Finally....

So, it's only taken me one year to start my blog. I am planning to keep this up this year. Given that I didn't have a bank account in Dubai until about March and a car until June, I am right on schedule with my first blog.

I will be returning to Dubai in a few days. My summer has been spent traveling to Italy, Croatia, NYC, Seattle, Portland, Bandon and Ashland. My time in Portland was dominated by taking all day classes at PSU with some evening homework assignments, which kept me from visiting with Portland friends anywhere near as much as I would have liked. I also found that my 35 days at home (to avoid paying U.S. income taxes) went by quite quickly, especially with taking care of things like taxes etc...

Here are some highlights and quotes of the summer (in no particular order):

1. Going on a 20 mile bike ride through Manhattan including riding in traffic, which felt completely liberating, exhilerating and scary all at the same time.

2. "You know the economy is bad when Subway is putting its footlong sandwiches on sale."

3. Seeing my friends' babies whom I had either never met before or hadn't seen in a year. I have found that holding the child in one arm and a chilled beverage in the other works out quite well for Aunt Jessica.

4. Living my Rocky moment by running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, turning around the top with my arms in the air and giving a shout out of "Philadelphia," to anyone who may have been around, but mostly to Jesse Telthorster.

5. "Jess, that's why they make frozen corn... for people who've never been to cooking school." Quote from my Dad after I was asking him how to make frozen corn (seriously) because I told him that he had never sent me to cooking school. I am well aware that my cooking skills are in the "developing stage" as we would say in education.

6. Enjoying the view from Portland City Grill. I will always love Mt. Hood. I'm disappointed that I didn't get time to hike and camp in the Gorge, but that's how it goes this summer.

7. Laughing with Gavin and Mindy over Gavin's complete honesty when filling out forms.

8. Falling asleep on Lisa's friends' sofa and having her repeatedly reassure them that it was a completely normal event and I really wasn't sick.

9. Laughing hysterically with my brother while making completely satrical and childish humor about everything from what may have been transported by our relatives during the Prohibition Era to puns about horses.

10. Noticing how Northwesterners can be both extremely bizarre and extremely friendly. Nothing has changed about their behavior, but after living in Oregon for almost all of my life and now living elsewhere, I see things differently.

11. Italy never disappoints! The more I see of it, the more I want to see of it. It seems to have all that one can desire in life: beautiful mountains, great food and wine, beautiful and warm people...

12. Managing to get in "disagreements" with taxi drivers in both Rome and Manhattan who were trying to rip me off. It seems that Dubai has taught me or reminded me to fight to the bitter end until justice is served. This is not always a good thing. I am actually thinking more about my childhood aspirations of being an attorney. During one of my classes this summer where we were forced to debate about education laws, I surprised myself with how proactive I was willing to be to win the argument. I do think that Dubai will teach one assertiveness if nothing else.

13. Oregon in the summer is absolutely the most weather ever!