Globetrotting Around the World

Nadine, Sophie, and I are now in Argentina to enjoy 5 weeks of pure joy of studying the Argentine version of Spanish.

We will keep a weekly blog about our adventures and misadventures at http://tulsatrot3.travellerspoint.com. We have already posted one.

Enjoy.

John

Greetings to all y'all that followed our trip around the globe.

For a little over a week, I am going to help chaperone a group of 45 students and adults on a trip around France. I am going to blog as we go and hopefully find a little insight into travel with a group of people the size of some small countries, or at least the number of literate people in the state of New Mexico.

Feel free to follow this link tulsatrot2.travellerspoint.com to join us on our short trip across the pond.

John

P.S. New Mexicans probably smell alot worse than the French.

Moments before going to the hospital

With time to spare, Nadine and I tried on the hospital clothing wear, gowns and underwear

So the trip that started in the Cook Islands, left us pregnant in Thailand, and concluded in that great state of Texas finally came to completion August 3rd at 9:55 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. The reason it has finally concluded after 20 hours of labor at 9:55, our Thai souvenir Sophie Christine entered the world. She made her appearance on the world stage with a head full of hair on her 8 pound body and a set of lungs that would give Pavoriti a run for his money. Our only original hope, outside of being intelligent, athletic, and good looking, was that she be healthy, and that she was.

The new family of 3

As we both sit here in the hospital happy and fatigued, we are faced with our next big adventure, raising this child to be a responsible world citizen. Pretty big stuff. After her first trip when we take her home, we need decide where to take Sophie on her first travelling trip? We could take her to New Mexico, but we love this child, so we won't put her through that. I think initially even more challenging than trying to cross a Saigon road full of scooters is going to be and try to figure out how to correctly change a diaper and not drop the contents on the floor.

Proud parents

So this officially concludes our RTW trip 2006-2007, but this doesn't mean an end to our travels, just a change in the way we travel. We will keep you aware of any future comic travel experiences that we take on as a trio.

With that, my next dream trip would have us travelling around the Americas starting in Alaska all the way down the western coast of the Americas to Chile and back up the eastern coast through the Caribbean to Nova Scotia. Now if I could only find a few sponsors. Or maybe I should try to figure out that swaddling thing first.

Final question - Where should we travel first with Sophie in tow and why?

Peace
John, Nadine, and Sophie Christine

A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman,
Are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.
-Benjamin Franklin

Daily, Nadine and I think back to our travels, and for good reason, her belly is growing on a daily basis from our time on Koh Tao, Thailand. Soon our Thai souvenir will arrive, but until then, I figured I would show you the progression of Nadine's belly across continents and countries to what it is now, large and kicking.

State of the Belly Report #1 - Saigon, Vietnam

State of the Belly Report #2 - Kunming, China

State of the Belly Report #3 - Hogsback, South Africa

State of the Belly Report #4 - Rome, Italy

Brand new State of the Belly Report #5 - Omaha, Nebraska, USA

As you can see, our reminder of Thailand is growing daily. Oh Thailand.

Within the week, we will decide whether we will be living in the frigid winter of Omaha or the frigid winter of Denver, either way, it will be frigid, and don't forget cold.

You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
-Dave Barry

John, Nadine, and Sophie Christine

Prelude of our final flight of our around the world trip

Greetings all and hope y'all are doing well. It has been roughly a little over a month since Nadine and I have been back in the States, and there have been a few things that jumped out at us from our home country.

Stepping off of the plane in Texas, two things jumped out at us as we drove to our first meal in the U.S., (*and we're not proud of this*) McDonald's, this country is clean, really clean. You don't have any trash blowing around the streets. I would go as far as to say that I feel comfortable dropping some food and not feeling like I should pick it up in 5 seconds, per the 5 second rule, but at least 7 or 8 seconds. That is how comfortable the cleanliness makes me feel.

The second item is that people here in the U.S. are big-boned, a.k.a. fat. Not everyone is, and especially not you the American reader. Not only are we Americans heavier, we are also much larger. Walking around Asia, Nadine and I felt like giants with our height, but in Texas, we felt like medium sized, thin mesquite bushes blowing in the breeze. Everyone and everything is big in Texas, but I guess you can't forget the motto: Everything's bigger in Texas.

Contingents from Odessa, Texas; two from San Antonio; Tulsa, and Omaha

And finally my third impression, people eat fast. I am always the last one to finish, and Nadine is second to last. We're not sitting there playing with our food making miniature mashed potato castles, we're just eating at a leisurely pace. But by the time I would comment to everyone that this food is pretty darn good, and rich for that matter, after my first bite, people would be setting their forks down, pushing away from the table, letting out a burp of relief.

Who would have thought that my second snow in a year would be the day before Easter in Odessa

Nadine and I initially spent two weeks apart to spend time with our respective parents. With my folks, we dashed over to San Antonio to watch my niece's cheerleading competition. Entrance to the competition was $15 per person! Just returning from our trip, that price felt like 3 nights in a hotel in Thailand.

Fortunately and unfortunately, being that my dad has a tough time walking with a bum knee, I kindly asked the lady if they had a wheelchair he could use. Instead of paying that hefty little fee to watch our niece, Maria wheeled us, ok, just my dad, down a long corridor underneath the convention center and directly pass the entrance table to the cheerleading auditorium.

Now this is what I found really silly, we waited two hours for Morgan to perform for 3 minutes, and they wanted to charge us $15 a person. Wow. At least Morgan did well and had her favorite uncle there.

Whose diaper fits better?

You have to look long and hard to find diapers on some kids all around the world, but you know you are in a different world when the dogs are wearing diapers.

To complete our time of leading a non-regimented, wake up when you choose life, we were going to make stops with friends and family on our way to Omaha, Nebraska. But before we left the thriving metropolis of Odessa, Texas, the local newspaper did a short article on our trip. If you notice the picture, I think they decided to photoshop Nadine's photo with that of someone else. Doesn't look anything like her.

I guess this is for Sophie

So the end of our travels saw us visit San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Tulsa, and finally into Omaha. We currently spend our time looking for permanent jobs in Omaha, San Antonio, and Denver, but there has been one contingent pushing hard for Denver. Via a gift basket including some clothes that turned out to not be for me, but for little Sophie Christine who has scheduled a cameo appearance the beginning of August.

Hope all are well. This is our second to last entry pertaining to this trip. The final one will include a picture of our Thai souvenir when it finally arrives.

Stay classy world!

John, Nadine, Sophie Christine