100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

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We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...
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My Portuguese (Por TOO Gayze) classes are going well. I joined a meetup group of folks who want to practice Portuguese. Very nice. It was inspiring. As someone said, "Learning a language is so empowering!"

The soup is my favorite Korean Number 5

I have been flying, I was in and around a lot of fluffy clouds today. I forgot to take pictures. It is breathtaking being around those huge pillowy things. I am in likelihood going to start my instrument and complex/hi performance training in August.

I expect to close on my house in Duluth this week. It has been a long time coming. I believe I passed the last hurdle. Foreclosures can be difficult... even for buyers.

We sold my Mothers condo in Upstate, NY. The realtor and seller's attorney didn't do a very good job and there is some additional action to make things right. They send emails, can't seem to read em.




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David said…
Indeed, these 'huge pillowy things' (aka clouds) are amazing, can't stop taking pictures when I fly. Never ceases to amaze me: the shapes, the colors, the feeling of 'freedom' above the clouds.

But: clouds for me are also synonymous for some 'rough moments' when flying through them. Not that I'd be a 'chicken' in the classical meaning, but of course I prefer smooth rides :) So I am always wondering how it is when flying through a big pile of clouds with a 'small' airplane as the one you usually pilot yourself. I am thinking: if a commercial airplane shakes notably then a smaller one must not be something for the faint of heart, right?
9:39 AM
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