Scenes From My Life

My hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, is known - in part - for its nearly unbearably humid summers. It is not known for having particularly cold winters. In fact, I can recall more than a few Christmases when the mercury was steadily holding in the 60’s. While New England and parts of the Midwest were trudging through mounds of snow, Atlantans were digging out their warm weather clothing. Last year was different, though. In 2010, for the first time in more than a century, Atlanta had a “white Christmas.” When all was said and done, the Atlanta area only had a couple of inches of snow on the ground. It was not exactly a blizzard. But, watching the snow fall that afternoon, I was reminded of one of my most vivid snow experiences. One of the few times I have actually experienced a true blizzard. It was March 1993. Snow was in the forecast. But, it was not expected to be much, perhaps an inch or two. Certainly nothing worth worrying over. My brothers and I woul...

It did not begin as a great trip. I arrived to find that my luggage was not on the plane. Much of my first night was spent on the phone with the airline, trying to track down my errant suitcase. This put me in a foul mood for the first day of my visit. By the second day, though, my luggage had been found and I was in a far better mood. Excitedly, I set out to begin my vacation. What ensued was what I consider to be one of the best trips I have ever taken. My visit to Washington, D.C. had its share of issues and unexpected events. There were changes in plan that did not come about until nearly the last minute. The weather, too, proved unpredictable, with the threat of a snowstorm constantly looming. It was certainly not what one might consider the perfect trip. But, for me, it was truly memorable. In the months since my trip, I have determined that it was not one, but several factors that made the trip so memorable. Having been to Washington many...

Over the years, I have learned a number of tips about travel. Some tips I have picked up from friends and relatives. Others have come about as a result of trial and error. Here are a few of the pointers that have helped to make my travels smoother and more pleasant: General: Expect issues. Travel almost never goes as smoothly as you would wish. Seek the recommendations of people you know who have visited a destination. Utilize internet resources, including airfare-related search engines. Air: Arrive at major airports at least two hours early. If you are unable to reserve your desired seat when purchasing the ticket,            look again when checking-in for the flight. Join the airline’s loyalty program. Most are free and a great way to build            towards discounted or free travel. Purchase tickets online. Occasionally, airlines post lower fares on their website...

In December 2003, I thought my days of lost luggage were behind me. I had taken a number of flights with no baggage issues. I would arrive at my destination, and so would my suitcases. Given my history of luggage issues, it was a reassuring feeling to leave an airport, suitcase in hand. Then I flew to Seattle, Washington, for New Year’s Eve. I arrived in Seattle on the afternoon of December 30. My luggage, however, did not arrive with me. I had experienced such delays on past flights, so I did not worry too much. I gave my contact information to an airline representative and left the airport, confident that I would have my belongings in a matter of hours. It turns out that I had wildly underestimated the time it would take to retrieve my baggage. Late that night, when I still did not have my luggage, I made my first call to the airline. The representative assured me that it was an abnormal glitch and I would have my belongings shortly. The next...

For a moment, I had to step back. I just wanted to take in what I was hearing. In the midst of the 1996 Summer Olympics, I was at a hotel in downtown Atlanta with a good friend. We were standing aside two other ladies, whom we did not know, listening to a speech on the highlights of Athens, Greece. My friend and I listened as the speaker, himself a native of Greece, spoke of Athens’ history, its culture, and its desire to host the Games. But, it was not the speech itself that caught me off guard. It was the fact that he was speaking in Spanish.   In the summer of 1996, I volunteered with the host committee for the Olympic Games in Atlanta. One of the benefits of volunteering with the Games was admittance into places and events otherwise off limits to the general public. One such area was the bid lounges for the cities competing to host the 2004 Summer Games. For the duration of the Games, the organizing committee of each city had occupied a room at a d...

In hindsight, we should have known something was not right. On our way home from an annual vacation in southwest Florida, we stopped in Orlando. Our plan was to spend a day at the area’s newest theme park, Universal Studios. The park had only been open a few weeks when we arrived. My family and I were excited to be among its first visitors. My parents, siblings, and I arrived just as the park was opening. We purchased our tickets and stood in line, waiting to enter the park. As we made our way through the gates, a park employee handed each of us something that looked like an index card. Excited to get to the rides, we only glanced at the cards, not really taking in what we were holding. It was not until we were in line for the first ride that anyone in my family really examined the cards we all held in our hands. A bright shade of blue, the front of each card was marked with the Universal Studios logo. On the reverse, alongside several lines of fine p...

We had been walking for about forty-five minutes, making our way from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport to the Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. When we were within fifteen blocks of our destination, some of my companions decided that we should complete our journey by cab. Despite my attempts to convince them to keep walking, they were insistent. The trip that ensued was a true New York experience. After a few minutes of trying, one of my companions was able to hail a cab. However, we wanted to go north. The cab that stopped was going south. It did not seem to matter, though, as my companions still got in the cab. One person sat in the front while I slipped into the backseat, between the other two. Hardly before the doors could close, the driver had fought his way into Manhattan traffic. Without warning, he took a sharp right turn onto a side street and began to head north, steadily increasing his speed. Within seconds, the cab was weaving a...