Egypt

Brandon and I decided to take a beach vacation after the Christmas holiday instead of spending the money to go home. We arrived in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt on January 3rd. The weather was absolutely perfect, not a cloud in the sky and perfectly warm enough to lay by the beach. The first day there we spent the majority of our day laying out in the little cabanas on the beach. After some time in the sun we went into town to do a little shopping. We spent a few hours in the old market and going through all the shops along the main road. There were some very interesting people. Everyone was trying to convince us to come into their shop. They hound you till you either give in or just walk away. The next day we stayed pool side for the majority of the day and then went on a camel ride through the desert. The camels were very bouncy, it was fun but I definitely would not want to have to ride one for too long. Once we made it to our destination in the desert we relaxed at the camp site while the locals began preparing our dinner. There was a show of dancers, including a belly dancer and men twirling all these interesting props. After dinner we walked into the dark of the desert to do a little star gazing. We say Sirus, Mars, and several different constellations including the Ryan, the milkyway, and several more.

Day 3 started off the same as the rest but around 2pm we went on a four-wheel ride through the desert. It was tons of fun to slip and slide in the sand but it was definitely dusty. By the end of the ride we were completely covered in a layer of sand.

That night we had to prepare for our trip to Cairo. After dinner we took a little nap because we had to be at the bus by 1am. The bus ride was 6 hours there and 6 hours back, which I was not looking forward to. We slept the majority of the way there but about 5am I started feeling car sick and extremely nauseous. We stopped at a rest stop around 5:30 for breakfast and a restroom break. As soon as I got off the bus I ran around looking for the bathroom so I could puke. After paying one pound to get in, the restroom was absolutely disgusting! It looked and smelled like toilets had not been flushed in weeks, it was horrific and only added to my nausea. I decided to go behind the building instead and as soon as I made it out of site I began puking my brains out. Afterwards I felt much better but was dreading getting back on the bus. The driver was horrific, there were several times I thought we might die!

Once back on the bus I began to feel sick again. Luckily it only took about 30 more minutes to get to the Egyptian museum. Once off I thought that I would feel better but it didn't happen. I really was looking forward to seeing all the interesting history in the museum but I just couldn't get over how horrible I felt. There were several hundred people doing the exact same thing we were so we had to do a lot of waiting. We had a guided tour once inside, which was very interesting but quite embarrassing because I could barely stand and he kept pointing me out and asking me if I was listening. At the point that I thought I couldn't stand anymore, we made it up to King Tutenkhamen's tomb and jewels. This was the part I was really looking forward to but right in the middle of the guide explaining the markings of King Tut's thrown, it just hit me! The puke was coming and I was two flights of stairs from the nearest bathroom. I gave Brandon a look, put my face in my sweater and began to run. Brandon took off after me, trying to help me weave my way through all the people without puking on anyone but I just couldn't hold it in my mouth anymore. I fell to the ground and began puking uncontrollably all over everything. Brandon was basically trying to drag me to the bathroom but the puke was going everywhere! The next few minutes were a blur. I made it to the bathroom sink, only to puke more and then next thing I know I'm laying on a bed in a clinic with a doctor asking Brandon a bunch of questions while she prepared some kind of shot. The doctor gave me a shot to help stop the stomach spasms

and several packages of medicine to take throughout the day. It was obvious that this was not motion sickness because it was not going away. For the rest of the day I was in and out of the bathroom puking more and more. Even on the tour bus I was stuck in the bathroom, which by the way was out of order (no way to flush, no paper to clean my face, and no light). All in all it was a horrible day to be sick. The puking didn't stop until almost midnight that night once we made it home. Even though I was very sick it was amazing to be able to see the Great Pyramids, float on the Nile, and see all the interesting history in the Egyptian museum. Brandon was so sweet and helped me anyway he could. I tried so hard not to ruin the day for him as well, so I spent most of the time sleeping on the bus, while he went to all the shops and sites with the rest of the group. He is the best at taking care of me when I'm sick so I was so grateful that he was there.

Day 5 was much better. We were both exhausted from the day before so we spent the entire day lounging by the pool and just trying to recuperate. Thankfully I wasn't feeling sick anymore but it still took me several days to feel normal and want to eat again. Our trip ended with us just spending the rest of our time switching from the pool to the beach and enjoying the warm sun. The day we were scheduled to leave our flight got cancelled so the airline put us up at the Hilton all inclusive for the day. It was a great end to our trip to be able to spend one extra day in the warmth but we were both ready to go home. We made it home safe and sound the following day.

We both had a great trip and enjoyed spending time lounging on the beach in Sharm and getting to see the Pyramids in Cairo. It was a once in a lifetime trip and we are thankful we got to experience it.

Christmas for two.

Christmas 2009 London.

Bull and I spent Christmas in London this year. Instead of flying home we decided to save our money and use some of it to take a trip while Brandon was on break from school. Christmas definitely wasn't the same without all of our family but we made it special in our own way.

We spent most of the week lounging around at home watching Christmas movies and enjoying just being lazy with each other. Christmas began with us waking up late and opening the gifts that we purchased for each other. After gifts Bull cooked us a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, and homemade cinnamon rolls that I had made the day before. After eating we played cards and Wii for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to start cooking dinner. I cooked a traditional dinner with turkey, green beans,

mac-n-chz, and sweet potatoes, and it was delicious!

After dinner we relaxed on the couch and watched a few of our favorite Christmas movies together. All in all the day was great. Spending Christmas just the two of us actually turned out to be a great experience. We really enjoyed our

quaint little Christmas but we look forward to spending the rest of our holidays with family! Holidays are meant to be spent surrounded by tons of family.

The money we saved from not flying home is being spent on a trip to

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. We are staying in an all inclusive resort right on the beach, called Hauza Resort. We both are looking forward to being in warmer weather and just lounging on the beach. Can't wait!!

Revelations... or not.

Having a lot of extra time on your hands allows you to think a lot about what you want in your future. I love to travel and live the adventurous life that I live but it doesn't come without consequences. I have so many things to be grateful for and I absolutely am thankful for every opportunity that I've been given. I have experienced many things that most people will never have the chance to do in their lifetime and I have the Lord to thank for all my blessings.

But......like I said, it's not all perfect.

There are several things I've realized from living abroad the past several years.

1. Nothing! Absolutely NOTHING compares to being a home with friends and family!! The number one problem with living and traveling all throughout the world is that it can get extremely lonely at times. Most of my days are spent doing things by myself, whether it's just hanging out at home or site seeing around town, most of it is alone. Grant it there are many days that Brandon and I do things together but with his school and the future of his job, it is my reality that we won't be doing most things together.

2. Weather is everything! Warm weather definitely makes the difference in your ability to do a lot of things. I appreciate cold weather but I think 2 months is plenty for me. I'm a warm weather kind of person and would rather live in a place that doesn't have real winters, i.e. TEXAS!

3. I will never be a stay-at-home anything (mom, wife, girlfriend, etc.)!! I have this internal need to always be doing something productive. I need to feel like I'm making something of myself and doing something important. Now, I know that being a stay-at-home mom is extremely important and it can have many benefits for children but for my life I think it would actually be worse. I am happiest when I'm working and doing things I love. School keeps me occupied for now but it doesn't bring in the big bucks! LOL. I enjoy being a multi-tasker, the more stuff I have to do, the better! So I'm really looking forward to being back to a place where I can work and feel like I'm being productive. I want to feel like I'm making a contribution and not being able to make money makes me feel like I have no place.

With all that said, I still want to stress that I am so grateful to be where I am and to be able to do the things I get to do. I love traveling and seeing the world and being around to support Brandon. I miss my family, friends, warm weather, and working but I know those are all things that I can always go back to and will be there no matter what. I have my whole life to work and live in my favorite state with my favorite people but for now I'm content with the way things are. The saying is true, In order to truly appreciate what you have, you have to live without it first.

Swiss Cheese please!

This last weekend we decided to take a little weekend trip to Switzerland. Our adventure began by flying in to Zurich and meeting up with friends for dinner and drinks around the town. The next morning we got up a little early to catch the train to Interlaken. It took about two hours to get there but the scenery was amazing. Once we got into Interlaken we decided to just stroll around town to see what we could find. We stumbled upon a train station that (for a "small" price) would take you up to the top of a few of the Swiss Alps. 200 Francs later we were on our way up! We took two trains and two gondolas to finally get to the top. Of course we stopped a few places along the way to take pictures but once we were at the top the view was out of this world. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was up there, and the pictures don't do it justice. It was a view I will never forget and something I am very grateful I got to see. After tons of pictures, a snowball fight and soup at the revolving restaurant we headed back down the mountain. By the time we got to the bottom is was dinner time so we decided to try out some authentic Swiss cheese fondue for dinner. Lets just say it was an experience involving way too much cheese!

Day 3 was the day the boys planned to go skydiving in the morning, so the rest of us decided to stroll around town to see what we could find. After a little shopping and thinking we stumbled on a bike rental shop where we rented a few bikes and then made our way back through town. We stopped off at our hotel to drop a few things off and get some advise from the owner on where to go. After a little talking and instruction we headed out towards the lakes and mountains. For some reason "hills" never crossed my mind when I thought about going through the mountains. Hmm funny.

Anyway, the beginning of the ride was amazing, the views were gorgeous the ride was easy, and the weather was perfect. As we made our way further and further down the side of the lake the ride got a little more tough with every hill. It got so tough that eventually we just got off the bikes and walked them up the hills just so we could get a little further up the mountain. The owner of our hotel told us about this great waterfall that we needed to see but that we had to go up and down a few hills before we could get there. A few was an understatement! About 6 hills in and 2.5 hours later we still had not reached the town were the waterfall was located. With our rental time running out we decided to just turn around and enjoy the views on the way down the mountain. We stopped off along the way a few times to just relax by the giant lakes and take a few pictures as well. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this country is, it's something out of a movie!

After making it back to town and returning our bikes we decided to stop at a little pastry shop and get a coke and a snack. I have to admit that was the best coke I've ever had in my life! Not sure if it was the fact that we hadn't had anything to drink in four hours or that the coke cost almost $4 but it was amazing!

The rest of the trip consisted of strolling around town site-seeing and shopping and a little chocolate fondue as well as a few other Swiss foods.

This trip was one of the best trips I've ever been on. The views and experiences are something I'll never forget. If you ever get the chance, go to Switzerland, it was amazing!!

Moving to London

It's official, we live in London. I've been here for about 2 weeks now and Bull's been here 4. I really love it here!! The weather has been beautiful lately, nothing like I expected! It's getting colder each week but its so different from the cold in Texas, it's kind of nice. Everyone kept telling me that it would be nothing but cold, rainy and foggy but it has actually been quite the opposite. Today was the first day that it rained for more than an hour and the sun has come out each day. One day it was so nice we took a run through the park without even needing any long sleeves.

Our apartment is all that I hoped it would be. It is taking a while to get all things together that we need but it is coming together and looking really cute. Our TV came today as well as the cable man to hook up the Internet, cable, and telephone lines. We having an amazing bay window in our living room that overlooks the neighborhood and roads outside of our flat. As soon as we get couch covers and a few other decorative things I'll post a few pictures for everyone to see.

Life is beginning to become normal again, now that we are getting situated. We joined the gym, only about a 10 minute walk from our place, which I love love love! It is so nice! Tons of different cardio machines, weight machines and classes to keep me occupied. It even has a spa and hair salon that I can't wait to tryout!

It's good to have our own place again and feel like our lives are back to normal. I love it here and I know Brandon will have a tough time convincing me to leave. I look forward to the upcoming adventures and sightseeing to come.

Valentines 2008 blog

Here's another! Valentines Day 2008

written February 16, 2008

So it's time to brag a little! I had the most wonderful Valentine's day ever. Brandon did all the planning himself, I am so proud to say that he is mine! He planned a dinner cruise for the two of us Thursday night. The cruise was so much fun. The food was awesome and the views were perfect. It was our first time getting to see the island from the water and it looked even more beautiful than on land. It made me so happy to be in such a wonderful place! Anyway, I knew he had something planned for the next day but he kept it a surprise till then. All he told me was that we needed to get up super early and pack a small bag with one pair of extra clothes. We got up at 6:30 Friday morning and left for the port in Marigot. We took a 30 minute ferry to one of the other islands around St. Maarten called Anguilla. Anguilla is even more beautiful than St. Maarten. It is so much more quiet and the beaches are much more private. The island isn't swarmed with tourists, which was a nice change. Once we got there we took a taxi to the lower half of the island where he had a horse back ride on the beach planned. I was so surprised, I had racked my brain trying to think of what he had planned and this never crossed my mind. We rode on the beaches for about 2 hours, it was soooo romantic! The beach was so beautiful and we were the only ones there. The views were awesome and it was really cool walking on the shore with the water splashing up on our legs. After we got back to the stables the taxi came back and took us to Shoel Bay where we had lunch on the beach. The sand was even more white than St. Maarten's beaches and the weather was perfect. We hung out on the beach the rest of the afternoon. I felt so special that he had planned all this for me without me even knowing anything. He really went above and beyond to show me how he felt this Valentine's day! It was so nice to spend some quality alone time together, especially since we don't get to do that very often because of his school! He is such a wonderful person and I am so thankful that he went through all this trouble just for me! It was the most perfect day ever!

Found an old blog from 2007... good to look back.

I found a blog that I had written back in December 2007. A lot has changed in the past two years but its funny that a few things are similar. This was written right after we moved to St. Maarten and I remember going through everything that is written in this blog like it was yesterday. Now I'm going through something similar with moving London. It's so exciting to see progress and to be able to look back and reminisce. Man if I had only known what was to come...

So here it is: Blog from December 2007

So this has been one crazy year! There have been so many ups and downs. The year started off with graduation in December and a new job in January. I loved my job in the beginning. It was great to be able to work with several girls who were such great friends, or so I thought. I lost one friend who I wish I never would have meet in the first place and gained two that I can never imagine living without. There was so much drama that came from that job that it became the thing I hated most in my entire life. Me and Brandon went through so much together and we came out stronger and better people because of it. Our relationship reached a new level of trust and commitment that I never thought possible.

In May we found out that he had been accepted to medical school in the Caribbean. It was an exciting and fearful time. It was a long planning process and so much thought went into the decision to move to St. Maarten. Many people think that we both dove right in and up rooted our lives to another country but it took so much thought, planning and discussing. I bet I talked to my mom everyday for about 3 months about the decision to move down there. I laughed about the excitement and cried about the fear. I discussed other possiblilites but nothing seemed to matter but being able to be with my one true love! I am so blessed to have meet someone who can take my breath away just by hearing their voice on the phone. I knew deep down in my heart that moving with him would be the best thing for the both of us and that it would be the experience of a lifetime.

As the time grew closer to the move it seemed even more sureal. I talked the decision to death with my friends and family trying to ease their worries and concerns and my own. It really made me feel special that I had so many people that were concerned about my well-being and safety. I knew that the move would be hard for me but I never imagined that it would effect my family and close friends. It is a great feeling to know that your friends are happy about your new life elsewhere but sad to see you go. Once the time came to begin packing it was more intense then I thought it would be. My mom and I worked together for several days to prepare and pack anything and everything that I would ever need or want and could fit into two 50 pound bags (which is more difficult than most would think). Of course nothing I ever do comes easy and without event. After going to the airport at 5am we find out that our plane has been cancelled because there were not enought employees to work the plane. We got transfered to another airline and instead of reaching our connection in Charollette, NC we got sent to Puerto Rico. We thought "okay one delay, no big deal we'll still make it within an hour or so of our original flight" but no that flight was cancelled as well due to a hurricane ripping through the Caribbean islands. After spending the night in the airport, lugging our luggage around all night and sitting for a few hours at the terminal we finally made it to ST. MAARTEN! It was absolutely beautiful, the weather was perfect and we were greeted by so many friendly people. Our apartment was more than we ever imagined, especially since we never saw one picture before we arrived! Everything seemed to be going perfect. Brandon's mom traveled with us and stayed for two weeks to help us settle in. It was a great beginning to the semester. We have so many pictures to look back on and cherish.

The first month was rough, I have to admitt. It was lonely and hard to adjust to being in a new place practically all alone. After becoming more involved I meet several other girls that were so friendly and a blast to hang out with. I was greatful that I knew someone that moved from our same town, which made it a little easier to attend group functions. After several weeks a few of us girls formed a "Grey's night" where we brought food to munch on while we got to know each other better and of course watched Grey's Anatomy. Before we new it the group had grown from about 3-4 girls to almost 8-10 by the end of the semester. It is amazing how so many girls with different interests, backgrounds, and upbringings could become so close but that is exactly what happened. I have formed friendships with girls in 4 months that I know will last a lifetime. Our area around the school is like a little community of students where everyone knows everyone and where we all try to watch out for one another. It's great to be able to walk to almost everywhere we need to go.

Moving closer to the time to come home and visit, we both became extremely anxious. We were so ready to see all of our family. Once we arrived back in the states it felt almost as if we had never left. We were busy everyday visiting with family, friends and trying to eat at every restaurant that we had missed so much. The holidays came and went so fast. We tried to spend as much time as possible with everyone that we had missed. We spent the days stocking up on everything we thought we would need back on the island and the nights eating out with friends and family. Before I knew it, it was time for Brandon to head back to the island and our Holiday break was over. And that was it, the end of 2007.

I have to say that this year has been the most life changing and exciting years of my life yet. I have learned so much and matured so much in the past year. First, of all I learned to choose your friends wisely and don't believe everything you hear. Trust your instincts and don't let people get in your head that are just trying to hurt you. Second, I learned that although something may seem scary and intimidating it can be the one thing that changes your life for the better, so don't be afraid to try new things. Thirdly, I have gained so much more trust and love for Brandon. Everyone that I am close to knows that I have major trust issues with everyone even if they have done nothing wrong. I feel like since this big move I have learned to listen to my heart and believe the things I see not the things I hear. I feel like I have gotten to know Brandon on a whole new level and now I feel like I know more of who the true Brandon is. He is so soft hearted and thoughtful but in his own little way. He tries so hard to do things to make me happy and he has been very successful. I'm so blessed to have someone with such great ambition and drive, did I mention he made honors this last semester! He has a way of making me feel like the most beautiful person in the world and at the same time he makes me want to work harder to be better. I still have a long way to go with trust but I know that I'm moving in the right direction. There are so many people in this world that try so hard to tear you down and no matter what you do you can't control the things other people do to you but the one thing you can control is yourself and how you react to others actions. I have learned that prayer and family can get you through anything. Satan tries so hard to tear apart something that he knows is great but if you keep looking to the Lord for guidance you will be able to defeat those demons. I can honestly say that this has been one crazy, fun filled year. I can't believe I made it to 2008 but I am looking forward to what the future holds. If 2007 was this great just imagine 2008! The adventure has just begun and I am ready to embrace anything that the Lord has in store for me. On to the next chapter in my life!

Love,

Steph