Planning our trip

Ireland

We're in the early planning stages of going to Ireland. 

I forgot how much fun it is to plan. John and I discussed a long time ago that once Jona was old enough to walk, talk and help carry her own luggage--then we would start traveling abroad once a year either as a family and or I would take Jona during the off season with dogs when we can get away for a month---- and as long as I have good managing help at our summer business on the Denali. Now seems like the perfect time because not only can Jona do all of the above--plus she is a good, well behaved, smart, curious and happy little girl. She loves meeting new people, seeing new things and is quite helpful. She has a big heart, too. She's still telling people about our visit to Busch Gardens last December.

 So...

At first, it was like.."OK, where do we want to go? When can we get away? What is in our budget for this trip? What do we want to do?" A lot of looking around on the internet at different volunteer opportunities and a little bit of dreaming. 

Looking around.... 

Italy? 

Ah, I love Italy and dream of having a little cottage there one day. I've lived there once as a fashion model, visited twice as a regular Joe and really need to go back when John can join us. Italy is simply...beautiful. Roma, Milano, Venizia and Naples! Italy has so much to offer with stunning beauty around every cornet & it's rich culture & history..I felt as though I was literally walking (or let's say running) through the history books when I was jogging from Trolley to Trolley in sneakers with high heels and my portfolio in a carry bag on my way to modeling casting calls. 

And let's not forget to mention the Real Italian food...Oh Momma Mia, I love Italia!!!  My Uncle Tony is from Sicily and he and my Aunt lived there for a few years--I visited them back in 05 and felt right at home in the country setting surrounded by acres of olive trees, those wonderfully animated and a little crazy Sicilians and little old men herding their sheep through the village of Motta. And all the fat and happy stray dog friends I made. They were well fed and friendly, they would follow me around while I jogged. I had a posse by the end of my stay.

I seriously need to have a little place there one day. 

Africa?

 We looked pretty hard at going back to Africa, I was there in 03 visiting a Dutch family, 100 miles south of Cape Town. I stayed on a 100 acre farm with Lime trees and sheep. I was awe inspired by the culture and the people. I have always yearned to go back on my own and volunteer or teach. The people have so little yet seem so ..hopeful and hard working.  I admire that. The African women and children really touched me in a way that stays with you forever...they are beautiful, simple and yet they carry a heavy burden.

I had spending money to spare that trip and lost all interest whatsoever in spending a dime on me-I gave it away. I gave my money away and felt like it just wasn't enough.

The mountains south of Cape Town were striking as were the Eucalyptus trees. When you visit Africa, you don't come back the same person. At least I didn't. I thought about the African people who worked on the farm, I thought about the women I saw walking barefoot with large pots of water balanced on their heads...I thought about the people for a very long time. I will never forget the children. I was humbled in many of ways. 

London?

I've been thee, too. Great place but again, would be nice to show John around when we return and take him on the London Eye! Australia, another nice place to visit but have I been there before as well and next time we visit the Opera house, I want John to see it....France, been there, too and then a little voice pipes in....hmm, hmm, ZOYA... you need to go somewhere new.... 

Looked at France, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany and Norway, too. It really boiled down to two things. 

1- I'm going alone with my daughter and need to go to an English speaking country since she's so young and communication is so important, 2- a place I haven't been so I can learn something new. 

Ireland! 

I have never been to Ireland and have heard time and time again from others just how wonderful the people are & how beautiful the country is. Well, let's go and see for ourselves. 

 Now comes the leg work! Mapping out our itinerary, comparing flight costs, making calls, booking our tickets, looking up bus lines in Dublin, finding the things we want to do for our first week there, replacing Jona's passport, trying to squeeze in another stop, another country, a few other visits, etc. It's just all starting to happen now! One thing is for certain, I can hardly believe how the airlines can get away with charging a full price ticket for a 3 year old. Jona could still sit on my lap...Ok, I'm not sure I would want her to sit on my lap for the entire duration of the flight as much as she likes to wiggle, wave her arms around when she's explaining things (see, this comes from my crazy Sicilian uncle's side of the family) talks, talks, talks...and sing....(this comes from our french background on my mothers side)  but really, why can't it be more like one hundred dollars for each year? 

  3 years old =$300.00? Oh well. It's all worth the cost but it just seems like a lot of money for such a small person taking up very little space on an airplane. I know, I know..a seat is a seat after all, right? Then I was looking up first class vs coach seats, for fun mostly... Forget it. They can have their warm hand towels and specialty chocolate for this one, I'll bring my own. The price difference? $1,600 or $4,300!

 Last fall, John and I had thought about taking time to visit Europe in the spring, transporting dogs if their was a need and spend a few weeks traveling and visiting friends. Since last fall, most of our close European friends have made plans to come back and see us this August, the demand for dog transport isn't there like it was last fall and we've decided to grow our summer business a little more by building more cabins and structures for our Denali Highway Cabins business (we have just a month and a half to do this) and get licenses to offer boat trips for our paying 

guests. Plus the fact that I've had some opportunities come up that demand my time and attention right here.

 So, April is out. May is spent moving from our winter kennel to our place on the Denali/building and gearing up to open for our summer season and training yearlings on the atv. Our fishing season begins mid June through end of July. This will take John to the western coat of Alaska for a month and a half of commercial fishing for Salmon (this will be his 40 something year fishing)..he loves it, he's very good at it and each year our operation there grows a little more.

 Jona and I will be volunteering during this time. I'll talk more about our stay, work and so on in the next post...

Normally, I would be home on the Denali most of the summer working our business full time. But since Jona is three and the itch to travel is back, we're going to start traveling each summer to volunteer and grow! We're growing lots of things:)) 

As our daughter grows, I feel like it's important to give her the opportunity to see other lifestyles and cultures, immersing ourselves in another culture an lending a hand where needed. It's important to us that she learns the gift of giving..

So, a vacation for me and my hubby together? Who knows..isn't everyday a little vacation when you really have the one you love?? We have a lot we want to do, build and finish. We're two of the most ambitious, hard working and productive people I know..maybe once everything we want is built and in place, we'll feel like we can get away. We're pretty good at sneaking away for little day trips; boating, fishing, biking and hiking. As long as we can visit Valdez in May for our wedding anniversary, I'm good. 

Time flies...hard to believe we'll be married now for 7 years come May 13th!

We're building a summer home on the Denali, the two of us, one log and one board at a time...this will take some of our time in the fall. The structure is up, roof is on and she's enclosed. Our goal is to have the house ready to move into by next summer of 2013. Each summer on the Denali, we move from our two story home and back into a cozy little cabin with two large log rooms separated by a door...

We haul water, split wood for the wood stove and we have a little outhouse.

John built the cabin many years ago--it's cozy and simple and has served us well but a house with a well, many rooms, large bathtub, large kitchen and outdoor patios....will be luxury--once it's done.

The house going up on the hill is special to us--for the first four years together, we would walk up the hill and have coffee, enjoying the amazing views of the Alaska Range and abundant big game & wild life. We would talk about someday having a little seasonal business out there, a family and maybe even building a cabin on the hill...well, it's all happening and feels really good. We've built it all with our heads and hands over the years; the 50 some dog houses, puppy pens, cabins, gift shop, etc.

John came home from a good fishing season the summer before last and said " Honey, you still want to build a cabin on the hill? We're going to build a house!"

We have sacrificed the time to travel together because of all the things we do and want to do to "grow" our life. Dogs take most of our time and money, we'll never trade that for anything. We'll always have dogs and I'll be working on my racing for a long time to come. Hopefully not just working on it...lol.

Looking back, I think when we met we were both like "Wow, we've been waiting to meet one another for a long time and now here YOU are, lets' do all the things we can ever dream of doing and let's do it and don't set any limits, what should we do first?" We always have so much going on in our lives both winter and summer months here in Alaska; managing a busy home and kennel life with 45 dogs, raising Jona, racing & a team of volunteers, a thriving commercial fishing operation and our quickly growing Denali Highway Tours & Cabins business. We're always saying we could use another day in the week but I know us all too well--we would find something to do to fill it up.

Seems like a long time before we fly out but really its just a few months away. We have so much to do before we go and many miles of driving ahead of us. 

Tomorrow, we drive over 600 miles round trip..to look at property in Willow for our kennel expansion--Canine Wellness Center. When you drive anywhere from Paxson, AK--it's a haul.

In between chores, training pups, spring cleaning, writing and land hunting--

I'm looking into things Jona and I can do and see once we land in Dublin. I have set aside a week before we begin our volunteering. I haven't decided yet if Jona and I will take the RailSail and visit London or not...but I'm leaning towards it. It looks affordable and we both will enjoy the ferry & train ride.

Jona is really looking forward to meeting our host family (me, too) and her new friend, two year old, Leela!  

now I must go feed the dogs and pack for our trip to Willow tomorrow. 

zoya

more to come later...

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