No Internet at Training Camp

I didn't mean to disappear! I actually tried as hard as I could to put something up here, but the powers that be in Spain overruled me. While in Spain, we got hit by apparently the storm of the century. There were massive power outages, rain, leaks, everything. We had snow, massive amounts of rain and galeforce winds. This meant that the Internet and Wifi were down for the whole area for days. 

The 10-day training camp started so well. Sunshine and sunglasses. Little did I know that all of that was about to disappear.

While I couldn't post, more importantly, I couldn't work. I'm now paying for it. I got home late Sunday night with the plan to take Monday off after 10 days of working 12-15 hour days. I almost laugh at the thought I could take Monday off. Instead, I'm still scrambling trying to make up for all those lost days without Internet.

Looking forward, life is about to get crazy. It already is crazy. I'm both scared and excited at the same time for what is to come.

Stay tuned....it's going to be a big year!

Starting Another Year on the Road

Yesterday, I set off for a 10-day training camp in Spain. January training camps basically serve as the start of the season and from this point forward, I really have no idea my schedule and how often or little I'll be home. Different seasons lead to different schedules and I've had years where I've had at least two separate nearly 2-month blocks on the road. Right now, I have no idea how 2017 will play out and to be honest, that excites me. 

It might look like chaos, but that's organized chaos.

I live out of a suitcase and in hotels quite well. There is something soothing about it but it requires planning and organizing. There are times when I'll have a less than 24-hour turnaround at home, which basically means doing laundry and heading back out. Due to this, I like to make packing my suitcase as simple as possible. I own doubles of nearly everything and it lives in my bag so I don't run the risk I leaving my glasses or UK laptop phone charger at home.

Earlier this week, I dumped out my suitcase and went through everything piece by piece to see what may need replacing or refilling. It also meant I got rid of stuff that I don't use anymore and simply cleaned out all that random stuff that winds up at the bottom of a bag.

And then I set off on a few last minute errands to make sure everything was stocked up and ready to go for 2017. First up, more charging cables and a dongle (yes, I giggle every time I say dongle). I travel with three phone chargers--one for my suitcase, one for my backpack/spare battery and then one with my GPS for a rental car. At training camp, I'm doing presentations and training, so instead of always needing to borrow a mac-to-projector dongle, I finally got around to buying my own.

The Lush purchases are the real excitements. Everyone that travels frequently needs to know about Lush's bar shampoo and conditioner. Bar shampoo and conditioner! When you live out of your suitcase for weeks at a time, bottles take up a lot of space and add weight. These bars eliminate both those issues. I've been using them for over two years and I don't think I could ever go back. They've got a huge variety to choose from. I go for the ones that moisturize, designed for blondes and make my hair smell yummy. It took me awhile to find a conditioner that worked but trial and error led me to the Jungle. I'm also a fan of the (affordable) travel tins to keep them from rubbing on everything else. I probably replace those every six months.

And there you have it. I'm set for 2017 travels!

Dominican Republic Home Build

I spent the past week in the Dominican Republic. It wasn't my first time to the island but this wasn't an all-inclusive, fruity drink vacation. I went with my team to build three houses for families affected by diabetes. It was hard work; it was hot and it was so incredibly rewarding.

I think we all took away lots of different lessons from the experience, mainly just how fortunate we all are....and that we don't really have any 'real' problems. These people didn't have food or shelter. They didn't have their basic needs covered.

What stayed with me was how easy it was to help. It only took two days of hard work from about 70 people and we changed three families' lives forever. It made me so aware how easy it is to help. For the most part, it is just about time and effort. And so often, we claim we don't have enough of either. After seeing the level of poverty they lived in, I am positive that we all have the time and effort that's needed to help those less fortunate. The hardest part is getting motivated and deciding what to do. The easy part was the work.

Now I'm spending another handful of days in the States finishing up a training camp. This one is primarily meetings. My job has seen several roles change, which means I'm juggling more than normal. This should all settle down by the new year but again, not a real problem. After this training camp, I'm heading up to see my sister for a few days and I cannot wait to see her.