Friday, June 17, 2011

The Journey Continues....


6 months! I can not believe it's been 6 months since I last blogged!


Well, actually I can. So much has happened since my last post in December. So December came and went, and little did I know we would start the year off with bright new beginnings and more change. Chris received word that he got the job, a dream job to be honest at a company in Columbus Ohio. We were cautiously optimistic after all the interviews, so we were both happy when he got news just after Christmas. In fact, they wanted him to start the 1st of Jan.


So my brave man, piled the car with all his clothes, a few personal belongings and managed a 2 day drive to Columbus Ohio - around 1,627 Miles (2039 Km). He rented a corporate apartment and started his new job the beginning of Jan.


I stayed in Denver with the arduous task of getting the house ready for showings and tried to figure out what I would do with work etc. So for 3 months, I juggled non-stop travel for work, trying to keep the house tidy for showings, finding a house to rent in Ohio and managing things in general in Denver while Chris was in Ohio. After my first trip to see what Ohio was all about, I must admit, I had my concerns. Grey skies, icy cold, below freezing temps (-13 degree C) and snow was a very different place to my Colorado that I grew to know and love.


Eventually things worked out, we took the house off the market and found some tenants for 1 yr. We also found a nice little house in Dublin, Columbus in a quiet neighborhood. With all the changes going on, I decided to take the plunge and leave SAP to go back and study full time and give some thought to what direction I want to take my career.

Moving Day, the truck has arrived to take all our stuff to Ohio










The horrible task of packing

On the 17th March I left Colorado, and drove from Denver Colorado to Dublin Ohio (1,627 Miles (2039 Km), the same trip Chris did 3 months earlier. He was very worried about me driving on my own, but after alll the craziness of the past 3 months, I could do with some quiet time. So my Rav and I hit the road early in the morning and drove to Salina Kansas. Day 2 I drove from Salina Kansas to St Louis Missouri and then the 3rd day onto Columbus Ohio. It was an interesting journey, but I was happy to arrive at my new home 3 days later.




A stunning view of the Rocky's the morning I left Colorado




The long road East







Another long day of driving, this is somewhere in Missouri




Life in Columbus has been a big adjustment. I have had to find me way around, not only navigation wise, but also find good places to have my hair done, dentists, doctors etc. We have already met a few nice people, through Chris's work and also in the neighborhood. There are also many amazing trails for run and cycle on, which is great for my training.





Our new house













A classic braai on a Saturday Evening




Our "small" back yard - Love It!











Our Hot Tub, where's that glass of wine?







My running trail





Streams and forests for miles




I have been lucky to do a few trips away. Chris and I flew to Hilton Head, North Carolina for my birthday. With the ghost trees and Southern accents, you really feel like you have stepped back in time. Loved it!






The beach at Hilton Head
















We rented bikes to cycle around the Island







Our rental for the weekend - Mustang baby








The famous Salty Dog Cafe











I also managed a visit to Marc, Adele and little Svea in Germany and my folks in London. It's always so good to spend some time with wonderful friends and family.




Westminster Abby, where the royal wedding would happen a week later




Blythe in Kent




Hampton Court


















Little Svea with her new Doll




Girls just wanna have fun




The most amazing little family - Adele, Marc and Svea




Summer in Ohio is lovely. With all the rain in spring, the grass in emerald green and all the flowers are budding and in full bloom. Some days I do feel like I'm in Dublin, Ireland that is (-: I must say the one thing I can not get used to are the tornado's in the mid-west. This year has been particularly bad, with mass devastation in Kansas and Oklahoma. We have had a few scares with the tornado sirens going off in our neighborhood, but thank goodness nothing happened. Our weekend are now filled with Chris playing tennis, my running, and weekend outings to events such as the recent Memorial PGA Golf event just down the road, day trip to hocking hills and other fun summer activities. My folks are coming to visit in July, which we are looking forward to.




Day trip to Hocking Hills - Stunning




Ash Cave



















I have decided to change this blog to more a travel blog vs my daily life. So I will continue to update as and when I travel to new and exciting places.


Until my next adventure then......