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“How many days in Athens?” It was a question I’d asked Google, Trip Advisor and people I knew. The answers varied a lot. An expat said one or two days maximum, some of the internet suggested two to three days, others on forums said how much they love Athens and you could spend a week there. In terms of a unified opinion I wasn’t going to find one.
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Olive trees, moussaka, glistening sea, sunshine and dodgy accounting. That would have been my description of Greece a few months ago. Athens however was a contrast from that and our one day trip from Athens to Nafplio showed another part of Greece.
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It’s May and we are boarding our free Delta (return) flight to Athens. When we reach Athens we’re going to take another flight to the Greek island of Santorini. Even as we sit in our seats and the plane takes off, we’re still not sure if we really believe we’re here.
How about it, Delta? Take me to Athens!
Last July I posted those words on Instagram along with the hashtag #pilottalksweepstake and a series of pictures spelling out the ancient Greek city. I never win competitions, though that may be because I never really enter them. Since moving to New York I have definitely got the travel bug and with Danielle also enjoying travel, the bug has probably only grown the longer I’ve been here. Perhaps it’s that but when I first saw this competition last summer it caught my attention. I was helping a friend move apartments and gazing out the window of the U-Haul when I saw the promotion. For once, I asked myself: why not enter?
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We arrived in Munich just the day after some explosions hit a bus carrying the Dortmund football team, potentially due to that when we arrived at the airport just as we entering the main area of the airport I was stopped by two undercover officers, who had several questions for me (not Danielle though!), thankfully my answers didn’t raise any issues and I was allowed through!
One of the reasons for choosing Munich was the proximity to the Neuschwanstein Castle. Like Amsterdam, Instagram had provided some of the inspiration, while a mate – Rich, who had completed a European tour of castles before now provided further recommendation.
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I Amsterdam Sign besides the Rijksmuseum
It feels a lot longer ago but back in April Danielle and I took a Euro trip to Amsterdam, Munich and Salzburg. Our plan was to pack light enough to rely on carry-ons, a plan proposed by the shoe addict. The only carry-on suitcase I had wasn’t going to be enough so I had acquired a new suitcase after some careful searching on the maximum dimensions for carry on. Sorted.
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174 days. The number of days that have passed since I last posted a blog update. During that time, a lot has happened including turning twenty-nine. As I contemplate retirement and with it hearing aids, Zimmer frames and taking 10 minutes to usher food from my fork to my mouth, I felt it was the right time to prove I’m not completely gone by updating this blog.
Words that do not work in the USA
It has now been over a year, 14 months infact, since I moved to New York. During that time there have been plenty of parades, bags of bagels, several trips to Seattle, winters to freeze fountains, a collection of key incidents and various visitors (Simon, Jo, Parents,Axelle and Rich). One of the things I haven’t touched on in this blog, but will be especially familiar to those who know me over here, the language barrier. Those who have traveled or lived abroad will be familiar with the importance of learning a new language and how it can be a barrier at first.
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A little slow on the updates recently, due to travel and general busyness but it’s time to wrap up my time in London. Last weekend marked the 3 month mark to the day that I moved to New York and it’s about time I started sharing some American anecdotes. My final weeks (sounds a little ultimate right?), in the UK were mostly spent seeing people and getting last minute things sorted..
I arrived back in the UK on the 12th May, which meant there was just over a month left until my departure..pending my VISA. Enough time to fit in several leaving do’s and a few other things as well..
The day I landed I had agreed with a couple of lads from work to and watch Ledley King’s testionial (Spurs vs Spurs Legends) at White Hart Lane. I wasn’t sure at one point whether this was a good idea, I only had an hour or two nap when I landed before coming into work and hadn’t slept on the plane. However with the help of coffee I made it through and the match itself was good fun with all the players and referee taking it very light highted. Edgar Davids and Howard Webb were the highlights..
Aside from all this fun was the more laborious but, more important, VISA application. The company had a group of lawyers who deal with all the employee transfers between offices so there was plenty of paperwork that had to be done with them. As part of the VISA you have to prove you have skills/experience/knowledge which cannot be fulfilled by someone in the states. Then a description of your current duties and various other pieces of information. The process is definitely made easier by being a WPP employee, since the company certainly has processes in place for transferring employees. Still the paperwork was hefty..
I’ve just been told to cut to the chase and start blogging about New York rather than events leading up to it. However, I still feel there are some stories left to tell and it’s the journey to New York that inspired me to start a blog. The point the people/persons made was that I should blog about New York while it’s fresh in my mind. Yet when people write autobiographies do they not recall historical events? You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for ‘live’ updates while I finish blogging about how I got to New York. Things should start to get interesting now though.
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