Alyca's Daily Life

OK.

What is up with the Amersons?? Well, we have finished our refinance, new mortgage starts in February. Ethan did pay off the credit cards, so we have no debt but mortgage, which is awesome.

We are going to Hawaii in September, still trying to decide if we want to tack on a couple days on Oahu before going to our timeshare in Maui for a week or if we want to fly to the Big Island for a couple days to see the volcanic activity. Suggestions???

We are supposed to go to Los Cabos in April--still waiting to hear back from our timeshare for confirmation. We upgraded from a studio to a 2-bedroom to go with Justin and Kim (our wedding gift to them). So, hopefully that gets approved and I can get some plane tickets. Getting a little antsy--usually I have vacation stuff all booked much earlier than this!

What else.....we didn't really make New Year's resolutions this year. Still working on the Treks--now finishing season 4 of TNG so we are over half way done with that series.

One resolution we DID talk about (not a New Years one, more of a life one), is to visit every continent (except of course Antarctica which just doesn't sound like a lot of fun). We have a VERY long way to go on this one, but I am sure we can do it. I have been to Australia and Ethan to Europe, but it doesn't count until we BOTH go, so........ I am hoping to go to Europe in 2009. Not sure where, but Athens and Rome are high on my list. Maybe fly into London (easiest), go to Paris for a day or so (have heard that Paris is best done in small bites--probably take the train through the chunnel and spend one night there), then go to Rome (Ethan has already been, but knows I really want to go), I would love to see the Cinque Terra area, and maybe a train or something to Athens and fly home from there?? Or Athens first, then Rome. I think it is easier to fly home from Rome then Athens.

Cool?? I MUST take Ethan to Australia to snorkel and see Sydney. So awesome! Asia will be pretty easy--tons of countries to choose from. Maybe Singapore with Justin and Kim?? His dad used to live there, so Justin has been and would have tips, plus it is quite English speaking and the language barried would be much easier. But does it count as the Asian continent??? I will have to think about that.

South America will be pretty easy, too. Lots of our timeshare properties if we go that route, and lots of countries I wouldn't be scared of going to.

Africa will be our hard one, but the most looked-forward-to for me. It has long been a dream of mine to go to the Congo. With the political instability there, that is not an option for me, but we could do South Africa or Tanzania or Namibia or something like that. One of the nurses at work recently did Tanzania and South Africa and has raving reviews of her journey.

So. Lots of travel ahead in our lives. I love going places and seeing things and just experiencing the world. Ethan and I gave up giving each other gifts for Christmas or birthdays with the thought that we would rather give 'experiences' (ie: travel), so we are making a point to do at the very least one big trip each year, and hopefully a couple smaller ones as well. So 2008 is Los Cabos (our first return to a city we have already experienced) and Hawaii, and hopefully 2009 is Europe and a Vegas trip (should have our Treks done and that was part of our resolution!!).

What else... I am going to Portland in February for the CKC convention (just for one night....short but sweet).........

We are hoping to take a train to Portland in March for Kim's birthday and do a McMenamins hotel--probably Edgefield. We got buy one, get one free vouchers from the Seahawks with our playoff tickets that are just too good to give up.


Other things........

Seahawks!! Had an awesome time at the game on Saturday. My head hurt, my throat hurt, I lost my voice, but......we are going to Green Bay!! We want the ball, and we're gonna score!!! (probably no one who reads this particular blog will get that last sentence, but it still cracks me up and is quite popular here in the South Alaska Seahawks nation).



So. That is what is up. I have a picture I will try to remember to load in later. I went to a Christmas party for the Ortho staff at work last month and straightened my hair. This picture totally makes me look like someone else!! I have an inkling who *I* think I look like, but I will have to see what my loyal readers think.....