ARIGATO!

Once again I am sitting in the Admirals Club and have some time to spare between flights so I can update my travel log. I just flew into LAX from Tokyo. It has been quite a quick trip, which perhaps is ultimately going to help my jet lag. I never really had time to adjust. We'll see tonight if I'm able to go to sleep though. I left Friday morning early with a short flight to Dallas, then a long 13+ hour flight to Tokyo. I ate three times on the flight, watched 4 movies, worked on my computer, read a book, stood for an hour in the area next to the restrooms, slept for about 4 hours. Luckily I was in first class so the seat layed down flat into a bed and I could actually get some sleep. I didn't say one word to the man sitting next to me the entire time, a typical Tara tactic.

I arrived in Japan 1 day and three hours later than I left. So the entire time I was there I felt like I was really sending messages from the future back home. My own little 'Lost' moment. My first impressions of Japan were of great organization, order, respect, cleanliness, and very friendly. Something as simple as standing at baggage claim, the people stand behind a red line and then when they see their luggage step up to get it, no pushing, no talking, no loud noises. I took a bus limo to the hotel in Shinagawa area which was about 1.5 hours ride. We passed Tokyo Disney on the ride and I saw the castle, matterhorn, space mountain right there in Japan. I fought hard to stay awake on the bus ride because it was really the only time I got to SEE Japan, even though at this point it was 13 hours ahead of Miami time. The country was green and lush and a lot of farm land.

Once I checked into the hotel, I went straight to bed. I felt bad, like I should be out exploring, but I literally couldn't keep my eyes open. So I was sleeping at 6:30pm, woke up at 10:30 pm, read a while, went back to sleep, woke up at 2:00 am, called my mom, slept until 5:30 am, got up and read for a while until the sun was up and I could go for a walk. I ventured out through the community, and found myself at the train station area where there was a little coffee shop right next to McDonalds. So I sat for a long time drinking a mocha and watching the people come from the train station. So interesting to watch all of these people just living their life half way across the world from me, no matter what or where, we are all the same. What isn't the same is the McDonalds menu, they are all hot dog value meals! Hot dogs everywhere! After wandering through the shops a little I headed back to the hotel, took a bubble bath and got ready for the day. The day was spent mostly in the competition, coordinating with our photographer, etc.

OK, gotta get to the next flight, will finish this later with photos!

OK ready to finish...
The event was quite exciting, as the USA won the World Championship title for the first time! (our couples took 1st and 3rd) I think I was actually the only American there other than the two couples, so it was kinda fun to cheer on the champions! I spent some time after the event writing the report to be posted immediately on-line and getting pictures from our photographer. We relaxed a little at a little cafe before heading to bed. My flight wasn't until 4pm the next day, but I only slept 3 hours and was up at 6am again. So I went for a walk again, enjoyed sitting at the coffee shop watching people go by, walked through the gardens around the area and took my time getting packed and ready to go. I took the bus back to the airport, with the new world champions, and found out we were on the same flight. So we enjoyed relaxing in the JAL club in the airport (which was EXTRA NICE with a full buffet and bar and massages, etc.) then got on the plane for a 10 hour flight to LAX. Luckily they were more tired than I was and we all slept about 8-9 hours of the flight!

I took another 5 hour flight home while Katusha (world champ) went to see her sister on Dancing With the Stars in LA. (Anna dancing with Michael Irvin) We had sat in the club and watched them practice live through webcam on the computer that morning, so it was interesting to see it happen on TV that night.

It has taken me a whole week to feel 'normal' again. Luckily I wasn't there long enough to really get my time converted, just long enough to feel a little confused. I'm heading to Hawaii now though on Tuesday and going 6 hours the OTHER direction in time. So I just have to sleep when and where I can, which is usually on a plane! This was a cool experience though and one I wouldn't trade, even with the craziness of it all!

Since the last time I wrote . . .

Since the last time I wrote...here are some details of my comings and goings...

New York City - spent 5 days in the 'city that never sleeps' and that was pretty much me. I enjoyed my morning jogs as usual across the Brooklyn Bridge and took the subway up to Times Square on one of my breaks on the 4th of July. Lots of people in Time Square on a holiday like that! The weather was quite pleasant while I was there and it was welcomed. Miami is headed into hurricane season which means hot and humid. The event was well attended and high caliber as always. One of my favorite of the year!

Irvine, CA - home for a week then off to So Cal, such a highlight of my year. I love the weather, the smell, the atmosphere, everything. This was an Arthur Murray event and one that I didn't have any direct responsibilities at, except to be a corporate face. So I had plenty of time for my regular jogs around UCIrvine, trips to SouthCoast Plaza for shopping, a pedicure, laying at the pool, and lunch at Rubios Baja Grill (something I really miss!) I had fun with friends here and pursued a little extra 'friend' time with one of my 'favorites'. =-)

Washington DC - home for 1 day then off to the nation's capitol for another Arthur Murray event, one I had complete responsibility for. The annual VIP Club was at the Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown, so I didn't mind spending 6 nights in a suite there. As this is an incentive vacation for our attendees, my responsibilities at the event are to make sure everyone has a VIP experience, thus I get one as well. Not too hard of work! My mom joined me and was treated to a little VIP exerience as well. It was great fun to have her along to enjoy all the sightseeing and free time I had, not to mention all the little tasks she helped me do as 'work'.

San Francisco - Home for 2 days then off to San Fran for a competition. Nothing really spectacular here, I saw the inside of a hotel, that's about it. The hotel is right on the bay so I did get to run along the water and watch the planes land. And it was cold! In the 60s! Which made for a nice run, but a little chilly in my Miami running gear. I did get to enjoy an In-N-Out burger there, that's worth mentioning! And I did get to see my 'friend' again as he lives there.

Houston - Home for 4 days then off to Houston to see George Straight with my dad. Since everyone else was out of town, it was just he and I and I convinced him to go to the outlet mall for me before heading to the concert. Of course that also meant a great Texas BBQ lunch at the Texas Roadhouse before hand. We missed Julianne Hough, the first act, because it took us so long to get into the stadium to park, and only saw a few songs by Blake Shelton, but Sugarland was really good, a welcome surprise, and then of course Gorgeous Georgous was so amazing. What a legend. It was a long night, but so fun!

Las Vegas - Home for a 10 days then off to Vegas for an event where it was 110 degrees. Actually my runs there were so nice, even though it was like 90 degrees at 6am, the dry heat was so much easier to run in and didn't zap my energy like the weather at home is doing. I never started work until after noon each day here so I got to lay at the pool in the morning each day and enjoy some peace. The event was quite nice and easy, although there were late nights. Which meant on the very last night there was no sleep at all since I had a 6am flight.

I've been home now for a week but head out tomorrow again. With a few days at home now and then I've seen about 10 movies in the theater, watched the final season of Prison Break, and done too much shopping. Along the way I am also working like crazy! A busy season is coming up, not only for traveling for me, but also in the office, so expect me to be a little crazy. It's all good though, I'm not complaining about it all, someday I will want to slow down, but I guess it's not today!

Up next... So Cal, San Antonio, Tokyo, Hawaii, Mexico City, Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, Utah, Ohio...all before Thanksgiving