20K and a Year Away

Another month has passed and I am no closer to a trip out of the country. Well, I suppose I am a little closer, but July is too far to wait. I am going to need to do some serious planning to squeeze a trip to South America in before that. South America is not a requirement, but it would check one more of my big boxes. It might need to be a multi-trip, though, because I will never get done what I want to get done in one week. I have been told multiple times that I need to eat the food in Peru and I think I can pull that off in a week. If Peru does not work, I am more than willing to jump down to Mexico and eat the food there. Any day.

I have also been watching all the domestic ticket prices lately. Have you seen some of these prices? They are so low. Europe prices are ridiculously low for times I can’t, or don’t want to, go. I get daily emails from Scott’s cheap flights telling me to leave the country. That guy is pretty persuasive. I am beginning to think he has my best interest at heart.

I have been keeping a close eye on two particular domestic flights. First, from Portland to Dallas for Lydia to see us over Thanksgiving, and second, from Dallas to Phoenix to go eat at Haji Baba in Tempe. If you haven’t eaten there, and you like Middle Eastern food, you really should try it. I went to college there and ate at Haji’s as often as I could afford. After college, I had not visited for 20 years, but one year we decided to do a weekend in Phoenix just to eat at Haji Baba. It was still as good as I remembered it. The babaganoush they make is my favorite – at least until I go to a country that makes it. Greece has its own version, but it is not like Haji’s.

Some developments on the work front… I have taken on some more responsibilities and am now also called the Director of Communications. Fancy title. I am waiting to see how many of those things they can fit on one business card. I am pretty sure they are running out of room now. Funny how this job is turning out. I am having a great time and keeping the long game in sight. I am very content with this decision. Wait, I still think I need more vacation time, then I would be completely content.

One thing I am doing at work that is helping me keep my language skills honed is teaching an ESL class. This is more like an English conversation class with a lot of explanation in Spanish and practice in English. There are 6 students, all of whom speak Spanish and different levels of English. We just started the class and I am adjusting it as we go. The class is based on the goals they have and we will be going up and down in abilities to match their levels. I think it is going to be a ton of fun. The students are from different parts of Mexico and one is from Honduras. I am going to learn so many new phrases. I don’t know if they realize how much I will get out of this class, too. I am so excited.

Having said that, my Greek is not moving along as fast as I would like. I guess my plan of learning through wishful thinking is not going to get me very far. I was really counting on that, too. Darn it. I am almost to my 400-day streak on Duolingo and cannot say a simple sentence without second-guessing every word. Ugh. It is the worst phase of learning a language.

I think I should just move to Greece and learn through immersion if I am going to learn it at all. I would only be able to live there in the summer, though, to avoid the cold. Which, until last year, I did not even know was a thing. I am baffled as to why I never knew it got cold in Greece. I understand geography, but have you seen Mama Mia? Not a hint of cold weather. I just can’t believe it and feel like I have been deceived all these years. Why, Greece? Why don’t your brochures show the other side? I’m still coming to see you, but I think we need to talk. You have some serious explaining to do. (Please do it in English or speak very, very slowly… I’m still learning. Thanks!)