Traveling with friends!

Hey people!!!  I know you have been DYING for a story from Russia and I am just now ready to appease that request.  I have been home for just over a week now and have not done much more than upload all 800+ of my pictures to Facebook.  If you have the chance to check them out, do so under the warning that the only requests from people before I left included (1) Be safe. (2) Have fun. (3) Take lots of pictures.  So I did all 3 with an emphasis on #3!

Prior to the trip I didn't really know anyone else going.  I mean we had our 2 day workshop in March with a half hour "get-to-know-you, here are more details, did we scare you yet?" lunch but really I didn't know anyone.  Insert a 4 hour plane delay at RDU and problem is solved!

I met Tammy in the first line of the day - checking in at the "self check-in" computers.  We were both at the end of the line and struck up conversation about who knows what.  Probably a lot of "wow how long does it take to check in at the computer?" "why is this going so slow?" "oh, don't get that computer it seems to be giving people lots of fits." and so on.  After checking in, we got transferred to another line the "check in your luggage, get passport inspected, get actual ticket" line.  Joyful!  We also ended up next to each other on the plane to DC...score!  YAY friend #1!!!

Now that I am exhausted already and have yet to go through security, I sit down and strike up a conversation with Bess.  (I know look at me branching out and striking up conversations.  Such a big girl!)  Anyway, we dealt with the whole "my name is... I teach...in..." junk to be repeated at least 25 more times to the other travelers.  She has a very interesting story - she taught the new American Idol in English!  I had to text my mom right away because I knew she would want to know.  So anyway, we got past my little bit of star-struckness and had a unspoken plan to stick together - at least for the day.

After security and knowing that we would be at the airport for a while we decided to go on an adventure to find food; what may possibly be some of the last edible food of our trip (in my mind at least).  As we were wandering we came across Andi and invited her to join us on our quest.  Come to find out through the "my name is... I teach...in..." junk that she teaches at one of my feeder elementary schools.  SMALL WORLD!

From this point on the 4 of us verbally decided that we are going to stick together for this trip.  Short of one small incident, we never left a WOman behind!

Andi, Tammy, Bess, and me in Suzdal, Russia

I am not really sure how my trip would have gone without these girls, but I am really glad I had them!  We had a blast learning new things, being a sounding board when something or more likely someone was driving us crazy, or just to laugh and chat together.  We have plans to meet up at our post-travel workshop and get dinner and reminisce about our adventures.

Traveling 101: If you don't know anyone, meet them!  Some of them may actually turn out to be pretty darn cool!