my roommates cook! The first week they were in a particularly fine mood to get creative and we sat down for long, late meals and enjoyed each other's company. Here is Christine dishing out her creation.
I felt the need to reciprocate, so I put together a little taste treat from the spaetzel I'd brought back from Germany. If anyone actually knows how to reconstitute it from a dry form, please let me know as I still have half of it left.

In this next picture, Lisa and Christine are preparing to be very gracious about my first attempt to make dinner. The asparagus actually turned out pretty well. Good thing there was ice cream for dessert!



On Friday I was invited to a gathering to say farewell to Ashley and Matthew, some wonderful people who've been living in Madrid but are returning to the States. I was invited by my friend Ricky who I'd met the previous weekend. Here is acting the gracious host to Vicky. In the end we ended up playing a song trivia game and singing songs from our childhood. I am delighted to find versions of 'Brother John' in almost every language!

There was an exciting weekend as well, and that post is soon to follow!

Day 19: Spain!

The weekend before my class begins.
I am in my apartment in Spain. My place is better than I had hoped and I have been blessed with some really great roommates.
This morning Lisa took me through the market as I needed to buy food for the week ahead.
It is an overwhelming place, sharp scents and softer sweet ones mingling with the people all crowding in to hunt for the freshest catch, the best price per kilo, and shouts going out on either side from vendors in competition.
Cherries are in season here and I purchased a kilo which was placed in a paper cone and folded over. The 1/2 kilo of strawberries was presented in much the same way and I added some bananas to the mix for good measure.

Saturday evening Christine took me to the church called Oasis where I met a number of new people. It is the same church attended by my friend Ben from back home and he was there as well! He had actually met with a girl named Julie while at Oasis who had attended the same church we went to back in Kansas City! Small world!


After the service we went to her house for a celebration of her transition back to Kansas and on to new adventures! On the way we coordinated the group for a shopping trip to pick up some food for dinner. Just before entering the subway, Julie noticed a rainbow had appeared. I was kicking myself for not having my camera so she took hers out and snapped this photo. Thanks Julie!
At her apartment we broke out the food and beverages; I met even more great people and had some really good conversation. All-in-all, a great start to my Spanish experience!

Day 18: Travel Day from Austria to Munich to Madrid

It was a whirl-wind day! Lukas saw me safely to the train station.
I was so excited for the chance to travel by train and to see the countryside go zipping by!
Here is a photo from that portion of my journey.


Carl met me at the other end.
I ran into a couple of hiccups on the last leg of the trip, including getting lost coming off the Metro once I arrived in Spain. For the sake of my parents who sometimes worry, I will just say that all went well as I am writing this post and you are reading it.
We will leave it at that...until the book comes out! ;)

Day 17: Wien, Austria

In the Blümen garden, my last full day in Austria.

Day 16: Wien, Austria

On this day I learned how many steps there are to the top of the library.

Day 15: Wien, Austria

Lukas took me on a bus ride/ hike to a place that over-looked the city. It is a place that has been left on it's own for a decade or two. Occasional observers wander through, but for the most part, it seems to simply stand watch over the city, waiting.












The Italian church from the Volksgarten.

Day 14; Vienna, Austria

Happy June!

I awoke this morning to a happy tune. I am fondly reminded that one of the very nice things about being in Lukas' company is that occasionally music spontaniously happens. This is a source of great joy for me and also rather encouraging.

This first full day in Vienna (Wien as it is called natively) began with a gorgeous bike tour through an area called Lobau.

There were so many interesting spaces created by nature (in concert with man to some extent).
Wild cherries grew along the paths, there were several lovely bridges, each with its own charm, and a place that just opened up into a meadow clearing with a big log to sit on and take it all in.

Breathtaking.

Indeed, it was lovely. I did take a few photos, attempted a video clip, but honestly, in the first moment where my breath ran short I thought, "there's no way to capture this."


That doesn't mean I didn't try!

Reflections from my journal
"Things have had time to grow-over here, so that even in such a well-established place, you might find yourself cutting a new path."

Day 13: Munich morning, Vienna evening

We managed to fit in a traditional Bavarian breakfast today, complete with oompah band and stammgaeste, which are the regulars, often in traditional dress, at a table reserved just for them!
In the traditional beer hall fashion, we joined a table with other patrons. The other people at our table were a retired couple traveling Europe. They had some fascinating stories, and opinions on life that I increasingly associate with people who travel. I think again of how the threads that are the stories of people's lives intertwine. I feel so blessed.

After a little while to collect myself at Carl's place, (not to be confused with one of the two Karlsplatz' I have encountered in my journey), it was time to meet up with my friend Lukas for the journey to Austria.

He was returning from his brother's wedding along with Daniel and Lukas who are cousins and friends of Lukas' brother.
The five of us met up at a cafe near Carl's house and experienced service that I understand to be traditional for this area. (It was told to me rather tongue-in-cheek that customers are considered a burden to businesses.) The food was good, once it came, and not too expensive, once I chased down the waiter and he brought the bill. I bid Carl a fond farewell and we were on our way.

It was my first experience driving in a car on this trip and the scenery was lovely! Early on in the drive I was reminded of the 'bahn' as a car raced by us at incredible speed. Lukas drove and was gracious to stop so that I could take a few photos. 'The other Lukas' brought out his camera as well and it was nice to be in the company of another photo enthusiast. In the car, they showed me some of the pictures from the wedding. There were a great many people there and it appeared to have been a very stylish event. Once after we'd stopped for fuel, Daniel shared some of the food with me that they had brought from the wedding. His mother had been the chief for the wedding and I feel fortunate to have tasted a sample of her work! Since he and I shared the back seat we had more of an opportunity to talk. We spoke mainly in English, I had him write out a few German phrases with me that I had picked up, and we discovered that we both spoke some Spanish so we added that to the mix as well. Along the way we also made a stop in Salzburg and had a lovely hike along the mountain overlooking Altstadt, the old city. It was all I could do not to burst into singing about how 'the hills are alive'...I'm sure to the appreciation of all within earshot.

Continuing on it became dark and then began to rain. I drifted in and out as Lukas navigated us safely to our respective destinations. I got the quick tour of Lukas' flat and met his roommate Jonathan then fell soundly asleep. In my dreams everyone spoke with a German accent! Perhaps this is a positive sign that I will pick up some of the language while I am here.

Day 12 Munich, Saturday

Shopping day!
It seems like we fit so much in to our time out today.
Returning to the market, there was so much to see, hear, taste, and smell!
I filled my water bottle at one of the spring-fed fountains mentioned during the tour yesterday.
Several people were gathered drinking around some of the fountains and Carl told me that people will put their beer bottles in the cold spring water to cool!
Now THIS is my kind of water cooler chat! Out in the sun, people walking by, a busy market scene to fill conversational lulls, thank-you-very-much!

We ducked in and out of shops and stalls and even beyond the market to the shopping area. I have been on the hunt for a watch. The romanticism of asking a handsome foreign man for the time has worn off in favor of the practicality of being able to map out my days more precisely. The sales clerk who finally assissted me in purchasing my watch was surprisingly pleasant.

Back home for a quiet evening. I'm really glad for the time and opportunity to check-in on-line with messages and update the blog! I picked up a few postcards today and look forward to getting a few of those of to people as well!

Day 11: Touring Munich

I got up, suited up, and showed up on time to join a group on a free tour of Munich. (Can you see me down front left in the pink t-shirt and jeans?)
It was worth the time to have a guide through the city, telling the stories and history behind all the sights. Several things amazed me as we went along.

First of all, few, if any of the memorials or city landmarks are actually marked in any way!
In the states, historical landmarks are often accompanied by placards, indicating the historical significance. Here, even if I could read German, there is little to explain the rich history of the city.
Secondly, I was really struck by a concept presented by our tour guide having to do with the German people's struggle to reconcile with their past. Is it fair that this city, with a history extending back for hundreds of years, should be associated only with the events that took place during the 12 years of the Holocaust? I was really thankful for the stories related to us by our tour guide that demonstrated the incredible attitude of the German people as they have worked through the past several generations with humility and determination toward a more positive future.
Third, it is very much a curiosity to me how people's lives intersect. I spent the majority of my waking hours today with strangers, who I may or may not see again. Still, I shared this experience with them, and was a part of theirs in turn.


There were so many things along the tour, the churches, the market, and other tours of the city, it was clear that I'm not likely to fit it all in during the time I have allotted to visit. I wondered if I could end up like some of the people I encountered who live here as a result of coming for a visit and falling love with the city, unable to tear themselves away!

In the latter half of the day, Carl and I went out for a traditional Bavarian meal. Yum! I had heard some favorable things about the Augustiner brand of beer, so we ate at one of their larger restaurants just off the Marienplatz. (There are six local brews and any pub or restaurant generally only serves one of the six.) We sat and Carl ordered a beer for me, which got me instant street cred from the waiter. I ordered a pretxel to accompany said beer and was passed a basked from the other side of the bench table. Apparently you just keep count and tell them at the end of the meal how many you had.
The dish I ate was a mix of things and far too much for any one person. Shame, the leftovers would have been amazing! I had a couple of meatballs, some HUGE raviolis, spaetzle, topped with cubed carrots and potatoes, with a GENEROUS portion of mushrooms in a cream sauce over half of it. Then, for a finishing touch, there were crispy fried onions sprinkled on top.

Fighting off food coma, we made our way safely home. Another successful day in Munich!

Day 10 Munich!

My morning was actually quite restful, spent some time catching up on-line, looong overdue, and scouted around on-line for additional sights to see. I'd set out around 10 to catch a tour and got terribly turned around in the neighborhood.
It was a nice opportunity for me to get a glimpse of daily life here in the city. Moms dropping the kinder off at schule, commuters riding their bikes through the streets in vast numbers, church bells tolling the hours, people ducking in & out of the train station, dodging trolleys, and darting through the cross walks.

Carl returned home later than expected and had a conference call. He'd sent me out to investigate a speed dating event being hosted by a local group. I'd heard of such things but never ventured out to one, I thought it at least worth looking into. The name of the pub where it was to be hosted was Molly Malone's. I chatted for a bit with an honest-to-goodness Irish barkeep. After a time she let me know that the speed dating event had been cancelled, but since I had time to kill I quizzed her about Ireland and how she had come to be in Munich. I also got a bit of a language lesson from her, both in German and in Gaelic!

When I got back to Carl's place we set out on a wallk through the neighborhood. He filled in with stories of main attractions and a bit of history along the way. We passed through the courtyard outside the royal residence where Hitler delivered his speeches. There was a posh shopping district a short ways beyond that as well as several other large plazas. We ate dinner at an Afgan restaurant and by combination of Carl's translation and the waiter's half-English recommendation I ordered some delicious lamb kabob with rice and spinach. Two sauces were brought to the table, one bright green with a delayed spiciness, while the red had an unexpected tang and little black seeds which we both preferred. I drank black tea flavored with 'Kardamom' which was also quite good.

After dinner we walked to the Hofbrauhaus for beer and dessert. It had begun to rain on the way and I wiped my glasses as we made our way through the boisterous crowd gathered around the entry. The mix of voices had become dinstincly more English and it was apparent that this was a popular tourist spot. We made our way to one of the long, bench-like tables and sat next to a few patrons who sounded Brittish. I'll have to check with Carl on the spelling of the dessert we had, but it was delicious. I found that I actually have a preference for German beer over sparkling water and that 1 pretzel is more than enough for two people!

I will post photos when I have the chance. I left my laptop back in Madrid and will and photos when I return.

Day 9 Travel to Munich

Most of my morning was actually spent in my flat (apartment) in Spain. I straightened my room and packed what I would need for my trip to Germany/ Austria.

My roommate Christine was home, and what a blessing, made tea! We chatted for a bit before she headed off to work and I decided that since I was packed I would head to the school (TtMadrid) to see if Ben was still there. I found him working on his course plan for June, but was able to distract him long enough to get directions to the bank and say good-bye.

On my way out I finally got to meet Natasha, the progran coordinator I've been working with to get enrolled. I had met the program director the day before when Ben walked me over and the two of them were leaving, so we had a quick chat on the way out. They reinforced how much of an easier time of things I will have, having arrived early and gotten my bearings a bit. I have to agree.

It was roughly three hours 'til my flight was due to leave so I decided to walk to the Metro line that goes directly to the airport. I found an ATM along the way and got a couple of Euros for the trip. I'd purchased a 10 trip pass for the Metro when I arrived and Ben had given me the heads-up about the supplemental fare charged for the airport trip, so I felt good about being able to navigate that part of the journey. When it came to figuring things out at the Spanish airport...that was a different matter.

A crazy airport experience with trams to 'sattelite' terminals later, I arrived in Munich.

I had no baggae to claim, so I followed the crowds and green arrows to the exit. It is SO much more convenient traveling with only my backpack and purse and not having to wheel around my big suitcase!
Off to the left I spied Carl and waved, smiling when he caught sight of me.
He'd had a string of long days and short nights as well, so we were both pretty weary making our way out from the airport. It was a train (mostly above ground) that we took back to his apartment. He lives on the 1st floor, which in Europe means that you're typically only going up one flight of stairs. He gave me the tour of his place; which had been updated. Some of the fixtures are really stylish and unique! We marvelled particularly over the style of windows.

I realized I'd eaten very little today, so we rummaged through Carl's kitchen and put together a meal. He'd even bought bread on my account, what a sweetie! After eating we took a look through some travel guides and on-line to scout out some options for me to see more of the city while Carl is at work in the morning. There is a forum on-line for English speakers in Munich and it looks like there are several activities organized for this weeked which should be interesting.
Sunday he is taking me to a 'Bavarian' breakfast which apparently consists of beer, pretzels, and a white (veal) sausage. When in Munich!

Day 8 Travel to Madrid

Old friend, new friends and my home away from home!
Lisa, Christine, and Ben at a first night dinner featuring a dessert with pastries from Ben's favorite Argentinian run pasteleria.

Yesterday London, today Madrid, tomorrow Munich!

Day 4, 5, 6 & 7 London and all points North West

Day 4 of my journey began with a walking tour led by my dear friend Bryan. This 1st day in London we started by making our way to the palace to watch the changing of the guards.
We also caught a couple processions of the royal horse guard and band!
Also, the guards aren't messing around when it comes to getting too close to places you shouldn't be...like the gates to where they stall the horses. ...for example.

Day 3: Travel to London

Today I was on a plane.  Then I was on a plane some more.

Okay, yes, that's over simplified.  Aunt Jean was very gracious and got up pre-dawn to take me to the airport.  My stay with her and the girls was very nice, I'm so fortunate to have had the chance to connect with them!

Things went smoothly at the airport, and waiting on the London side was my travel buddy Bryan.  He's got a blog too, that I will figure out how to plug, probably on my next post.

We made our way to one of the Astor hostels, got checked in and sacked out!

Thus concludeth the third day.

Day 2: Hanging Out At The Mall

The only Mall worth capitalizing.

*Allowing time for the pun to sink in*

The day started with a wonderful breakfast with my extended Ulmer family. I got to see where the girls attend school and then Aunt Jean dropped me off at the Smithsonian castle!
I got a sneak preview of promotions for the Ben Stiller movie 'Night at the Museum'. I intended to discover what the 'Contributing Membership Reception Center' consisted of and the extent of any other benefits as such.
In the tulip building, I was told, three levels down you'll find it. and did I. Splenderous photos of this elusive place are currently on my Facebook page.

I was also excited to discover that a new Smithsonian was open, devoted to the Native Americans! I had a quirky encounter with a visitor from Israel with whom I shared lunch in the food court of said museum. That is the extent of what I saw of it as it was time for my afternoon to draw to a close. We did manage to get a picture in front of the Capitol before parting ways.

I packed so much into today, but tomorrow fast approaches and as it is an International leg, I'd best get some shut-eye.

Thanks for following along with me!