A.W.O.L.

So, I haven't been checking my blog or any of yours for a week or so because I have been super sick with the menengitis again. This one really threw me for a loop...I am having a bunch of tests done to rule out things like lupis and leukemia...I sincerely doubt and hope that these things are not what the problem is, but I certainly covet your prayers. Basically I have little energy, a fever, a serious headache and nausia, not much fun. The real kicker is that it's not like the flu or something, it hangs on and on for months at a time...most people who get this type of menengitis, like Brad Pitt, : ) get over it in about two weeks, but there is a small percentage that have recurrences for the rest of their lives, and so far, that's me. Not that I am "claiming" this, it's just the reality of what I have to deal with for now.

Enough about that! How are all of you doing? I will have to go and visit you at your blog sites and chatch up. : ) Ari has been working a lot here, he is in the middle of a very long week. He has eight days in a row with only one day off in the middle, which was yesterday. Normally they work four days and have three off each week, so this is a really LONG week for us. The other thing going on in our lives is that we are getting ready for our trip to Greece which is coming up faster than I thought it would...time really flies...the older I get, the faster it goes too. Anyway, we leave for Greece October 1st, which is only five short weeks away! I can't believe it's almost here already. This is one of those "once in a life-time" trips that seems fairly nebulous and far-fetched, so for it to be actually happening is really quite surreal. It sinks in sometimes for a breif moment here or there, but it really hasn't felt real yet. Now that I realize it's only five weeks away I am feeling pannick-stricken that we won't be ready or have enough money saved for the trip! I am sure that everything will work out, but I have this feeling like I should be doing SOMETHING to prepare for it now, but I don't know what IT is. Yes, we have our passports all ready to go and no, we don't need any shots or anything like that, but I feel like I need to be making a bunch of lists and reading a ton of travel books and that sort of thing. : ) This trip feels as big as a planning a wedding with a lot less planning, so maybe that is why I am feeling pannicked.

If any of you out there have done much traveling, or any traveling for that matter, I would love your advice on what things to do and what not to do, etc...I am a complete newby when it comes to international travel, having never been farther that an M.C. trip to Chilliwack, Canada! : ) (For those of you out there who read blogs for the sole purpose of correcting innocent and unsuspecting people's spelling; I don't know if I spelled Chilliwack correctly, but I don't care!) : ) So there! Please don't be shy, any advice will be greatly appreciated. I know to carry traveler's checks and to keep the money in a belt thingy and to drink bottled water, but that's about it. Ari's mom tells us that we should avoid driving and taxis over there because the traffic lights don't mean a thing, so I think that we will heed that advice as much as possible.

Right now we are planning on visiting Ari's family up north in Thessolanikis a day or two after we arive in Athens...we have a house in Athens that will serve as our home-base for the entire trip. Then we plan on heading down the coast to visit the islands of Crete and Santorini, then head back up north to Athens and possibly to visit Ari's family one more time in Thessolanikis...I think that's about it. We definately want to see all of the amazing historical places in Athens and in Crete, other than that, our main objective is to spend as much time in the warm Mediterranean tropics and visit family. I don't remember if I told you or not, but my sister Jessica and her husband Rob are going to be coming with us and we will be there together for two weeks. I seriously cannot believe how blessed we are! This truly is a once in a life time opportunity, and I can't believe that it is mine! : ) Wow.

Well, this turned into a HUGE blog update when I meant to leave a short, breezy posting...oh well, I should know myself better than that by now! : ) I love you all and I hope that you are doing grrrrrrreat!