The ABC's of Trip Reporting- PLEASE JOIN US ON THE NEW THREAD!

[TarzansKat]

Just call me the White Rabbit.

Fourteen pages later...

Liesa, Maroo, I'm really looking forward to reading about your trip.

 

[eandesmom]

oh no about the pillow! My neck hurts today too although I really don't think it's the pillow, oddly enough I think it's from the new zumba class. This new class is all latin and a lot of arm stuff. Which I love but I honestly think I have some tired muscles there as it really isn't a "crick". Wierd. But if it makes my neck stronger it will be an amazing thing and worth putting up with the overcrowded class where I get yelled at because I can't move my booty right. I'm thinking I just have tired trapezious. I guess this is what happens when you don't do front dumbbell raises, lateral raises or wide grip chin ups.

I meant to ask, have your kids done TKD before or is this a new gig for them? Evan was certified as a referee yesterday. THAT should be interesting.

Tomorrow is the first zumba? Where did you end up deciding to go? That's an impressive workout line up you have planned, I'm still struggling with a new routine now that we have to switch gyms. I'm thinking for now it will be Zumba Mon and Sat and then a Core Cross training on Thursday until I can figure out where to go for pilates. I've had some back issues recently and I think it's really based on the lack of pilates so I do need to somehow get that dealt with, just not sure what to do. Hoping they change the schedule but....

So call away, you do need a new pillow (and bed???)

 

[shannn]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

 

[mom3sonstt]

It WAS my 27th Anniversary after all, so plans got in the way of my DISing.....

Happy Anniversary! We have 22 years coming up in a couple weeks - I keep asking DH when I get my medal. I know I have earned one.

 

[eandesmom]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

 

[Poolrat]

Happy Anniversary! We have 22 years coming up in a couple weeks - I keep asking DH when I get my medal. I know I have earned one.

I have 21 coming up Oct 7th. I need to ask about that medal.

 

[Poolrat]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

So sorry to hear all you have been through.

 

[vamassey1]

Happy Anniversary! We have 22 years coming up in a couple weeks - I keep asking DH when I get my medal. I know I have earned one.

Medal? What Medal? I've put in 25 years and haven't gotten one yet.

 

[vamassey1]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

I'm so sorry. I think the Dis is a great place to start. There are so many caring people here.

 

[jenb1023]

:You can hear my wheels grinding away, can't ya! HA! I had some of those fears for meeting you guys, too and it worked out great!

This trip really did exceed all of my expectations in nearly every way!!

I know - it is always a little scary meeting new people but both of my DIS meets have worked out great so far too!

I bet the trip was incredible!! So happy for you all. Wouldn't it be fun to get a group together for a trip -with so many TR followers, it would kinda be like our own MouseFest.

I would love to tackle WDW sometime with people that get it - even if just for a day.

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

I am so sorry for your loss. If you need a place to take your mind off of things, this is definitely the right thread. The silly banter and witty comments are always fun and the trip updates are always well written.

 

[maroo]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

Oh, I am so very sorry for your loss! Great job on the weight loss, though.

U r always welcome to talk about anything here on this thread! We laugh and cry here!

Hang in there and keep hanging on here or take as much time as u need.

 

[All7OfUs]

Sunday, August 17- a day for endings- sweet endings, and just as much a day for sweet beginnings. It would be the last we’d see of our beloved Kazakhstan; for how long, we don’t know. Perhaps forever. How can one put into words the feelings of leaving a place that they’ve called home for almost 10 years?? Where friends who are persecuted in body and spirit must stay behind and carry on every day of every year; a country where we’ve given so much of our hearts and souls, and were leaving large chunks of both behind?

Let me just say, that to grieve on that level, and yet, also enjoy the swelling anticipation of what is in store for us next, is quite an intense dichotomy; confusing and exciting all wrapped up into one tidy package. Allow me now to being this journey of transition, as best I can, through story and pictures; hopefully, I can capture some small glimpse into our hearts, and take you along for a compelling adventure from East to West.

And so it begins. The day dawned bright and HOT! Weatherunderground told us it would be a broiling 117 on this day of our departure, so naturally, I wanted to start out with one last run before our friend came to pick us up. Well, not really. I didn’t want to. But I really felt like I needed to get my travel jitters and nervous energy out, as well as sweat out any impurities built up in my system for oh, say, the last decade. It was HOT- at 6:30 AM.

I still maintained my pathetic 15 minute mile, (I just found out today that LeeAnn’s son can do a 5:12 mile- I think I choked on my coffee right there in the church lobby.) and got back to the apt. just in time to shower and load up the last minute things into our bags. Our last soggy Cornflakes were consumed, and we rejoiced that by this time a week from then, we’d be feasting on any of our choice from a AISLE FULL of cereals. What rapture it was to realize that our normal repertoire of cheese toast, fried eggs or cornflakes was about to explode with possibilities!!

Oddly, as we were eating our soggy cornflakes, we also lamented that we were hearing one last morning call to prayer- a sound that had become as familiar to us as the trains crashing and clanking all night long. We never tired of hearing the imam’s melody in the distance, as melancholy as it often is. And then we heard another familiar sound outside, the honking horn of our ride. Time to load up, lock up, and leave.

The 40 minute drive was silent, each of us wallowing in his own thoughts of what we’d likely never see, hear or smell again; sights that we knew intimately and called home. The local mosque- beautiful in its own right...



The wide open steppe- lovely in a stark sort of way...



A Soviet-style restaurant that holds a mystique known only to the older generation...



A cheesy "ancient site" they've put up to add to the interest of the road leading to the airport.



and at last the airport itself- a lonely outpost only few Westerners know about, and even fewer ever see....



Remember this picture for the next installment- it will be very important!


Only small planes can travel here. They are expanding the runway, but oddly the money keeps disappearing and “running out”. Hmmmm….. I wonder where millions can go and only a few feet of new runway get laid down every couple of years. Yes, I’ve become quite cynical in my days on the steppe. I cannot help it. We had far too many friends surviving barely on bread and tea 3 meals a day, and yet see many rich families building enormous mansions and going to Dubai for weekend trips. Do what you will with that.

We unloaded, said a teary goodbye,

(But still had time to joke around just a little...)


"I have confidence in sunshine, I have confidence in rain..."


got into position to go through the passport/document check, and made our friendly greetings to the official whom we’ve gotten to know somewhat over the many trips to and from the airport. Strange how those random thoughts of “this will be my last…” pop into your head as you make this kind of transition. I distinctly remember thinking, “this is likely the last time I’ll speak Kazakh for a very long time!” So odd that it can be both a relief, and leave a hole, all at the same time. Our turn came and we stepped up. One passport after the other, until he got to Mike’s. “You know, you don’t have a stamp here on your registration paper.” “We didn’t know we needed one. This is the Immigration Dept.’s problem.” “Well, actually, it’s going to be your problem in Almaty.”, he says. “You really NEED this stamp.”

Well, there you have it. Our first MAJOR hassle. Drama. Problem. You fill in the blank. Any of them work for me. How LARGE of a problem this would be we didn’t know. Fine? Detainment? Jail? We just didn’t know! Options? We had few, but it was time to initiate emergency action plan A. It was our only one. What did we do? How would it all work out?? Could we get this confounded stamp in 30 minutes?? Find out next time, and until then,

Have a Magical Day!

 

[englishrose47]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

You should have let us be there for you!!! For all the picking on each other we do , when one of is down it is our JOY to be there for them !!!

 

[eandesmom]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

that is one MAJOR cliffhanger!

What a journey of a day! That you ran at all is. I do know what you mean though, I was dying to get in a workout the day we left but ran out of time. I hope whatever little stress relief it gave you in that heat, helped you get through the great stamp debacle.

How bittersweet and yet, fitting. All of it.

 

[englishrose47]

Liessa , What an emotional seesaw, leaving must have been !! Of course you had to leave a cliffhanger !! Has she been hiding the fact that DH is still in Blankistan or did that stamp get stamped !!! Watch the news at 11 !!! Note I left out a.m or p,m !!

 

[englishrose47]

Liessa you mentioned all the "unintentional "remarks we all have made !1How about we share some !!!I know Winkers has a VERY good one that she can post !! Just recently I said Marv was a doghouse when what I meant was he should beIN a doghouse !!So who's next!!!!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Wow that is one major cliffhanger!!

I will be stalking your TR tomorrow to see how that one panned out for you!!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Oh
My
Goodness

You can't leave us hanging like that for long . Great cliffhanger but geez please don't leave us hanging for a long time on that one.

That had to be such an emotional day for all of you. I can't even imagine it . Looking forward to reading more.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Hey Liesa,
I don't want to bring your thread down so a quick recap. I had my gastric bypass the beginning of July. It was a difficult recovery,but I'm doing okay and I've lost 50 pounds so far. My mom's cancer returned right after I had my surgery and got very bad very quickly. She passed away last Saturday after a very difficult last 3 weeks. I really haven't had the mental energy for anything but I'm trying to make the effort to rejoin the world this week.

So sorry to hear about your loss. There are so many caring, praying people here - feel free to talk about things here - we are good listeners. Take care of yourself - I know you still have some recovery to do , too!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

The drama you have experienced on your adventures just since I've been on your threads has been amazing - just God's way of reminding you He's always with you! I can't wait to hear what happens next