Updates

It's been a while since I've been on. Work has been really busy for both Ryan and myself and we're ready for a break. In two days we leave for India and Sri Lanka and we couldn't be more ready. Also, some good news... our rotation here was extended by two months so now we have added two more vacations. We'll be going to Australia and New Zealand in the beginning of April and after our rotation here is done we'll be going on a cruise with Ryan's parents out of Japan that stops in Russia, South Korea, and China. Then for me it's back to Texas (for about a month) and for Ryan on to our next rotation where ever that might be. So if you're wondering here's the schedule:

• Oct. 26 - 30: Bali, Indonesia (check)
• Nov. 4 - 7: Bangkok & Krabi, Thailand (check)
• Dec. 24 - Jan. 1: India & Sri Lanka
• Jan.19 - Jan. 24: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Siem Reap, Cambodia
• March 3 - 5: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
• April 4 - 15: Australia including Sydney & Melbourne and everything in between (that's right we're road tripin' it) & New Zealand including Auckland, Queenstown, & Christchurch (another road trip between the latter two)
• May 31 - Jun 13: Japan, Russia, South Korea, and China

After this rotation is done we would have traveled to 15 countries! (Including Singapore and possibly a business trip that I might tag along on). I'm shocked we have been able to cram this many places into such a short amount of time.

On another note, we just celebrated our one year anniversary. It does not seem like a year could have gone by this fast! I just can't believe it. Ryan took me out for a fancy date and then to see Wicked at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and it was amazing. Great show, I recommend it! Anyways.... I will officially be back in Texas June 14 at 3:05 pm! :) I'm so excited to see my family and friends!

Thailand & Back to Work

Thailand was absolutely amazing and Ryan and I hope to go back before we leave. I've posted pictures on my photography blog and facebook. We stayed two nights in Krabi and one in Bangkok. When we fist arrived I was a little skeptical. A storm was rolling in just in time for us to get poured on our longtail boat ride to the resort.

Luckily this was not how the weather stayed for the duration of our trip. It was gorgeous the rest of the time! Krabi was mostly about relaxing on the beach and enjoying the super clear water! Our second/last stop in Thailand was Bangkok. I was a little worried about this as well since the news depicted half of Bangkok being washed away. We were lucky because our hotel and the areas we toured were unaffected.

We arrived from Bangkok Tuesday morning at 2am. Lucky for me I started work Tuesday at 8am. Hard day because of the lack of sleep but I am happy to have a job. Although now our pristine white apartment is not so pristine anymore. There's a lot more clutter and Ryan has officially run out of undershirts. I warned him though this would happen if I were to get a job, haha :) So now weekends will be started off with a couple of hours of laundry and cleaning. Which is OK, since we now split the work load.

We have a little bit of a break from traveling, our next trip is India and Sri Lanka and we leave Dec. 24! During the meantime I hope to get my Christmas cards sent out, mail Christmas presents, somehow make a dessert for Thanksgiving with my one pot and stove I have, and steer clear of shopping on Orchard street. I will not cave in to these ridiculous prices! For instance.... I have ruined my basic black work heels so I thought I'll just go to Nine West and pick up a new pair, "$50 I can do $50 dollars." Haha, over $200 for the MOST BASIC pair of black heels at Nine West. I'm holding out.

November 2, 2011

So I guess I'm not "The Traveling Housewife" anymore. That's right, I got a job :)  I have to admit I was getting use to lunching with the ladies, Friday morning coffees with the ladies, shopping afterwards and what-not. However, I am excited to start work, a little extra cash never hurt anyone ;) I officially start Tuesday, November 8'th. Which works out nice because Ryan will be in London that week.

So Bali was amazing and I will be posting pictures on facebook and my photography blog soon. We stayed in Ubud, which is basically in the middle of the island. Ubud is a very artistic town that thrives on rice and art. We went water rafting, trekking, attended a cooking class held in a traditional Balinese home, had three massages (that's right, $30 for a 90 minute massage, yes I will take three please), and saw the very touristy Monkey Forest. I could go into detail about everything but I think the pictures will tell a better story. Ryan and I will definitely be heading back there one day. But for the time being we have several other countries on our list we would like to see before we start repeating. We actually leave for Thailand on Friday. We go to Krabi first for a couple of days and then to Bangkok. Yes I know... Bangkok has been everything but washed away and we're waiting until the last minute to make the call whether or not we will be staying in the city. We still have to at least go to the Bangkok airport to get back to Singapore. (Wish us luck).  

Travel Time!

So we've been here almost three weeks now and have booked several trips already! We couldn't help ourselves, we're so excited!

Here's the schedule 

• end of October we'll be in Bali, Indonesia
• first weekend in November we'll visit Thailand including Krabi and Bangkok
• over Christmas break we'll be in India and Sri Lanka
• over Chinese new year in January we're going to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Siem Reap in Cambodia
• first weekend in March we will be in Hanoi & Halong Bay, in Vietnam 

We hope to schedule a few more trips maybe to The Maldives, Phuket, and last but not least (and certainly) Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.

I can't wait to starting taking pictures of all these awesome places!

On another note, we went and explored a little this past weekend. Friday night we went to the famous Marina Bay Sands (hotel with the three buildings and the boat on top). It's not even a five minute walk from our apartment, it's right across the bay. We went shopping a little in the hotel mall and saw some really cool stores. Ryan has found his all time favorite store, The Wright Gift. I have to admit although the store carries no clothing or shoes it had some really neat gadgets. Here's the website, http://www.thewrightgift.com/index.php. We then agreed that if we won a large amount of money in the Marina Bay Sands Casino we would come back to the store and buy something spectacular. However since we were having such a fabulous time I thought the casino was better off with my money, so I left it at the black jack table instead ;)

So after loosing money at the casino we took it easy on Saturday finalizing most of our trips. Saturday night we had Eric and Christelle over, one of Ryan's friends from work and his wife. It's been great getting to visit with them. They've taught us a lot about Singapore that we didn't know.

Sunday we went to Sentosa Island (http://www.sentosa.com.sg). Sentosa is only a five minute train ride from Singapore and has many activities including indoor skydiving, a zip-line, butterfly exhibit, aquarium, and other things to do. It also has a bridge to the most southern point of Asia, of course we went.  

We're Here!

After a 25 hour plane ride we're finally here! Ryan and I have finally gotten over the jetlag and have settled in our new apartment. We're located on the bay at The Sail @ Marina Bay. Our apartment, although sparse, is comfortable and spacious. Singapore is by far the cleanest city I've been to. Very metropolitan, busy, lot's of shopping, humid, and expensive. I would compare it to any major US city. Everyone speaks English and all their signs are in English which is good for us because I'm not sure learning Mandarin Chinese in six months is possible. I'll be out and about this week taking pictures of the city but in the meantime here are some pictures of where we live.

We have three of these pools :)

That's our building directly behind Ryan.

The latest...

Well only 15 days until we leave! There's is a lot to do but I've been a little distracted with the Magnolia wildfires basically knocking at our back door. The fires started September 5th (I believe) and I flew in from Indianapolis on the 8th. I counted six fires from the plane. Today it seems as though the fire fighters have most of it contained. Tonight I will be volunteering at the shelter in Magnolia for the victims and hope to get some up-to-date (and true) information. Too many rumors to keep everything straight. But just in case I have kept my suitcases packed and ready by the door.

In the meantime I'm enjoying hanging out with my family and friends. I know it's only for six months, but they won't be just a phone call away anymore. So I will cherish this time :)  I know Ryan misses everyone too. He will be here for four days before we leave so luckily he does get to spend some time here even though it's not for very long.

On another note I will be updating my photography blog soon. I have many pictures from DC and the airshow in Maryland to add.

My next post for this blog will probably be once we get to Singapore! So weird to think about! :)

Gearing up for Singapore

Ryan and I are so excited about Singapore! We can't wait! We leave the day after my birthday. On September 27 we'll  be boarding a plane heading to the southern hemisphere. I have habitually been cleaning out my closet every several days, scared I'm going to be significantly over the weight limit (again). Luckily we get to leave out of Houston. I'll be there for three weeks before we leave hanging out with family and friends. There is still plenty to be done. Number 1: finishing all the food we bought thinking it would be gone by now. (I think we can achieve this goal). Number 2 and probably most important: finding a place to live. Number 3: finding a job for me. Turns out I can work with the visa I got! I have to say I'm excited. Indianapolis has been kind of slow with no job. Number 4: finish downloading all my Friends episodes to my computer. (I'm just not sure if I can do without my Friends episodes.)

Also, just a reminder... we would love to have visitors, just let me know if you're interested!

And on an unrelated note, check out my photography blog. I took some cool pictures yesterday at the Indiana State Fair. http://lagoodnight.blogspot.com/