2009

Here it is, officially over half of the way through 2010, and I am just getting around to writing my 2009 blog entry. Somebody famous and decidedly late said that punctuality is the virtue of the bored. 2009 was definitely not a boring year so I will excuse myself. :)

Andres and I travelled to Peru and hiked the Inca trail with his twin, Mauricio, and Mauricio’s wife, Marcela. We flew directly to Lima then took a small plane over the Andes to Cusco where we adjusted to the altitude. Cusco was a beautiful small town with both Incan and European influences and a surprisingly global selection of restaurants. We tried mainly local dishes, many of which were delicious, but the cuy (guinea pig) was a little disconcerting. All in all though, Cusco was absolutely charming. I could spend another vacation just hanging out in Cusco.

After 2 days in Cusco, we embarked on our four-day hike. The first day was my favorite. There were only a few short steep climbs, and the reward was the most astounding starscape I have ever seen. Words will not do justice, but suffice it to say that there are billions of stars in the sky and from most inhabited vantage points, you might see up to 100 on a clear night. From our camp the first night, I could not even count them. I have never seen anything as magnificent in my life. I guess it would be like thinking your pool was an impressive body of water, and then you see the ocean.

After our trip to Macchu Picchu, we began a tradition with a group of friends in which we go to a cabin in the mountains every quarter. I appreciate the time to relax and feel time slow down a notch.

The summer brought the farewell of a few of my favorite people. Both Emily and Patrick left Atlanta to go to business school. Incidently, they are both younger than me. Their departure made me feel old, a feeling exacerbated by the fact that my eldest niece started college in the fall. We were having tea parties just a short while ago, and now she is technically an adult. From my point of view, her new independence is another example of how time flies before you notice, especially when you’re the signpost and not the car.

I purchased a house in August. I rent the home to a very sweet family that maintains the yard and the house. The same day I closed on the house, Andres and I went to the beach with a group of friends, and I was presented with a new opportunity in segment marketing at UPS. My job in segment marketing has been a fun challenge thus far. We immediately went through several weeks of “bootcamp” to create our segment plans, presented them to the SVP of marketing and are now executing those plans. It’s an exciting change.

In September, we went to El Salvador to celebrate Andres’s birthday. Maurice and Sharon came along, and we had a blast. The highlight for me was our trip to Cecimar – Marcela’s family’s property that has natural pools when the tide is low. The ocean there is deceptively calm until the tide comes in and reclaims its territory.

My youngest niece, Margaret Ellen arrived on November 11, 2009 after much hesitation. She was overdue, and Jenny was in labor for over 24 hours in the same hospital Joe went for treatment. That same day, I attended a wake for a longtime friend and mentor of mine that I had known since middle school in various capacities. November 11 was an emotional day on many fronts. Baby Maggie turned out to be a little joy with big blue eyes and a great disposition, and she continues to get cuter every day.

2009 ended on a high note. Newly engaged Mary Margaret and Dan, Vanessa, AJ, Ryan and Kari, and new friends Sean and Shailah converged with old friends from Atlanta at the Spences’ home in Roswell for New Year’s Eve. It’s going to be tough to match in 2010.