faster than a speeding bullet...

and i am not talking about superman - i am talking about how time passes here.  we are on a breakneck pace taking in as much of this country as possible in the time allotted.  in order to cope we have had to adopt the slogan - "i'll sleep in June" - because clearly we are not sleeping in May (well, some of us aren't...)

i am not complaining though.  this is truly turning out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life, and i am only halfway through (can that be right????)

we have not had the internet for the last 24 hours or so, which is a shame because we were left alone for our mid-tour "rest" in a rotarian's beach house and were all looking forward to catching up with our updating, both on facebook and whatever personal blogs we may have.  but alas, it was not to be.....so we just stayed up all night drinking instead - lol.

sooooo, i need to get some sleep now as it is almost 11pm, and the day starts at 7 tomorrow and will be full of activities since it is the first day with a new club....

i do have so much to tell....i hope i will get a chance to do it soon....otherwise you may just have to ask me to tell you in person....which is fine given that we all know how much i love to talk!

until next time...

FB - Sunday at 9:15pm

• what a great day today was! we started with a visit to the Aalborg Zoo, and though i have grown up with the world reknowned Saint Louis Zoo always at my disposal, today proved that i have not fully utilized it. the Aalborg Vestre (Aalborg West) Rotarians arranged a guided tour for us through their zoo! for over 90 minutes we were shown around the facility by Per Christiansen, the zoo's Head of Zoology - and i must say, it is amazing how much more you get out of a zoo when someone who really knows what they are talking about is leading you. i may have seen many of the animals prior to today, but i did not know why things were done the way they are or some of the history - and that made a huge difference. the only bad part was that we had but 90 minutes. i think we could have kept at it all day with all the questions we had :-). after the tour we had a great lunch at the zoo cafe. everyone was served a chicken sandwich (very delicious) and their choice of beverage. it's the first time since i left home that i had a chicken or turkey sandwich - and for those of you that know me, you know that i normally have one nearly everyday for lunch - so it was a very pleasant surprise!
  
  i will let one of the others tell the story of the visit to Lindholm Høje as my host - Esben Kold - is downstairs and probably wondering what happened to me since i came up to try and call my mom for Mother's Day (i will try again before i go to sleep mom - but if i do not reach you, happy mother's day and i love you!)
  
  oh, one last zoo thing before i go - the zoo in Aalborg allows you to bring your dogs (on a leash) into the facility! it was so cool to see all the puppies walking around! i can only imagine what that would be like with Huff and Parker....
  
  i will be throwing up pics from the arrival at Esben's home (and subsequent nature hike) yesterday and the outings today before i go to sleep so be sure to keep an eye out!
  
  until next time...

  
  

FB - May 7 at 5:34pm

 i've just created discussion topics for each of the other team members and three of them have already been granted admin access to this page - what that means for you dear reader is (hopefully) there will soon be much more information for you. i have obviously found it difficult finding time to do myself - though that is a good thing because it means they are keeping us very busy with activities and seeing the sites! i have put up the last of my photos from the Hadsten club visit and will begin working next on the Brønderslev club.

we have had an exciting 3.5 days with them so far, which have included, among other things) them picking us up from Hadsten in a chartered bus, a traditional Danish lunch to welcome us, a visit to a farm that is set upon more than 16ft of peat (it was like running on a sponge - or as one of my teammates said, the moon). we have done MANY other things since arriving in Brønderslev (including being received and given a presentation by the mayor of the city) but i do not want to steal all of the thunder from my team...and i also want to have a little time to try and skype back home before we must leave for dinner :-)

so i will end this here. pictures of the last few days will be up soon in a Brønderslev visit album - many pictures of wide variety of different people/places/things so be sure to check them out!

short on time

one thing about this trip - we are constantly busy!  it's 2am now and i am up packing to move to our fourth host club tomorrow - after a vocational day which has me visiting the IT dept of a company (Mekoprint) owned by my current host, Esben Kold.  Esben is a fine man, who has been quite successful expanding a business that his father started.  he has a gorgeous home secluded in the woods about 20 min from Aalborg (at which i am staying in what amounts to my own apartment above his garage).  he is also a terrific cook.  i was welcomed the first night at his home with tender filet mignon wrapped in bacon - i honestly think it was the first meal here that did not involve at least a "little" fish...not that i am complaining...i have loved pretty much everything they have fed me, but it was nice to get some red meet too :-).

unfortunately i have not had time to update this like i had hoped.  it is a little rough when i do not get to make my own schedule....i have been doing a slightly better job keeping up on the Facebook page i started for the trip - it has thoughts and pictures from just about the whole team - and the Rotary clubs both back at home and here in Denmark have decided to use my page for our official team blog.  i do not mind at all, but it kind of puts more pressure on me to keep it up as it was supposed to be just for friends (which is why i insisted on having the rest of the team help administer the site - but hey, that is teamwork!)

soooo, if you are looking for more info, you might want to check it out here.  though i thought i would copy/paste some of the info i posted there in case you do not have FB :-)

well that is it for me.  my eyes are getting really heavy and i am starting to imagine pieces of conversation with people that are not here (and to my knowledge, do not exist anywhere) so i will post some of the stuff you might have missed from FB and then retrieve my clothes from the drier....

hope this finds you well!

one of my first hosts

having a great time so far. my first host is Lars - and though I
haven't spoken with my team members since the airport, I really think
I won the hist family lottery. it's been great so far - food, drink,
sightseeing. i chose to skip the nap and make use of the time with
them, i may regret it later but so far it's looking like a good
choice. I wanted to update a little more earlier, but my phone battery
was dead, and now that it is on I am not getting any service (I hope
the service desk at work remembered to activate the international
plan...
have to go get ready for dinner, but I'll try and update more later!

Bonzo (Lars dog) pictured below

Jamba Juice how I have missed thee...

we are currently in the midst of our Newark layover. the plane to
Copenhagen is scheduled to take off at 5:35 est, so we have a little
time to kill. so far most of us are taking advantage of the technology
available to us to pass the time, though food is definitely on the
horizon....

trip itinerary

i'm still packing (oh...don't act like you are surprised!) but i though i would share this link to our trip itinerary....

http://www.fmu.dk/gse2009/program6060.htm


it's a mixture of english and danish, but definitely understandable....

wheels up in 24.5 hours....

that's right sports fans....the 2010 Denmark GSE trip (v2.0) is a go!  there is an entirely new team assembled (with the exception of me, obviously) and we leave st. louis tomorrow morning!

personally, i'm pretty close to being ready - i think anyway.  i've gotten everything i MUST have, though i'm going out one last time tonight to look for a pair of shoes that would be a bit more comfortable, but i can certainly make do with what i have if need be...i did walk around Madrid in them for 12 days after all...

i will do my best to keep this updated, though i don't know what kind of access i will have to the internet while there.  we will be bouncing around quite a bit - 8 host families in 30 days...but i'm taking my Hackintoshed Dell Mini 9 (THANK YOU JEFF PICKELL) and will update when i can.  work has also approved international capabilities on my phone, and while i won't be using it to make calls (talk about excessive rates), i will try and use it for the occasional quick update, either here or on Facebook.  who knows, i may even bring back "The View from Here" since it was so popular in Madrid :-)

well that's it for now...given how much i still have to do before i leave, my next entry will probably be from Denmark!  (or at least Newark, depending on wifi availability during the layover...)

detour

well, with Rotary GSE trip to Denmark officially cancelled (or at least postponed, though depending on when they would reschedule it, i'm not sure that i could go) and time off from work already scheduled...something had to be done...and though it took a few days to figure out just what that something was, a decision has been reached.

i'm leaving for Spain on tuesday and will be back on the 20th.  i don't have any set plans.  i'm flying in to Madrid so i may use it for a jumping off point, or i may just stay there the whole time and try to ingratiate myself with the locals...i guess i'll figure it out as i go along.

anyway, with the change in plans.  this no longer seems to be the appropriate place to detail my upcoming travel (just in case i am able to go when the Denmark trip is rescheduled, i'd like to leave this area somewhat uncluttered).  i'm going to start a new blog for Spain and beyond, and will post a link to it here once it's set up...

trip cancelled

a team member's wife is apparently sick enough that he wants to stay behind (though he didn't tell anyone until this morning).  beyond that i'm not sure of all the details so please don't ask...
once i know more i'll put it here in case (for some strange reason) anyone wants to know.

i'm thinking this site would be a bit more accessible

than only updating a facebook page. so i'm moving my "base of operations"  to this site.  however, some of the other people on the team may keep the FB page alive.  if you want to check, here's the link (followed by my last and only real post from that site)...

Rotary International District 6060 GSE 2009-10 on facebook



four days from now i (along with the rest of my fellow GSE members) will be on the way to Denmark. i don't think the magnitude of this trip actually hit me until yesterday. it was a beautiful morning, i was driving to work with the top down and was singing my heart out...and suddenly it occurred to me that i had to make that drive two more times and then *poof* i'd be on the other side of the world....

i know, i'm making it sound rather dramatic, after all, it's not like i'm not coming back....but this trip, or, whole experience, has the potential to be life-altering. i mean, think about it...how often do you get the chance to leave your job for a month, and go to a part of the world you've never been to, all for the purpose of meeting new people and learning about their culture - while simultaneously sharing parts of your culture and life with them? well, if you are at all like me, it's not very often. in fact, counting this time, it is a grand total of one. 

anyway, that's just what's on my mind. well, that and obsessing over what i am packing in the hopes that i don't forget anything....

"so...why/how are you going to Denmark?"

i've got that question a lot in the last couple of months.  the answer is simple.  i'm going because i was selected to be part of the GSE representing Eastern Missouri (District 6060) of Rotary International.  before you ask, no, i am not a member of the Rotary Club - in fact, non-membership was a requirement for me to be on the team...


confused?  sure you are...i would be.  just read the passage below.  i have borrowed it from the Rotary docs that i was given at the beginning of this process back in April, and it should clear things up....




"The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women in their initial years of professional life. Rotary districts in different
countries are paired to send and receive professional study groups of four to six non-Rotarian team members and one Rotarian team leader to travel for four to six weeks, staying in the homes of Rotarians when
possible.
Launched in 1965, this dynamic program has built a successful track record at the personal, community, and international level. With good planning, a goal-driven
itinerary, and active participation of dedicated
Rotarians, a GSE can be an exceptional educational experience for both the visiting GSE team and local Rotarians.

Goals and objectives:
The GSE program is designed to develop professional and leadership skills among young adults, so that they can address the needs of their communities and an increasingly
global workplace.
GSE participants follow an extensive and rigorous program of international travel and team activities.

• Vocational visits
— Provide opportunities to observe vocations as practiced in another country
— Impact team members’ long-term careers through participation in an organized program of study, discussion,
and reciprocal exchange of ideas in their respective fields

• Cultural experiences
— Allow participants to study another country and its people, language, and institutions through experiences in an organized and meaningful host program
— Promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide

• Fellowship opportunities
— Encourage team members and host to meet, communicate, and live with each other in a spirit of fellowship and goodwill
— Consider each other’s problems, aspirations, and community concerns
— Foster lasting friendships and international understanding

• Rotarian involvement
— Offers Rotarians specific, practical, and meaningful opportunities for international service by providing
young, formative professionals a different perspective of their vocation in another country and culture"