In October of last year we had the chance to travel to 6 of the US states. It started in California where I attended class for the weekend, then a few days in Palm Springs so Isaac could see where I used to live and to meet Harley and a few of the old gang.

We then flew to NYC so we could spend some time with Giovanna And Marcello. It was really fun to spend some quality time with them and they were such gracious hosts. They have done such a great job remodeling their co-op in Jackson Heights (Queens).

Ironically, Sven and Pookie from Palm Springs and Doug Dosdall from Canada all just happened to be in NYC at the same time, so we were lucky enough to spend some time with them too.

Then we made our way up by train to Connecticut where I got to meet Isaac’s sister, Melissa, for the first time. We both got to meet her boyfriend for the first time, who was very nice (but I forgot his name – shame on me). Melissa is studying for her Ph.D. at Yale, so she gave us a fabulous tour and cooked us a delicious meal. It was neat to meet more of Isaac’s family.
Afterwards we jumped back on the train and headed into Springfield, MA, where my parents picked us up. Da-da-da-da! The moment of truth when Isaac gets to meet the folks. But it all went smashingly well. I mean – who could resist him? And really…who could resist my adorable parents?

Here we have a picture of Isaac with Nellie (my mom’s best friend) and my mom, taken on a day we went to visit with Nellie at her house. She was watching a football game (as usual) and took some time out to visit and feed us some delicious Lithuanian cheese (yummy!).

We spent a few days with them and took a tour of the Fall foliage through parts of MA, NH and VT. The roughest part of the trip was the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet where Isaac over did it and then got a hiccup attack that lasted all night. He literally had to sit up in bed the entire night and never was able to fall asleep. You know me. I fell right asleep after saying, “I’m sorry honey. I hope you feel better.” (I mean, what was I supposed to do?)

Another highlight of the trip was getting the chance to see my nephews: Zachary, Anthony and Shawn. They all live in Webster, Massachusettes with my half-brothers and sisters and my birth mother. We had a blast playing with the kids. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children grow up! And the visit was much too short, of course. Here are a couple of pictures. Uncle Isaac has Zachary (in the orange shirt) and Anthony in his lap and the other picture shows off the adorable Shawn in his new little cap.

We actually had to take the train back to NYC, then fly back to LA and then make our way back to Costa Rica. So the end of the trip was hard on us. But we did get a chance to see “The Producers” on Broadway, which we both really loved. It made everything worth while! Now we’re both hoping to go back again for Christmas of 2005.

Last but not least, we met up with another good friend of Isaac’s at the airport. Her name is Dayi. She grew up in Costa Rica also, but is now studying in Los Angeles. It was my first time meeting her. She was a riot! Here is a shot of us being silly at the airport waiting for our flight. We miss you Dayi! Hope to see you soon….