Travis Loves Heather!

October 23-25

Thursday morning we got up before the sun and went to the airport. Max flew back to Denver and I met Brian past the security checkpoint to hop on the second leg of his flight into San Francisco. We metMom and Dad at the hotel and wandered up to Sebastiani to take a tour and taste some wine. It was fantastic, we got to taste som fresh Syrah grapes they were harvesting, and enjoyed a really lovely afternoon all around the Bay.

Then it was wedding time. Lots of bows to be tied and cake to be decorated. Brian was so patient, and I am so glad that Mom and Dad joined us to celebrate!

Heather and Travis said "I do," outside on the back patio, and we danced the night away with her family and friends. It was good to visit with all of the Adlers, and I got to meet Travis' family for the first time. I had actually met all of the other bridesmaids on a previous visit to Berkeley, so it was fun hanging out with them and helping Heather. Sunday morning we got up and checked out of the hotel, and caravaned into San Francisco to brunch with Dad's friend Gary. He has a beautiful apartment downtown, and we enjoyed watching the fog roll in as he showed it off and shared some wine in his newly remodeled

kitchen. It was the perfect weekend getaway, and I really enjoyed spending time with everybody there. We all headed back to the airport together, and I flew back to Phoenix to dive into the second module of the tri, while Brian and Mom and Dad headed back to Denver.

Home Sweet Home

Alright, I will admit that I lost track of the past six weeks, and am belated in these updates. So bear with me, but you will get the full story!

October 17-19
I got to fly home for the weekend between the first module and Career Week. It was a very mixed experience for me. First of all, it was a phenomenal weekend to be in Boulder. The aspens were gold and the ash were bright red, and the sun was brilliant. I was able to see a lot of friends and family that I have been missing, and after the previous week's frenzy to complete so much coursework, it was good to be able to catch up on sleep in my own bed.

I received an email that weekend informing me that I had not been nominated for the module in Monterrey, Mexco that I applied for. This was particularly disappointing because the opportunities to study abroad and be exposed to Thunderbird's international relationships is the reason I chose Thunderbird over traditional MBA programs closer to home. Being home and being confronted with all of the things I have sacrificed to pursue this program, and then realizing that I am not going to be able to participate in everything I wanted to was extremely difficult for me. Existing in a state of perpetual physical and emotional exhaustion is a lot to overcome, especially with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Everything at the house was so comfortably familiar, and I was ecstatic to see Bosco! He was hilarious, every time he saw me he would do a double-take and get excited all over again. It was heart-warming to see that he recognized me and missed me as much as I miss seeing him everyday.

At the end of the weekend, I said goodbye to Brian, and Max flew back to Phoenix with me. I had a few workshops here and there throughout Career Week, but for the most part I was able to relax. Max needed to see Jack and Lisa before he left the country, so we took a day and drove up to Jerome. It is so pleasant up there, I love being able to get away and retreat from this hectic world I live in. We had a lovely visit with them, and then returned to Glendale...