So, when I arranged my dates for lessons in Brussels, I was a tad panicked. It was my first semester in 17 years without classes and the only to-do was work part-time. How in the heck was I going to waste away two months, I worried. Well, success, I did it! January is totally gone and I haven't a clue where it went, and February is on its way out the door, while I'm trying my best to slow its pace as it takes off.
As you can see, the countdown is to the right of the screen and I'm within two weeks! WTH!? Where did all that time go? What have I done? Rest assured, it wasn't all spent goofing off. I've been reading numerous tour books on Europe, cleaned out my house numerous times and found lots of items to put in garage sales (another money making venture to accumulate some spending money), made plenty of necklaces, created a web site to sell them, marketed and sold them at feed stores, and visited with the folks and Tres a lot. I guess that isn't all too bad, knowing that two months goes by MUCH faster than it did when I was in high school.
My sister and Monique are stinkin' awesome and have taken on all the difficulty of planning an international trip, allowing me to be the tourist and say "Oooo, look how pretty!" without realizing what went into it all to get there.Thanks girls, I owe you! A belgian waffle dinner and a couple of beers are on me! We're going to get to see REAL Delft glassware, Dutch windmills, watch cheese being made, go to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, and on a river boat tour! YAAAAAYYYYY!
I am so excited! Please check in often, as I will try to update this nightly with pictures and more details once I get there. Thank you very much to my mom, my sister, Monique, my grandpa and Dialogue Language courses for allowing this all to be possible!
PS. Also be watching out for my pictures on Facebook, as I enter to win a new pair of Anderson Bean boots, in the "Where in the world have your Beans been" contest. I'll submit some cool pictures of my Anderson Bean boots in Europe, and please tell your friends to vote for them! Voting ends March 15th and I'll have pics up by the 12th.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Bad Weather, Necklaces, and Itineraries... AKA RANDOM!
Well, I haven't written in a couple of weeks although I originally planned on posting more often. A HUGE storm came through New Mexico and severely threw a lot of people off keel. Below zero temperatures, frozen pipes, rolling blackouts, and inability to bathe, wash laundry and/or dishes caused many people to cancel travel plans, not go into work and just be plain flat out bummed. Instead of being productive, I bundled up, suffering from cabin fever (Tres did also). When the storm passed, and everyone was back in business, Las Cruces had ONE beautiful day of 70 degree temps and lots of sunshine... then the wind moved in. The only good that came of it was a beautiful sunset because of the light reflecting off all the dust in the air.
I finally got back into the swing of things and am getting back to priorities. I've continued making more necklaces and was saddened to discover that none of them had sold at the couple of feed stores I was doing consignment with. I went ahead and did a Valentine's special on them. I'm more so excited about seeing someone wearing a necklace I made and telling her girlfriends about it, than I am about pocketing the money (but believe me, I do NEED to start getting some income. My costs are totally outweighing my profit, and it doesn't take an economist to know that that isn't a good thing!)
I know once I target the exact right market, at the exact right location, at the exact right time, I'll be in business. As a marketing and advertising major, it's exciting to put my education to work, but sadly, when the large sum of money needed to invest in the venture isn't there, Marketer X is left with lots of trial and error. Thus far, I am tackling Ebay, Etsy, and Facebook advertising. It isn't necessarily difficult, just time consuming and somewhat expensive. But as the saying goes, "It takes money to make money".
Below are some of my favorite necklaces I've created thus far...
As for "prepping for Belgium", it's time to admit that having a sister who loves to travel and tour interesting places, is great when you're planning a trip to study abroad. Below is a quick overview of how my month overseas will be spent:
I finally got back into the swing of things and am getting back to priorities. I've continued making more necklaces and was saddened to discover that none of them had sold at the couple of feed stores I was doing consignment with. I went ahead and did a Valentine's special on them. I'm more so excited about seeing someone wearing a necklace I made and telling her girlfriends about it, than I am about pocketing the money (but believe me, I do NEED to start getting some income. My costs are totally outweighing my profit, and it doesn't take an economist to know that that isn't a good thing!)
I know once I target the exact right market, at the exact right location, at the exact right time, I'll be in business. As a marketing and advertising major, it's exciting to put my education to work, but sadly, when the large sum of money needed to invest in the venture isn't there, Marketer X is left with lots of trial and error. Thus far, I am tackling Ebay, Etsy, and Facebook advertising. It isn't necessarily difficult, just time consuming and somewhat expensive. But as the saying goes, "It takes money to make money".
Below are some of my favorite necklaces I've created thus far...
As for "prepping for Belgium", it's time to admit that having a sister who loves to travel and tour interesting places, is great when you're planning a trip to study abroad. Below is a quick overview of how my month overseas will be spent:
Thursday March 10, 2011
Depart Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport 5:40PM
Friday March 11, 2011
Arrive London Gatwick Airport 7:00AM
Check into Holiday Inn Express London Earls Court
Saturday March 12- Monday March 14, 2011
London
Tuesday March 15, 2011
Check out of London Hotel
Easyjet Flight 8875
Depart London Gatwick Airport 1:25PM
Arrive Amsterdam Schipol Airport 3:40PM
Depart London Gatwick Airport 1:25PM
Arrive Amsterdam Schipol Airport 3:40PM
Wednesday March 16- Thursday March 17, 2011
Amsterdam/Day Trips around Holland
Friday March 18, 2011
Train to Ghent Sint Pieters Leeuw
Check into Green Park Hotel B&B
Saturday March 19- Sunday March 20
Day trips to Paris and Brussels
Monique and Lonnie check into Brussels Airport Hotel Sunday Evening
Monday March 21, 2011
Begins classes
Monique and Lonnie Depart Brussels National Airport
Saturday April 9, 2011
Depart Brussels National Airport 10:30AM
Arrive Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport 2:20PM
Post-Travel Arrangements
Tuesday April 12 2011
Depart Houston Intercontinental Airport 1:25PM
Arrive Albuquerque International Sunport 2:25PM
Its like I have my very own personal travel agent. Lonnie has done SO MUCH research and is really putting a lot of time and effort to assure this trip goes as planned. If I don't get lost or stolen, it should be a success! For now, I will continue reading my tour books, and working on my introduction to Dutch. Time is flying and I can't believe I will be leaving at the beginning of March! Then I'll come home and graduate in May! Where is all this time going? Do I have proof that the way I've passed it has been worthwhile?
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