Belize

There is something exhilarating about the wind whipping through your hair as the sun shines down on your shoulders and your legs dangle off the front of a boat. Speeding across the varying colors of ocean blue, you feel free, awake and alive – does it get any better? Personally, I think not.

For one week, we have been enjoying the pleasures and paradise of Belize. Last year at this time, we also found ourselves in the Caribbean sipping mojitos and puffing Cuban cigars in the final days of our year of travel. It’s hard to believe nearly one year has passed since we’ve returned home to the U.S. And while a one week vacation doesn’t quite compare to an entire year of travel, it certainly has been wonderful to explore a new place and enjoy some downtime from the fast pace of American life.

We decided to focus this trip primarily on exploring beneath the surface with some quality time for relaxing and reading when out of the water. We set up camp at the Paradise Villas on Ambergeis Caye – a small island off the coast known for it’s incredible scuba diving and laid back culture. Now that we are working full time again, we decided to splurge and rented our own little one bedroom apartment with an excellent balcony looking onto the garden with less than a minute walk to the pool and the beach. The dive shop is just down the beach, the grocery store a block up the street, and plenty of restaurants, bars and shops all within ten minutes. I wouldn’t say this is an incredibly Belizean cultural experience, but one can’t avoid the local laid back atmosphere so characteristic of the Caribbean.

The highlight of the trip has certainly been the scuba diving. Out of the seven days here, we dove five. Within a 5-10 minute boat ride from the island, there are numerous canyons of reef filled with all kinds of sea creatures and colorful coral. We’ve seen sharks, spotted eagle rays, eels, dolphins, turtles, lobsters, and many types of tropical fish. One memorable (and slightly unnerving experience) was on our third dive when Eric’s mouth piece detached from the regulator at 60 feet. While he quickly swam to the dive master to use her spare while he switched to his own spare regulator, a friendly little fish came swimming up, incredibly curious about all the commotion. As we got it all figured out within seconds, the little fish swam circles and then let us pet him. He followed us the remainder of the dive often coming close enough so we could reach

out and feel his smooth, scaly skin. He was more like a dog than a fish!

Another highlight of our diving adventures this week was the day-long trip out to the Blue Hole – made famous in the adventures of Jacque Cousteau – about 3 hours boat ride from our island. The Blue Hole is an incredibly deep hole surrounded by reefs and resulting from a cave collapsing underwater. We dove to a depth of 130 feet into the cold, dim water to admire and swim between giant stalactites formed God knows how many years ago. It was mystifying and a little eerie being so deep. As we came near the surface and did an 8 minute safety stop at 20 feet, we were surrounded by more than seven sharks meandering along the edge of the drop off. They are graceful creatures – and thankfully all reef sharks so quite harmless.

We lunched that day on little island called Half Moon Caye and visited the Red Footed Boobie colony (of birds), which all the guys on the trip got a kick out of – some things never change. We did two more wall dives along the Lighthouse Reef, which were spectacular and in pristine condition. The variety of coral and reef plants were striking – purples, yellows, reds, blues and even some rainbow shades all in one. On the way back from the trip, we enjoyed rum punch and the beautiful boat ride. We ran across a pod of dolphins and slipped into the water to swim with them for a few minutes before they went on their way. They entertained us with flips, spins and dives above and below the surface – it was amazing.

In addition to our days diving, we also did an outing to the Mayan Lamanai ruins back on the main land. The majority of the trip was the journey there and back, but we didn’t mind because it’s a great opportunity to see other parts of the country. On the boat rides to the main land and up the river to the ruins, we saw more dolphins, some baby crocodiles, iguanas, and even a couple manatees. Our guide was a bird expert so he pointed out many exotic birds though I couldn’t even begin to remember what they were. We had lunch at the ruins and then explored for a couple hours, climbing to the top of one very steep temple and learning about the history of the Mayan people who inhabited this settlement for nearly 1500 years. It truly puts things in perspective.

During our down time, we’ve spent plenty of hours lounging at the pool, reading, walking the beach, napping, watching movies and going to bed very early. We did manage to get out a couple of evenings. Exactly what a vacation should be! One night we headed down the bar at the end of the dock nearby and found live music – a Blues band comprised of old American and Canadian expats who could sure sing. Not surprisingly, they claim to be the only Blues band in Belize. We thoroughly enjoyed the music over a couple beers – reminding ourselves that we need to get out more to do the same back home. Our favorite eatery has been the BBQ vendor down the street who sells pieces of BBQ chicken, coleslaw, beans and tortillas at a much more reasonable price that what the restaurants charge. This little island certainly has developed its tourism industry and the prices of food, souvenirs and beach front property reflect that. We’ve been happy to have our own kitchen and patio dining area for great ambiance.

Today was our last full day on the island and it was complete with plenty of R&R, some souvenir shopping, pool sitting and finishing our books. We are going to dress up and take ourselves out to a nice dinner tonight and then to a beach bar with live music to celebrate the end to a great week. Maybe we’ll even take a dip in the ocean before retiring for the evening. Tomorrow we’ll treat ourselves to breakfast at the best joint in town – Estelle’s – and then enjoy our final hours of sunbathing before boarding our water taxi back to Belize City. I’m sure I’ll savor the last boat ride of the trip – the salty fresh smell of the ocean air, the idyllic sandy islands surrounded by crystal blue waters and, of course, the wind in my hair.

Re-Entry: Returning Home and One Year Later

The realization of "oh my God, it's over" came as we sat at the Sprint store browsing Blackberry models and walking out with new smart phones and phone numbers. Luckily for a good couple weeks, hardly anyone knew to call or email so we were able to slowly get back "online" (and it took me quite awhile to figure the darn thing out - Eric, of course was an instant tech pro).

The realization of how much time we had actually spent together (and how much we really grew to love each other's constant company) came when we parted ways for 2 hours while Eric went to a movie and I went to have lunch with my cousin. As we said our temporary goodbyes, it dawned on us that it'd been months since we'd spent this much time apart.

Thankfully, we had a few weeks to readjust. The first we spent with my family and friends in Colorado/Wyoming. Then we had a long 18-hour drive back to California. Dad generously gave us his 1990 Lexus (which, despite its 240,000 miles, still runs like a charm) and then we bought my friend Lorri's 2000 Honda. My beloved purple Saturn went to my mom for "safe keeping" - she couldn't bear to see us part with it for sentimental reasons.

Back in California, after catching up with Eric's family and our friends, we set about finding a place to live. Eric's little sister, now at Standford, graciously let us move into her room until we got situated. We were delighted to find a spacious 2-bedroom duplex with a sizable backyard, patio and space for a garden. It was a lot of fun unpacking the stuff we had shipped home to decorate our house - it's almost become a museum of our travels. I also took great pleasure in planting our first garden with the help and instruction of my mom (it was something I really wanted to do after realizing that in many parts of the world, they actually know where their food comes from). And then we had some work to do to prepare for our US wedding reception, which Eric's mom Jean so lovingly and amazingly organized. In our "extra" time, I gradually began to start working back at Blue Beyond Consulting and Eric started looking for his next career move. Suffice it to say that June was a hectic, but very enjoyable and exciting month.

Once we finally got settled, the challenge was adjusting back to "normal" life. Eric's networking and job pursuit has led him to the field of alternative energy. Specifically, working for a start-up company on building a solar farm and doing some advising on other projects. He's very passionate about this new venture and the timing couldn't be better with the nation's focus turning to clean, renewable energies. Keep your fingers crossed he will make the big bucks and fund our future travel sabbaticals. I have been working primarily with our client Juniper Networks on their Internal Communications and HR teams (with some great people) and also for a non-profit called FLOW on a program around "Accelerating Women's Entrepreneurship." Since our return, we've both learned a lot and make good progress in our careers.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't admit to suffering a good amount of culture shock. After a year abroad having had so many incredible and eye-opening experiences, with exposure to such a diversity of lifestyles and circumstances, it's impossible to come home and NOT feel a little out of place. While Eric seemed to roll with it and adjust a bit quicker, it has taken me a lot more time. The first few months back I found particularly difficult and certainly had my fair share of ups and downs. Even now, while I am fully back in the swing of this "American life," I find myself occasionally nostalgic - missing the constant new experiences and stimulation, the cultures and people, the truly breathtaking places, and the sense of freedom and total possibility.

After a trip like this, you find that you change in a variety of ways. Some changes are obvious and become a part of how you life your life every day. For example, we have become more mindful of waste and how we consume. When the weather permits, I now dry my clothes on the clothesline I installed in the backyard. We enjoy our garden and growing our own food. We are more planful in how we grocery shop and plan our meals so that we waste less. And we've hardly been clothes shopping at all. After living out of a backpack for a year with a very limited wardrobe, you come home and look at the closet full of clothes and realize that the phrase "I don't have anything to wear" takes on a whole other meaning. I figure if I could live an entire year with 5 outfits, I can certainly make do for now with what I have in my sizable closet. In many parts of the world, people only have two or three outfits and just change them out every few days for washing. Not that I'm saying I only want 2 outfits, but it does make you realize that what we think we need, and what we actually need, are two entirely different things. Let's see...what else have we internalized...I do have to proudly report that we've gotten better about keeping in shape - it does of course help that the gym is walking distance. But we also have started taking a lot more hikes and walks. And we've gotten out a lot more to explore in our regional area, and in addition, committed to taking at least one international trip (or more, finances permitting of course) every year.

And then there are other changes you experience once home, more subtle things that you can't quite put your finger on, but that you know are different. These are the things that bubble up over time, or the little things that pull at you but you can't entirely pinpoint exactly what it is or what it means. Personally, I'm still trying to decipher and figure out what some of those learnings/insights/changes are all about. More so than before, I find myself churning and seeking clarity about my passions, my purpose and how I want to guide my life. What is most meaningful, where my core values fit in and how they are prioritized at various times. It's these kinds of deeper, underlying insights that emerge slowly over time. And it's with time and distance that you have the perspective to better understand what it means and how it will impact your life in the long term. I'd love to report that I've made great progress in figuring it out, but must admit that I'm still working through the process of reflection and personal growth to get clarity.

Every now and then, we pull a journal from the shelf to read about what we were doing one year ago on that day. It brings back fond memories and reminds us of the lessons we picked up along the way. We've also plastered the door in our kitchen with a collage of our trip photos and often admire our adventure over breakfast and talk about our fondest memories. Some of you might be wondering if I still plan to get around to writing a book. Sadly, I must admit little progress as I've found myself sucked into work and life. That being said, I still have the aspiration to do something more meaningful with the experiences from our adventure - I just need to figure out if that's a book, or if it comes in a different format/forum. I do have to say looking back at this blog, I feel quite proud of the stories we were able to share in both words and pictures. This is certainly a treasure we will cherish all our lives. And we are grateful that so many of you have shared in our experiences through this format.

In closing, we are both so incredibly grateful for the opportunity (and the support of family and friends) to leave our everyday lives to truly experience "living in the moment" in so many incredible places. We have been blessed to have met so many wonderful friends along the way, to have seen such beauty, and to have experienced such a variety of things - from elephant riding to hiking Patagonia, scuba diving to getting married with the sand between our toes. Just awesome. We hope that one day, one year, we will be able to do it all again!

Cancun, Mexico

The final stop of our trip was Cancun - more as a couple day "safety" stop after Cuba to ensure there were no suspicions from the immigration officers as we crossed back into the US from Mexico. This was also probably the most depressing stop of our trip for two reasons. The obvious of course was that it meant the trip had come to an end - our year of adventure passing so quickly. The second was the instant reality check that we were about to endure major reverse culture shock. We had become accustomed to the backpacker lifestyle - living simply, frugally, openly and easily adapting to the variety of countries and cultures we encountered. Many of those countries of course were "developing" nations without much of the excess and luxuries we have in the US.


The moment we arrived at the Cancun airport, we were surrounded by vacationing Americans dressed in stylish beach attire, many of the women adorned with large diamond rings and nice jewelry. All the Mexicans spoke fluent English (something we also were not used to) and the price of our shuttle to our hostel in downtown cost more than what we'd been paying for a room. As we waited in line for the shuttle, people were already cracking open beers and getting ready to party Cancun-style. We sat in the backseat of our van and couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable taking in one glitzy resort after another on the main strip of beach, the fancy malls inviting you to shop till you drop, and the dozens of chain restaurants all boasting a fun, party theme. There's nothing wrong with a fun vacation to relax and let loose, but coming from where we'd just been, it felt a bit overwhelming and excessive. This didn't feel like Mexico, but an extension of American luxury where your every need, want and desire is catered to if you're willing to pay the price.

I found myself missing the mountains of Patagonia, sitting outside our little tent with a cup of tea/coffee in our tin cups and eating (for the fifth day in a row) our instant oatmeal concoction before setting off for a day on the trail. I found myself missing the thatched hut on the beach in Samoa where we could open our little tarp door and take in the aqua blue ocean and watch the local kids play. I found myself missing the hammocks along the rivers in Laos where we'd lounge for hours reading and playing cards with our fellow travelers.


Our budget was pretty tight by the time we arrived to Cancun, so we chose a reasonably priced hostel in downtown as opposed to a hotel along the beach. It was a decent little place with good access to the local bus to the main strip of beach hotels restaurants. We were already beginning to anticipate the transition and so didn't feel particularly motivated to explore. We spent a lot of time in our little room finishing our books, journaling and talking. We did venture out to the local market for some shopping, but didn't find much of interest. We also made a stop at the post office to ship our Cuban goodies we found back to the US. And we did go one evening to main strip to enjoy a last dinner at Margaritaville. We didn't actually feel motivated to go to the beach...we'd spent a lot of time on beaches and were feeling more like hibernating and being low key.


We did spent one day taking a tour to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. It was fascinating to see the ruins, learn the history and imagen what life must have been like in this place during the height of Mayan civilization. We also stopped off for some swimming in a huge sink hole with a waterfall, which was lovely.


In general, though, we were feeling antsy and anxious. The trip had pretty much finished and, despite some reservations about what it would be like to go home, we were eager to return and see what the next phase of life would bring. We were very much looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends and enjoying our upcoming wedding reception in June. We were excited about finding a new place to live and decorating it with all the cool treasures we'd pick up on our travels. And we were eager to see what the next phase of our careers would look like and how we would put into practice what we had learned and taken away from our trip. So, when we boarded our flight to Colorado, we were ready. Our first stop would be a visit with my family and friends on the Front Range and then a long drive back to California. It'd been a helluva year!

Vinales - Cuba

Our trip from Trinidad to Vinales was a journey in and of itself. Instead of taking the bus, our host in Trinidad arranged a taxi share. Our driver was a vibrant and very chatty middle-aged Cuban woman full of opinions and advice on what to see and where to stay in Cuban (all the places she got commission of course). The ride was several hours and about an hour from our destination we got a flat tire. Luckily she did have a small spare that would get us the remainder of the way, but she wasn't exactly savvy at changing tires. Eric saved the day and changed the tire for her in the blistering heat as many a car passed by and honked and waved.

When we finally did pull into town, we had her take us to a casa particular recommended to us while in Trinidad - the home to a very sweet Cuban woman, her slightly strange husband who tried to sell us tons of mediocre cigars and in the same neighborhood their cute little granddaughter who made frequent appearances. The little girl was about 7 and entertained us with fashion shows and games out on their cozy front porch while we enjoyed the evenings sipping mojitos and smoking cigars in rocking chairs. They also had a daughter of about 20 still living at home and we got along great with her. We played card games at night and she gave us a tour of her art studio in their back shed - she was quite talented. Our hostess was an excellent cook and took total delight in stuffing us to the gills. At this point, we were already feeling a little soft around the middle after nearly 2 weeks of multi course Cuban meals. So as not to be rude, we told her up front that we wanted to go on a bit of a diet before returning home, which gave her all the more motivation to feed us even more. She made it her mission to make sure that Eric in particular enjoyed her cooking - she'd often wink at me as she'd put down his plate with a large portion and a huge grin.

The highlight of our time in Vinales was the tour we took through the tobacco growing country. Our hostess set it up with a local farmer who took us through the hillsides and fi elds on horseback. He was a good ol' boy with a huge toothless grin, a floppy straw hat, oversized trousers and boots that hung loose on his thin frame. He was 74 years old and had lived and farmed in the area for all of his life. Our horses were a bit of a sad case, like most animals around the area, due to drought and lack of food and nutritious grass. The horses were emaciated and bony and we felt guilty riding on their fragile frames. We both were quite lenient in letting them stop for breaks to grab mouthfuls of grass, which annoyed our guide slightly. The ride itself was lovely. We rode through farming fields where they grow everything from corn, potatoes, and pineapples to tobacco. Some farms are private and the farm ers own them, but they are still required to sell everything to the government. Other farms are government owned and farmed as cooperatives - the farmers getting paid for production. Vinales in general is a beautiful area with limestone mountains and hills rising out of the farming valleys. In some ways it reminded us of Guilin in China. Along our ride we passed by many small farms and their simple wood or cinder block houses often painted white with a color trim.

Towards the end of our ride, we stopped at a tobacco farm to meet with a friend of our guide - a handsome old farmer with a certain air of wisdom and 'tranquilo' about him. He was in his early 80's, though you'd never know it, and he too had been farming in the area his entire life. We sat down with him at his old wooden table and he rolled us a couple of handmade cigars while he explained the cigar growing and making process in detail. He also brought out locally grown coffee beans and brewed us a cup to sample. We took a walk through the thatched-barn tobacco drying house and around his fields. He also showed us his prize fat pig they were preparing to butcher the next Sunday to celebrate a couple of the family's birthdays.

After our tour, we enjoyed fresh pineapple they grow on the farm and we ventured onto the topic of the Cuban Revolution. We were curious to find out how people in the rural areas of Cuba viewed it as opposed to the city dwellers. Both our guide and his friend agreed that the revolution had greatly improved life for them. Befo re, they were not guaranteed to sell their crops and did not often get what they felt was a fair price. Now, the government buys all their produce at a set price which they believe is fair (mind you, they are making their comparison of fair based on what they got 50 years ago and not what they might get now in a free market...we'd be curious to know whether the current system is still better for them now, or if the free market system would be preferable). T he revolution also opened up a number of opportunities for Cubans in rural communities that hadn't existed previously - access to free education and health care being two of the major benefits. It was interesting to hear their positive perspectives and another side to the story. In the countryside in general, you see a lot more propaganda in support of the revolution. It makes one wonder if this is the true sentiment or if lack of access to information, government pressure and the constant comparison only of what was (pre-revolution) and what is (post-revolution) - instead of imagining the possibilities of what could be - contributes to their complete positive perceptions.

In many ways what's said about Cuba seems true - it feels very much like a country locked in time about 50-60 years ago...and at that time there were many benefits of the revolution. It

fought off much of the corruption, prostitution, gambling, etc. that had seeped in from enterprising businessmen (and the mafia) who were escaping prohibition and other legal limitations in the US at the time. The revolution sought to bring eduction, arts/culture, health care and equality to the rural communities and cities. And at that time, many would argue it was a huge step up for the average Cuban. Of course, there were a lot of politics, power games and money that complicated and soured the situation from the US perspective. And like many a visionary leader, Castro's initial idealism got him hooked on power and control, which ultimately prevented the country from progressing and many would argue has done more harm than good. One thing we can say for sure - there are many facets and perspectives around Cuba's history. If anything, our time in Cuba talking to different people, visiting museums and then recalling what we learned from our own education makes one realize the "truth" of what is right and wrong, good and bad, is never black and white. Our numerous conversations with the Cubans we encountered (some pro Castro and many hungering for change and progress) certainly gave us a lot to think about and helped us to understand and appreciate the complexity of Cuba's history...and path to the future.

Anyhow...back to Vinales...

We spent our final day in Vinales taking a trip out to a local island called Cayo Levisa. We enjoyed a last day on the beach, reading and lounging. We had a nice lunch and talked a lot about what we had learned over the course of the year and what we were looking forward to on our return. It truly had been an amazing adventure. It felt bitter sweet to reminisce...so much to be thankful for and many wonderful memories to take home. And while we were both feeling ready and excited to return home, we also felt melancholy that the year had passed so quickly, knowing we'd miss the freedom and constant sense of adventure.

On May 18, we boarded an early bus bound for Habana to spend our last few days in Cuba.

Trinidad - Cuba

After almost a week of the "buzz" in Habana, we decided to head several hours east to the historic town of Trinidad. The town used to be a central part of the sugar cane industry and was a bustling Spanish city back in the day. As a result, the architecture - Spanish mansions, churches and plazas - are quite impressive. Some are crumbling, but others have been restored to their former glory.

Once we arrived, we found an amazing casa particular to rest our heads for several nights. We originally thought we'd only spend a couple days, but so enjoyed our little paradise that we stayed a few more. This casa was quite luxurious...we had our own bathroom, a beautiful porch off the back door of our room, a cute little garden with flowers and banana trees, and a peaceful patio where we enjoyed many a fine meal while listening to chill music. The family was very friendly and extremely hospitable. And the best part?...turns out the father was a trained Chef and he prepared all our meals. We had incredible lobster twice (for $8!) and a couple other dishes. In addition to the main, each meal came with a platter of fresh tropical fruits, salad, bread, and homemade flan. Not to say we didn't do any site seeing in the area, but suffice it to say that we did spend plenty of time at our cozy casa eating, drinking and just relaxing. It was a vacation from our vacation...which was nice since our trip was almost over.

In addition to our self-imposed laziness, we did do some cool stuff while in Trinidad...

We took a "coco" taxi to a nearby beach strip about 10 kms away and lounged at the seaside for an afternoon. We paid to have a lounge chair at one of the local resorts and soaked up the sun, read our books and took a couple dips in the water to cool off. It certainly was a more relaxing beach than the mania we experienced at the beach near Habana.

We spent a couple afternoons/evenings strolling around Trinidad to see the architecture, check out the local museums and churches, admire the many neat old cars, feel sorry for the tired and sweaty horses pulling carriages filled with local goods, poke our heads into a couple art galleries (we found one we loved where we bought 7 pieces as presents), and even had a demo at the local ceramics factory.

The ceramics factory is actually an interesting tidbit...we followed our map off the beaten tourist track to find the place, but when we arrived, we observed what appeared to be an abandoned factory with a group of old men chatting out front. We were about to walk on by, when one of the men chased after us and insisted that he give us a tour. We didn't really know what there was to see, but what the heck. The man was a sweet fellow, but had a speech impediment to the point where his Spanish sounded nothing like Spanish, so we used sign language and tonal grunts to communicate. Probably not all that different than how we've done it all year actually. :) He took a hunk of clay from one of the shelves and turned on one of the pottery wheels. He proceeded to give us a live demo and made a nice bowl. When finished, he placed it on the shelf with the other handful of bowls/vases...they probably make one or two every time a tourist comes by. Then he led us down the street two blocks (we were a little confused) and guided us into the "showroom" (aka: gift shop). They did actually have some cool stuff in there and had workers painting and glazing.

We sat and debated for about 30 mins about this one vase - we didn't have anything better to do with our time - and we drove the salesman crazy who bargained with us wanting to make the sale. Ultimately, despite being satisfied with the bargained price, we decided not to buy. In fact, I think we've driven a lot of salespeople crazy on this trip...though sometimes we do make the purchase. When you're on a limited budget, and you have to carry your goods (or pay to ship them home), you find that every decision is a big decision. And to some degree the shopping, debating, bargaining process is a bit of a sport and quite fun. We've learned to enjoy bantering about stuff we want to buy for our future home.

In addition to our beach and town days, we spent one afternoon taking the local train to the "Valle de los Ingenios." Now, they actually have a tourist train that does this same trip, but why the heck would we pay triple the price for little-added value! Plus, the local train is much more of an experience. When we showed up and bought our tickets (we still had to pay a higher price than the locals), everyone stared at us curiously. Luckily, there was one other tourist couple from the UK who also stuck out like sore thumbs. We were given a seat on the small one-car train and the locals stuffed in around us. It was fascinating just to people watch and see people hop on and off, going about their business. The "Valle" wasn't all that exciting...it's basically a tourist attraction because it used to be a huge sugar cane growing area filled with plantations, which were filled with slaves. We climbed a very high watch tower (I only made it part way up because my fear of heights took over after a few rounds of creaky stairs) to look out over the agricultural area, which was pretty. The coolest part of the trip though was strolling around the village while we waited to take the train back. One local farmer cut us a hunk of sugar cane to try, we watched a group of old men sitting around playing dominoes, and we walked down the main street alongside carriages pulled by either emaciated horses or oxen. And we even got a tour of the old sugar press by a kind local guy who also appeared to have a speech impediment (like the ceramics guy) so we didn't really understand much of the detailed descriptions he gave, but got the gist through action and hand motions.

So that pretty much sums up our time in Trinidad...I think we will remember this place most of all for the incredibly rejuvenating R&R, the friendly casa and the historic ambiance.

Only a few more entries...stay tuned.

Mariah