My oh my! One month since my last post. I'm sorry I haven't written more but we're starting our journey in a few days and I've been busy!!! I'll try to recap the last month in a relatively short and sweet summary. This will be my last post until we are reunited with our things in India in a few weeks.
We finished up a wonderful month-long visit from Grandma Mir Mir around the beginning of the month, and Thumper was so sad to see her go. She soaked up the valuable time she had with Thumper, and I think they developed a truly deep bond. It's difficult for us, as we leave on this amazing adventure abroad, to accept the fact that Thumper will miss out on many family interactions he would otherwise get if we were content with settling down and living the American Suburban Dream right now. Don't get me wrong, living in a cute little 3 bedroom house with a garden and garage along with 2.5 kids, driving distance from the weekend family barbecues or other family gatherings sounds absolutely incredible sometimes. I remind myself that, when growing up, the relatives with which I felt closest were not always the ones I saw everyday, or even every year. They were the ones that valued their time with me, and respected me, even as a little kid. Thumper will know and love his family whether he is in India, Indonesia, Iceland, Ireland, or any other country around the world.
During the last week of Grandma Mir Mir's visit, I took my first NERC Reliability Coordinator Exam and, unfortunately, failed. I scored a 94 out of 125, and 96 out of 125 is passing. At that point I decided that I'd make Legs', Thumper's, and my life a nightmare for the next two weeks while I studied for a similar test, the NERC Balancing, Interchange, and Transmission Operator Exam, which I'd take less than two weeks before our departure date because I wasn't ready to give up on what I had worked toward for over a year while staying at home with Thumper. I had to take a different NERC test because there is a 42 day waiting period after failing an exam, and since it is a North American specific exam there would be no way to test in India. I crammed like crazy for those two weeks during the day when Thumper napped, in the evenings when Legs took Thumper, and also at night after Thumper went to bed. Exactly one week ago today I took the NERC exam and passed with a score of 105 out of 125! It was such a relief to pass that exam before we leave for India!
I'd love to finish this recap, but the movers are here!!! We'll be out of touch for a couple weeks, and the next time you hear from us we'll be on the other side of the world! I'll just have to get you all caught up next time.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday, December 20, 2012
India the Scary...India the Exotic
Once again the days have seemed to fly by. I can hardly believe that our lives will turn upside down and splash us into an entirely different way of life in mere weeks. Legs, Grandma Mir Mir, and I are all reading different books about India and people's travels through India. It's almost comical how one story will frighten me into thinking we've made a huge mistake in our choice to bid India so high, and the next will make me feel so passionately about exploring this new and exotic place.
Ultimately, I am ready for this adventure. I am excited to once again board a plane not knowing what to expect when I step back outside. To this day, I vividly remember stepping off the plane in Kuwait around 4 or 5 in the morning, and seeing the sun peek over the horizon as a blast of humid and musty 90 degree air welcomed me. The smells, the sounds, the feel of the air on my skin; everything about it felt different from anything I'd ever experienced, but beneath it all was a moment of exhilaration. I couldn't wait to see what else was different. What lay to the north? What kind of animals live here? What are the people like? What will the language really sound like, when it's not spoken by an American? Perhaps every story I'd heard about the Middle East just wouldn't do it justice; like someone describing the Mona Lisa. When you see it in person you realize that all of your expectations were completely and utterly wrong. I felt like an explorer with a deep yearning to see things for no other reason than I had never seen them before. I am feeding that same desire by traveling to India, and embracing the culture of the people there. For two years we will do as they do, and see what we learn about ourselves in the process.
We have been working extensively to arrange our trip to India, mostly working on Bambi's trip, and frequently contacting the handful of people whom we already know serving at the consulate. We were very pleased to find out that we've already met our soon-to-be neighbors. In fact, we were neighbors here in DC. They have a little girl who is close in age to Thumper, and we were fortunate enough to have play-date while they were still in the US. Her and Thumper got along swimmingly! They are wonderful people and we are very glad we will be living near them.
Christmas is getting close and boy does Thumper have a LOT of presents under the tree! There are a couple for Legs, Grandma Mir Mir, and I, but Thumper won the 'most presents' contest hands down. We are so happy to have Grandma Mir Mir here for Christmas and New Years, and to see the bond between her and Thumper grow by the day. She truly enjoys caring for children, especially Thumper, and it shows in everything she does. This has been a wonderful holiday season, and we've been very lucky to have so many visitors come to spend a little time with us before we leave for India.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Ultimately, I am ready for this adventure. I am excited to once again board a plane not knowing what to expect when I step back outside. To this day, I vividly remember stepping off the plane in Kuwait around 4 or 5 in the morning, and seeing the sun peek over the horizon as a blast of humid and musty 90 degree air welcomed me. The smells, the sounds, the feel of the air on my skin; everything about it felt different from anything I'd ever experienced, but beneath it all was a moment of exhilaration. I couldn't wait to see what else was different. What lay to the north? What kind of animals live here? What are the people like? What will the language really sound like, when it's not spoken by an American? Perhaps every story I'd heard about the Middle East just wouldn't do it justice; like someone describing the Mona Lisa. When you see it in person you realize that all of your expectations were completely and utterly wrong. I felt like an explorer with a deep yearning to see things for no other reason than I had never seen them before. I am feeding that same desire by traveling to India, and embracing the culture of the people there. For two years we will do as they do, and see what we learn about ourselves in the process.
We have been working extensively to arrange our trip to India, mostly working on Bambi's trip, and frequently contacting the handful of people whom we already know serving at the consulate. We were very pleased to find out that we've already met our soon-to-be neighbors. In fact, we were neighbors here in DC. They have a little girl who is close in age to Thumper, and we were fortunate enough to have play-date while they were still in the US. Her and Thumper got along swimmingly! They are wonderful people and we are very glad we will be living near them.
Christmas is getting close and boy does Thumper have a LOT of presents under the tree! There are a couple for Legs, Grandma Mir Mir, and I, but Thumper won the 'most presents' contest hands down. We are so happy to have Grandma Mir Mir here for Christmas and New Years, and to see the bond between her and Thumper grow by the day. She truly enjoys caring for children, especially Thumper, and it shows in everything she does. This has been a wonderful holiday season, and we've been very lucky to have so many visitors come to spend a little time with us before we leave for India.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Grandma Mir Mir
This week we are lucky enough to have Grandma Mir Mir here for a visit! Thumper was so excited to see her that he ran through baggage claim to meet her when he saw her. It warms our hearts, and I'm sure Mir Mir's as well, that Thumper recognized her after only seeing her face on a computer screen for the last 10 months. There is some special power that a grandmother possesses, which allows a grandchild to instantly make them their favorite person in the world. Thumper already screams in panic when Legs or I need to take him away from Grandma Mir Mir for any reason. It's both a little sad, that we're not his only favorite people anymore, and also very moving to see the bond he has with his grandma.
I think there has been a bit of culture shock for Mir Mir coming to the big city, leaving behind a small, rural farm town in the Northwest, but she's adjusting quite well. We've got her riding the Metro, and looking almost like a local :-) Mir Mir isn't exactly the tourist type, so we likely won't be rushing from one monument to the next, or spending hours in the Smithsonian Museums. She is, however, a very proud and attentive grandmother, and she has been helping care for Thumper tremendously. This is great because it is allowing me to get so much more done in preparation for our move to India.
On top of completing the seemingly endless slew of tasks to be finished prior to our departure, I will be taking the NERC certification test in January. This is a very difficult and technical test, which roughly 60% of test-takers pass, that will certify me to work as a system operator in the North American electrical grid. Even if I don't begin working as a system operator immediately following the test, I will be able to maintain my certification with annual "refresher" courses, and this could prove very useful to me when I decide to return to work or if I apply to a master's program at our next post.
It seems that time is really flying by now. For months we were here in Arlington thinking about our move to India as if it were years away, and now here we are leaving next month! We are excited, scared, nervous, proud, and also a bit overwhelmed at the moment. We are truly happy with the choices we've made at this particular point in our lives, but it doesn't completely remove the fear of the unknown. No matter how many Foreign Service Officers we talk to, how much internet research we do, or how many things we bring with us from the U.S. we won't know what it is like to live in India until we are in fact living in India. It will present many unexpected challenges, but also, if we are willing to see them, many unexpected rewards. Overall we are most excited to simply see what life has to offer.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
I think there has been a bit of culture shock for Mir Mir coming to the big city, leaving behind a small, rural farm town in the Northwest, but she's adjusting quite well. We've got her riding the Metro, and looking almost like a local :-) Mir Mir isn't exactly the tourist type, so we likely won't be rushing from one monument to the next, or spending hours in the Smithsonian Museums. She is, however, a very proud and attentive grandmother, and she has been helping care for Thumper tremendously. This is great because it is allowing me to get so much more done in preparation for our move to India.
On top of completing the seemingly endless slew of tasks to be finished prior to our departure, I will be taking the NERC certification test in January. This is a very difficult and technical test, which roughly 60% of test-takers pass, that will certify me to work as a system operator in the North American electrical grid. Even if I don't begin working as a system operator immediately following the test, I will be able to maintain my certification with annual "refresher" courses, and this could prove very useful to me when I decide to return to work or if I apply to a master's program at our next post.
It seems that time is really flying by now. For months we were here in Arlington thinking about our move to India as if it were years away, and now here we are leaving next month! We are excited, scared, nervous, proud, and also a bit overwhelmed at the moment. We are truly happy with the choices we've made at this particular point in our lives, but it doesn't completely remove the fear of the unknown. No matter how many Foreign Service Officers we talk to, how much internet research we do, or how many things we bring with us from the U.S. we won't know what it is like to live in India until we are in fact living in India. It will present many unexpected challenges, but also, if we are willing to see them, many unexpected rewards. Overall we are most excited to simply see what life has to offer.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Yay Family!
This year, being so far from friends and family, we were fortunate enough to have one member of the clan here for Thanksgiving. Legs' cousin Golfer, son to Ms. Ravenna, was able to make it down from New York University to stay with us for a few days, and enjoy a great Thanksgiving dinner. Something about the holiday season, it just made it a little more enjoyable having a familiar face to share it with. We've lucked out with several visits from Golfer, who has always been a great house-guest and an amazing cousin/uncle to Thumper!
As many of you know, we were able to Skype with most of our family gatherings spread out across the Northwest. It certainly wasn't as nice as sitting across the table from one another, but we're truly grateful that technology gave us the opportunity to see each of your smiling, pixilated faces on Thanksgiving. It also made me happy to see so many members of our families united for a day to enjoy each other's company.
Unfortunately holidays that we will be able to physically attend will likely be few and far between given the life that we have chosen, but keep hope! Some day, a midst our travels from one post to the next, the stars will align and somehow home-leave will happen to fall on a chunk of days that contain some obscure holiday like Groundhog's Day or Super Bowl Sunday, and we will say, "Oh, you're having a get-together for Groundhog's Day? Sure, we can make it. We'll see you at 5!" For a moment, it will be just as if we lived up the street and popped by like we would on any other special occasion, until home-leave ended and our little family whooshed away on a plane set for Reykjavik, or Ho Chi Minh City, or perhaps Wellington. Not knowing what the future holds for us is part of the excitement.
Later this week Grandma Mir Mir will be arriving for a month-long visit! We're very excited to have her here, and Thumper, although he doesn't quite understand it yet, is in for a treat. Grandma Mir Mir sends Thumper videos, Jibjab cards, and they Skype often, to the point were Thumper recognizes her face on the computer screen or iPad. His "Grandma" is just sort of an elongated "Mama" but there is a clear distinction, which probably only Legs and I can hear, when he sees a picture or video of her. We're so happy that he, and us, will get this time to spend with her before we leave for India.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
As many of you know, we were able to Skype with most of our family gatherings spread out across the Northwest. It certainly wasn't as nice as sitting across the table from one another, but we're truly grateful that technology gave us the opportunity to see each of your smiling, pixilated faces on Thanksgiving. It also made me happy to see so many members of our families united for a day to enjoy each other's company.
Unfortunately holidays that we will be able to physically attend will likely be few and far between given the life that we have chosen, but keep hope! Some day, a midst our travels from one post to the next, the stars will align and somehow home-leave will happen to fall on a chunk of days that contain some obscure holiday like Groundhog's Day or Super Bowl Sunday, and we will say, "Oh, you're having a get-together for Groundhog's Day? Sure, we can make it. We'll see you at 5!" For a moment, it will be just as if we lived up the street and popped by like we would on any other special occasion, until home-leave ended and our little family whooshed away on a plane set for Reykjavik, or Ho Chi Minh City, or perhaps Wellington. Not knowing what the future holds for us is part of the excitement.
Later this week Grandma Mir Mir will be arriving for a month-long visit! We're very excited to have her here, and Thumper, although he doesn't quite understand it yet, is in for a treat. Grandma Mir Mir sends Thumper videos, Jibjab cards, and they Skype often, to the point were Thumper recognizes her face on the computer screen or iPad. His "Grandma" is just sort of an elongated "Mama" but there is a clear distinction, which probably only Legs and I can hear, when he sees a picture or video of her. We're so happy that he, and us, will get this time to spend with her before we leave for India.
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
2012 Marine Corps Marathon Race Recap
I started out the morning feeling fresh and strong. I woke up at 5am, went through my morning
ritual, and I was ready to head to the start line around 6:30am. It was amazing to be able to literally walk
to the start and finish line from my apartment.
The atmosphere in Rosslyn was electrifying! Droves of people filled the streets, coming
from all different directions. It was
still dark out as hand cycles whizzed by, music blared, people ran by (warming
up I guess?), and DJ's tugged at the anxious strings of everyone's psyche. I made it to the 3:40-4:00 corral by around
7am and found a spot in the median of the parkway to sit and try to keep my
excitement at bay. I found comfort in
watching everyone deal with their obvious stress. Some people stretched, some paced, some
people jumped up and down. Occasionally
someone would mutter a comment and anyone within earshot would laugh with
extreme over-exaggeration, anything to make them feel like they were out for a
walk on any other morning. I made it a
point to stay off my feet and in my place until 10 minutes before the start.
Miles 1-4
The DJ announced "45 seconds to the start of the 2012
Marine Corps Marathon!" All of the
people in my corral started to surge forward.
We sped up, slowed down, stopped and continued that process until a few
minutes later when I crossed the official start. I felt claustrophobic in the sea of people as
I dodged left and right to pass the WALKERS in the 4-hour corral. We ran through Rosslyn and turned to hit the
first, and largest, hill of the course.
This was even worse than the start as many people literally went from a
~9:00/mi pace to a ~14:00/mi pace. I
spent some time running on the sidewalk and mostly stuck to the outskirts to
avoid getting trapped. By the top of the
hill the racers had begun to spread out a bit.
I was a bit slow on pace and was averaging around 9:15/mi at the 3-mile
marker. I decided to pick it up on the
downhill and clocked a 8:07 mile putting me right were I wanted to be by mile
4.
Miles 5-12
I felt good at the faster pace and wanted to ride the
momentum, but I knew I'd fall apart if I kept going that fast. With the exception of a potty stop at mile 7,
I kept all of my mile splits between
8:39 and 9:03. I was feeling strong and
my legs felt great getting to run free.
The course was absolutely amazing, and the weather, despite the
impending hurricane, was ideal for running.
It was overcast and slightly chilly, in the mid to upper 50's. One thing that I found rather relaxing was
that there were far fewer supporters and stands in this stretch of the race and
the quiet allowed me to enjoy my marathon.
I'd spent so much time training, both mentally and physically, for this
event it was nice to have some time for introspection during my run. It was almost odd to be running with so many
people around me because virtually all of my long runs were by myself on the
Mount Vernon Trail.
Miles 13-20
I hit the half way point at 1:56:51, giving me an average
pace of 8:55/mi. Unfortunately my
stomach wasn't exactly cooperating with my pace. I had to stop for a longer potty break at mile
14. I added about 5 minutes to my time
there, but felt incredibly better afterwards.
After that pit stop I was back on track logging miles in the 8:55-9:15
range. I definitely started to feel the
fatigue setting in around the 19-mile-marker.
I had slowed to a roughly 9:30/mi pace at that point, but still felt
comfortable. It was really around this
time that I started to appreciate all of the spectators. People's cheers and signs seemed to really
lift my spirits. As soon as I felt
myself really starting to fade, I'd read a sign like, "If this were easy
they'd call it your mom!" or "No more Saturday long runs means more
Friday night sex! Yeah baby!" I also decided to make a race shirt in honor
of all the 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment marines who died while deployed
with me from 2002-2006. I signed all 27
of their names on the back of the shirt, and there were several times during
the race that thinking of them really motivated me. I'd be lying if I said that I was running
this marathon for anyone else but me, but wearing that shirt made me feel like
I was back in the Marine Corps where we did everything together and we relied
on one another for support. I truly miss
those guys, and I think about them often.
Miles 20-26.2
As I said, I faded a little, but I was holding strong in the
9:30-9:45/mi pace range. Other than my
potty break at mile 14 I didn't log a single mile over 10 minutes. It was around mile 22 that the miles seemed
to really creep by. I had to focus on
the task at hand and keep telling myself to put one foot in front of the other,
make it to the next mile marker, and that I'm doing exactly what I set out to
do. It was kind of a let down that, at
this point, I realized that I wasn't going to break the 4-hour mark unless I
picked up the pace. I would have to run
~9:00 miles from there on out. I sped up
for awhile, but quickly felt my calves and hamstrings tightening and I got
worried that I would cramp up like so many people around me and destroy my
chances at a decent finish. Ultimately I
held my 9:30-9:45 pace for the rest of the race. I finished strong up the hill to the Marine
Corps War Memorial and crossed the tape at 4:03:55. I was only 4 minutes shy of breaking the
4-hour mark, which was disappointing, but on the plus side I set a new PR by
over 18 minutes!
 |
| Rolling through the National Mall |
 |
| UPS and USMC making it happen. Good job! |
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| Feeling strong around either mile 11 or 16...not sure |
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| The Netherlands Carillon near the finish line |
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| Finisher Festival in Rosslyn |
In case you're wondering, that red spot on my shirt is blood from my nipple rubbing on my shirt while running. Maybe I'll wear some Band Aids or something for my next marathon!
Race Results
Overall: 5090 out of 23515 (22%)
Male: 3773 out of 13520 (28%)
Division: 535 out of 1673 (32%)
Happy Travels, Happy Running, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Pancho
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Ravennas
We missed a post last week, but we've just been a little busy following the Marine Corps Marathon, Hurricane Sandy, Halloween, and now Legs' language test tomorrow! It's hard to believe that we leave for India in a little over 2 months. We've spent so much time here in Arlington thinking about the many milestones way off in the distance like Thumper's first birthday, Harvest's visit, the E-Burger's visit, Legs' Warrior Dash, the Ravennas' visit, the Marine Corps Marathon and we've come to realize that those have all happened :-P
Legs and I are slowly gaining our nomadic footing once again, and are becoming increasingly excited to travel the world. I've been reading The Wind and the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, to Thumper and he ever so elegantly describes the deep-felt calling one can instantly have to leave all possessions behind and run out into the unknown in search of exotic adventures, new people and customs, unfamiliar sights and smells, and most of all the intoxicating allure of feeling completely out of your element, and, in that moment, rather than letting that accompanying fear turn you back toward the home you left behind, you relinquish all control and wholeheartedly accept everything around you, and you simply experience life. You feel more alive than ever.
A small spark was ignited in Legs in Paris, and I in Iraq, and it's fueled a fire in us to travel the world that will likely never be extinguished; however, an important note to make is that every so often, in those far off places one catches a remnant of home. Perhaps a familiar smell, a recognizable scene or sound, and home instantly becomes the focus of that same desire for experience. Like birds migrating south for the winter then back north for the summer, Legs, Thumper, Bambi, and I will go off on many worldly adventures, but we will always return home and we will all sit and share stories of how Home has changed from the home we knew, and how the places we've been are different or the same.
Since our last blog post we had the Ravennas come to visit, and we had a blast! We made it to the National Mall several times, we went to the Smithsonian National Zoo, and Legs and I even went on a date! It was amazing! Here are some pics...if you want to see pictures with people in them you'll need to go to our photo share site.
It was so nice to see the Ravennas! They took Thumper every chance they could get, and soaked up their time with him. Mrs. Ravenna insisted on carrying Thumper everywhere, until her back was so sore that she couldn't take it anymore. We had some wonderful dinners and saw some beautiful sights, but best of all was simply sitting in the living room and visiting like old times. We truly enjoyed the company of the Ravennas, and we are so happy that they came to visit. Thank you!
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Legs and I are slowly gaining our nomadic footing once again, and are becoming increasingly excited to travel the world. I've been reading The Wind and the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, to Thumper and he ever so elegantly describes the deep-felt calling one can instantly have to leave all possessions behind and run out into the unknown in search of exotic adventures, new people and customs, unfamiliar sights and smells, and most of all the intoxicating allure of feeling completely out of your element, and, in that moment, rather than letting that accompanying fear turn you back toward the home you left behind, you relinquish all control and wholeheartedly accept everything around you, and you simply experience life. You feel more alive than ever.
A small spark was ignited in Legs in Paris, and I in Iraq, and it's fueled a fire in us to travel the world that will likely never be extinguished; however, an important note to make is that every so often, in those far off places one catches a remnant of home. Perhaps a familiar smell, a recognizable scene or sound, and home instantly becomes the focus of that same desire for experience. Like birds migrating south for the winter then back north for the summer, Legs, Thumper, Bambi, and I will go off on many worldly adventures, but we will always return home and we will all sit and share stories of how Home has changed from the home we knew, and how the places we've been are different or the same.
Since our last blog post we had the Ravennas come to visit, and we had a blast! We made it to the National Mall several times, we went to the Smithsonian National Zoo, and Legs and I even went on a date! It was amazing! Here are some pics...if you want to see pictures with people in them you'll need to go to our photo share site.
 |
| A wildcat at the Smithsonian National Zoo |
 |
| The White House, taken from the Washington Monument |
 |
| The Washington Monument |
 |
| A Giant Panda munching on some bamboo |
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| The Washington Monument |
 |
| The Lincoln Memorial and WWII Memorial, taken from the Washington Monument |
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| The Washington Monument |
 |
| The Price of Freedom at the WWII Memorial |
 |
| The WWII Memorial |
 |
| The Washington Monument, taken from the WWII Memorial |
 |
| The Lincoln Memorial, taken from the WWII Memorial |
 |
| The Washington Monument and Capitol Building, taken from the Lincoln Memorial |
Happy Travels!
Pancho
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Safe and Sound
Family and friends, Hurricane Sandy has passed and we are safe and sound. We lost heat but have power, internet, and cable so we'll just put on some extra sweatshirts for now and watch a movie after we go for a walk and get all the stir-crazy off :) It was a loud and windy night but we didn't have any problems other than a small window leak. Bambi sure didn't like going outside yesterday!
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