I'm Home!

And what a trip it was.

The sprained ankle I suffered on the first day was a pain (literally), but not an insurmountable issue. My kind travel companions helped me about and lifted my spirits when I'd start to get frustrated by my limited mobility. I'm happy to report that the swelling has gone down quite a bit and it only hurts first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. I expect to be back to normal in a few more days.

As for work, my involvement in the training was to include wandering around the training room during our sessions, answering questions and solving techincal problems. But training people who speak English as a second language turned out to be more demanding than we'd anticipated, especially with the training center's Internet access being so painfully slow. After two days, the session leaders started to feel and show the strain, so I started leading some of the sessions, which worked out well for everyone.

Outside of work, I had a nice time getting to know my co-workers. In the evenings, we would gather together to unwind and relax over dinner. Every meal was fantastic -- great food, nice conversation, a few good laughs. Always a pleasant way to end the day.

Wednesday night, we went to Venus Jewelry. My co-workers had been babbling about this place for weeks before the trip, saying that it was the place for beautiful gems and jewelry at amazing prices. I've never really been into jewelry, but curiosity got the best of me and I decided to tag along. I ended up falling in love with, and buying, a black star sapphire and white gold bracelet. They also had a gorgeous matching pendant, ring and earrings, but I couldn't justify splurging that much.

Our last evening was particularly fun. While the rest of the group went out for some last-minute shopping before a late dinner and our 1:00 AM departure, Lori and I spent a few hours relaxing in the hotel's outdoor cafe, enjoying a bottle of wine and watching people come and go. As time passed and the wine disappeared, off came Lori's clip-on ponytail. It happened to match my hair color perfectly, so, naturally, I had to try it on.

So, it was a good trip and a nice ending to the traveling madness of the past few months. Now, I'll enjoy staying home for the foreseeable future.