Getting ready for the journey

Right now I am in Panera's in Strongsville where Matt and Shannon are helping me to learn how to connect to the internet in all kinds of places so when I go on the trip I can hopefully communicate anywhere there is an internet.

Last week I went to visit Mom and Dad in Florida as well as attend the wedding of cousin Pam to Will Gammon. It was a busy and fun time. It was a little cold for Florida weather, though.

This week I will be trying to get as many things done as possible before I leave. Like with the help of cousin Dave Gaino, I got the Joe's estate taxes organized and I will try to organize the federal, state and city taxes before I leave as I won't be back until near the end of March.

This is in addition to trying to pack and get ready for the trip down under. Last Friday, I went to Lisa Timoteo's house to have dinner with the gals (Mary, Janet, Mary Beth (Lovey) and Ellen). Besides eating healthy, we drank Australian wine and Ellen brought her poster that she made in 3rd grade about Australian facts to share!!!

Joey came home this weekend to do his wash and see Grandma and Grandpa Solarz. It is always such a joy to see my baby boy!!

My sister-in-law Martha called to invite me to go with her to the Broadway show "In the Heights" about the life and times of a Latino neighborhood in New York City. Great show with upbeat music and rapping, great choreography and dancing and an excellent script. One of the older characters tried to pass along the words of wisdom given to her by her mother whenever anyone in the play asked what they should do. She would just say, "Patience and faith."

So that is what this journey is about...that my traveling partner, Elaine, will have alot of patience with me and that I will have faith that I can get use to this blogging thing in reporting all the fun things that happen along my journey to all of you.

Start of the Journey and the Blog

Hello Family and Friends,

Well, I am starting a journey in many ways. First, in the world of technology, I am starting a blog with the intent to document my trip to Australia and New Zealand and let all of you know about the sites and my experiences from the land down under. Matt and Joe got me a netbook for Christmas so I hope I will be able to plug into some free internet down under to continue the blog.

Second, it is my first big trip without Joe; yet, it is because of Joe that I am taking this trip. It was his dream to visit the land from down under. I'm not so crazy about being on a plane for that long, but I do want to be Joe's eyes and ears to see and hear all the sight and sounds he dreamed about. He wanted to travel the world, but only to those places where English is the native language! So much for his diversity!!!

Right now I am visiting my folks in Florida and will be attending the wedding of my cousin Pam Gaino to Will Gammon in Jacksonville, Florida. So with a little bit of extra time, I am trying to test out my blog before I take off for Auckland, New Zealand, on February 28.

I consider myself lucky that I am able to take this trip, that I have a netbook to blog to all of you, that I have a former colleague, Elaine Leickly, from Lakewood High who will be my traveling companion, that I have family and friends who love and support me and lucky that for 28 years I was Joe's wife.

With that said, I hope you are all staying warm and praying for a big thaw! I also hope this blog works out, and I am able to tell you all about my travels as I experience them.

Love, Gloria aka Strongsville Gal