Tonight / It might get cold eh?

Tonight was good, the cycle is once again on an upswing and I'm loving every minute of it! I still have yet to know a definite on whether or not I'm going to be staying in Luxembourg, but so far its all good.

As stated by the Underground Weather Forecasters, I'm in for a treat this coming week especially on Thursday!!! So it begins...can anyone send me some Long Johns SOON!!!! Oh yeah, I'll be needing a Focus Air Beanie too!

5-Day Forecast for Luxembourg: EXTREMELY COLD!!!

the possibilities...

As much as I would like to come home, the possibilities out here are plentiful. I mean, the sense of managing an international station of a cargo airline is awesome. Even though things are said to change and get better, I still will have to wait to actually see the fruits of that tree.

As I have come to find out, home means more than anything to me. The possibility of having a family and being home with them just means too much to me. I always find myself talking about the future in this business to see whether or not it is conducive to family life, and it just really isn't. What am I suppose to do? I find myself at a very huge crossroad.

a good lesson is learned

These last few days (or weeks) I can't really tell because time just goes by at light speed has really brought me on a spiritual, growth, psychological, emotional, all over the place roller coaster. From debating my purpose here in Luxembourg to where I want to be in general; all these questions just really started to bog me down. I've noticed myself not dealing with things again. I'm still working but the details of my own life are getting left behind.

On my way to Amsterdam yesterday, I got to drive and just do a lot of thinking. Being with all the crew members and even meeting some cool people at Aero Ground just made me feel better all around. Things were looking up. It was a mess in trying to do my job because of security clearance issues, but I still was able to complete my mission (change out those Jepp bags). I got a room at the Novotel and enjoyed the night hanging out.

Today, I had the oppurtunity to drive with one of our assistant chief pilots back to Luxembourg. We took a rather scenic route back to Luxembourg through Bastogne which provided some good time for conversations. The gist of it though came at the end when I just started to speak about what was going through my head. "Don't let false obligations get in the way of oppurtunities." I needed to quote that because it just made sense. I'm missing my family and that is definitely a reasonable obligation, but the purpose of me being here is to grow and learn. That is an obligation that I owe myself perhaps. I don't know how to reason it out, but its slowly beginning to feel right. I know that I've all the time later on to "hang out" but as long as I'm learning and am able to take something back with me, then its all good. I have to handle my workload and budget what I'm suppose to do and not over work myself because that's where things go a little crazy. I have to give my mind a rest really.

I'm glad that I'm finally coming to my senses. It's taken a lot out of me, but as long as I'm able to *tune* Always think of the bright side of your life *end tune* then my head will remain straight. Thanks for everything guys!

Thanks mom and adelle too. Calling it homesick just gave it a definition but talking about always helps. Sorry for venting Manoj. Things are looking up! Hopefully...

General Patton's Grave and Bastogne

I promise that I will find some time to write out a little more as soon as I get a time to relax. I'm dead tired now but until then, I've uped more pix. (note: the other gentleman is a Captain / FO for Focus Air that actually wanted to come with me on the drive back to Amsterdam so it actually wasn't that boring. Thanks Mike!

http://www.elijahnicolas.com/cphoto/thumbnails.php?album=13

Check out these new pix. I have so much to write, but its just been crazy here:

Monday: 10 hours of work
Tuesday: 14.5 hours at work
Wednesday: Drive back to Amsterdam and switch out Jepps
Thursday: Drive back, if Wednesday was successful, to Lux
Friday: more Jepps! It's just crazy!

2 Hours Lost in Lux

updated

So, as the story goes...Greg took me to Uptown, Luxembourg where we had really good pizza for about €12.50 and some change for water. All in all, if I eat one meal a day for < €20, I'll seem to be alright. This of course considers the fact that company is paying for my breakfast in the hotel. Now, when I move into an apartment, I don't know what's going to happen. Everything is really expensive around here.

Anyways, back to the story. After the pizza, Greg offerred to show me the way back, but I really thought that I could it being that I drove around a little bit on my own. I was starting to get the feel for the area, but oh boy I was wrong. Initially upon arriving in Luxembourg, I was told to follow the signs to Ettelbruck in order to get to the Hilton. I did assume then that the Hilton was in Ettelbruck. In correlation to the map, I underestimated the true size of Luxembourg because Ettelbruck was up north quite a ways. (I don't have any type of GPS in the car because Budget didn't get me the CD nor did they have one. And it isn't the nice colorful map that you might be thinking off either) After departing the Onesto Pizza Place, I went down the hill, made a left then an early right which didn't look so familiar and then ended up with a sign that said no entry. I turned around, headed back up the hill, and went the other way. I was relieved to once agian find my way to signs saying "Ettelbruck."

So, I continued to follow signs for Ettelbruck passing up one that was slightly covered that said Hilton on the left. The hill / mountain that the Hilton was on was covered in a little fog so I wasn't able to catch it on my right, so I continued driving following the sign for Ettelbruck. I noticed that I started getting into places that I didn't recognize. I drove into the city of Merche and Diekirch just circling Ettelbruck, but after that, I decided to start asking people where the heck I was or where to go. The first two people that I asked (gas attedant and a passerby on foot) didn't speak english or when I said Hilton, they said no hotel here. I finally found a McDonalds where the drive through person understood me a little, but he said that he didn't know of any in Ettelbruck. He only knew of the one in Lux!? I was like no...but then just told him to show me the way. He then said that the Hilton is on a hill when we drives to work. I got excited, asked him where he lives and eventually found myself back to where I began the night's excursion. I did pass by the University and a tank display with an American Soldier Statue which was cool. I also saw signs that said Bastogne which is about 1.25 hours north. That's when I decided to turn around really.

So, when I got back to my original starting point, I eventually saw the sign that I missed and ended back home about 15 after 12. Exciting times in Luxembourg!