9.4.09

Two years.... I'm not quite sure where the time went. I still remember this day two years ago as if it happened yesterday. Somehow we found a way to move forward, but your memory has never left us. We move forward one day at a time. Still grieving. Still in shock. Sometimes in despair. Yet continue on we must, for that is what you would have wanted. So much has happened since you left us, and I find myself wishing more than ever that you were here to share some special moments with us.

The past year has been an incredible year for your family, one I'm so thankful that they've been blessed to have. God has been so good to us of late. Your sister was such a beautiful bride, stunning in her ivory white dress. I know you saw her and wished her peace and happiness on that October day. I felt you there. I saw you there. We all did. Thank you. Thank you for being there in the only way you could. We heard the waves stop for a brief moment as Danielle and Mark said their vows, and I saw the clouds part and the sun shine down as she made her entrance. It took me a moment to realize it was you giving them your blessing from up above. And with that the day really was complete and perfect.

Grandma turned 80, can you believe it!! I wasn't there for the party but boy do I wish I was, and I know you were missed there too. You always are. I think now more than ever we always seem to reflect on the fact that there was something there you would have loved. We miss your big smile brightening up the room. We miss your pride and admiration for the Lakers and your joy at each and every win. We miss your laugh. We miss you Travis. Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow. That will never change. We will continue to move forward because there is no way to go back. We try to learn from the hard lessons to make our futures a little easier and a little brighter, I know you would have wanted it that way. Sometimes it's hard, especially in those special moments. I wish you could be here to share and experience your beautiful sister's marriage and her soon to be born baby girl. You would be so proud of the strong woman she has become. We are all so excited for baby Madison to enter this world and I wish you were here to welcome her to life with us. Be comforted in the fact that while she may not know your physical presence she will know all about you. She'll see pictures and be told stories about the Travis we all knew and loved.

Two years.... I've spent countless hours reflecting on what has happened and thinking about you and your family, but no matter how much time I spend thinking, part of me will never understand why God took you so soon. It seems so unfair, a life taken at such a young and precious age. I am comforted in the fact that one day I too will be standing in God's glory and then and only then will I truly understand why things have unfolded the way that they have. Faith. In times of tragedy we turn to our faith, we dive deeper into our love and devotion for the Lord and we seek comfort in the fact that all this is somehow part of a bigger plan. God needed you, for whatever reason, more than we do. One day we will all meet again Travis, and until that day comes we will still look for you, in the stillness of the ocean and the rays of a setting sun.

May you forever rest in peace.

xoxo

T

Happy Bday Katie G!

I'm a few days late posting this one...

But I want to wish one of my favorite gals a spectacular bday. Can't wait to celebrate over drinks, good food, and great friendship. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me and to all those around you!

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY KATIE G!

~ T

Perspective

Most of you who read this blog send me little notes from time to time saying how something I wrote moved you, made you smile, brightened your day, or maybe made you laugh. I always smile reading these notes knowing that even as small as it may be, that somehow I've made a positive impact on those around me.

Sometimes I get asked how I am always so positive and so happy, I guess people wonder if things ever get me upset.

I am human. Of course things make me sad, or mad, or depressed, sometimes sick, occasionally really angry. I am not happy and positive 100% of the time....

BUT I SURE DO TRY TO BE

When I was little my Daddy would always say to me, "is the glass half empty or is it half full?"

I know it may sound a bit cliche but the fact of the matter is, I truly believe that most of what happens in our lives is a direct reflection of our outlook and our attitude about life. Nobody's life is perfect, mine sure is far from it. I work way too much. I spend very little time on me. Bad things happen around me everyday. The world seems to be getting darker and darker. But, every moment of every day I have a choice (and so do you). I can look at all this negativity around me and let it creep inside my veins, or I can choose to recognize the positives around me, no matter how small they may be. I choose (most of the time) to focus on the good things, that killer workout at the gym, even if it was short. Or running around the soccer field, even if my team looses. Or the one customer that walks out of my restaurant smiling ear to ear because something we did just made their day. Those little moments of magic make up for all the bad ones, and those are the moments I choose to focus on.

Perspective.

That's all it boils down to. You either have a positive one, or you don't. It's not about where we are at in life, or the paths we had bestowed upon us. It's not about our income levels. It's not about where we live or what we drive. It's not about the money in the bank accounts. Perspective is about you and it comes only from within. It is not what happens to you, but how you choose to view and react to life.

Perspective. I choose to have a positive, upbeat, and happy one. And I'm certain its far better than the alternative.

Think about it. Perspective. What's yours?

~T

invest in yourself

In the world today we are surrounded by causes. Help end world hunger. Promote Peace. Buy cookies for the girl scouts, and give the boy scouts money for their box car races. Serve food at the homeless shelter. Walk 5 miles to help find a cure for breast cancer, alzheimers, cancer, leukemia. Be a big brother or a big sister.

The causes are all around us, and yes all of them are equally important. Do your part. Be socially aware and help those around you. Be generous, gracious, genuine, and sincere. One day it may be you needing that helping hand.

But don't forget to help yourself. Buy yourself that new pair of running shoes or the new bike that will get you up off the couch and out onto the pavement. Take the class you've been wanting to but just haven't seemed to find the time to. Take Sunday off, get out of the office, and go somewhere, for you.

I'm not saying to forget those around us or to neglect the needs of others, but what we have to stop doing is neglecting ourselves. Face it. You work hard. Give yourself a break! It's OK. The to-do list and the pile sitting on your desk, it will still be there. But your health, your happiness, your well being, that can fade away far too quickly and is much more difficult to get back on track. Take the time to invest in yourself for your future and the future of those around you.

I promise you, it is one investment that is guaranteed to reap a large reward.

xoxo

T

To my super awesome hard working brother....

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

I am so proud of you and all of your hard work.

Love you!

T

you receive what you give

People often say you receive what you give. This is true. You want love, give love. You want happiness, share joy. It is my belief that in life what we think and feel are in turn reflected back on us. Life, is a mirror reflecting YOU back at yourself. No one ever said that the circumstances of life would be easy or perfect, no one ever said that life would be without challenge, trials, or tribulations. Life IS difficult. But no matter how hard times get, no matter how rough it is or how bad you want to throw in the towel you can't. You can't give up. You can't always change the bad into good, but what you can change is the way you view yourself, those around you, and the world. I guarantee you, little by little as you change your own inner perspective to that of a positive one, suddenly the world around you won't seem quite so dark, scary, and ugly. But don't expect the world to change for you... you must start deep within yourself.

~ T

make me better

Last night I attended a fabulous dinner event with a few of my closest friends. As we sat around the table laughing, drinking goblets full of delicious wine, and feasting on fabulous fare, we shared stories, life lessons, and some good hearted fun. At one point a group of people were asked how they knew each other and what they enjoyed about the other so much. The response was so simple, yet so thoughtful and so true... simply, "she makes me better."

In relationships we are always looking for the person who catches our eye, the one who makes those little butterflies in your stomach erupt and flutter around like crazy. The person who makes you smile EVERY time you see them. The person who simply takes your breath away. These are all common signs of a bit of chemistry and meddling of the heart. But there has to be more, the "other" needs to push you to be better. For yourself. For them. For your family. For you friends. For everyone around you.

And why do we have to stop there? Shouldn't everyone we allow into our inner circle do that. Shouldn't we always want to be better? It seems to me that is the reason God placed us here on this earth, was so that we could brighten not only our own lives, but those of the people around us. It seems to me that if we can make our closest loved ones, friends, and family better and we can make the world a little bit better, then collectively the world might just become a better, nicer, and much more beautiful place.

~ T

I'M BACK

Yes, I know it has been quite a long time since I've posted, but what can I say.... IVE BEEN BUSY!

A quick recap of the past 2 months:

Graduation
Fathers day
Brothers 28th birthday
Taking over a new store 36 hours before a full corporate audit
Brothers 30th birthday
Boyfriends sisters wedding (SO FUN!)
Semi pro soccer season (heading to nationals, woot woot)
Working LOTS
working on a business idea of my own with the dream team
Finishing my LAST class of my MBA
Did I mention working, LOTS?
Visited my sweet GPA and family in Victorville
Visited my second family, Ron & Christy in San Clemente
Met all the lovely members of Marks family
WORKED LOTS


But people I've got GOOD news... great news... fantastic news...

It has been a complete WHIRLWIND the last 2 years. Chaos. Madness.

I've been BUSY BUSY BUSY.

But... I'm done.

Yup, you read that right.

Done. Finito. Terminado. DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE.

I can sleep again! (indulged in 10 glorious hours last night!)

I know I've neglected many of you over the past few years. That doesn't mean I haven't thought of you. In fact I've thought about you often, but my head hit the pillow faster than my hand could grab the phone or my eyes were just too blurry to write a letter.

It's been a while, but I'm back y'all! And I am so excited to catch up with all of you.

xoxo

T, MBA ( I just had to do that :0) )

Graduation Day

To my fellow classmates, my family, and my friends...

Over the last 22 months, 3 years, or for some of us 4 years we have endured. We’ve read countless HBR case studies, we’ve logged seemingly insurmountable amounts of hours in group meetings, we’ve competed in nationally recognized business competitions, we’ve taken more tests and final exams than we can remember, we’ve traveled the world exploring business and trade from the lens of other cultures and economies, and we’ve developed a strong foundation of business, collaboration, and innovation which will fuel our careers and lives henceforth.

To say that our time here at the GSM has been a whirlwind is no exaggeration. We endured sleep deprivation. We endured malnourishment. We endured seemingly increasing levels of insanity after taking on a full time class load while taking on a full time job. Sometimes it seemed to be too much, but when we were at our breaking points, just when we thought we couldn’t take anymore, just when we thought we were beyond our ability to endure something kept us going. It was all because of you. While you have come here today to pay tribute to the graduating class the real tribute should be paid to you. You are the spouses, the children, the parents, the grandparents, the mentors, and the friends. You were the one’s that listened to us in our moments of weakness and exhaustion. You were the one’s telling us the “end is in sight” just keep on pushing, the reward will come. You are the ones that listened to us rattle off the endless to do lists of reading assignments and papers and while you weren’t physically in the classrooms with us, you were still there, and it is because of you that we all stand here today.So please let me take this brief moment to say Thank You. Thank you for standing by us. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for shouldering a larger burden of the household activities and chores. Thank you for being the rock which anchored us all down and allowed us to endure these past few years. Without you all here today our success would surely have been inhibited.

In the past few years we have developed relationships that will last a lifetime. I am grateful to have been a part of a strong program which has allowed all of us to understand each others strengths and abilities and to appreciate our cultural differences. We have worked hard on projects together, case studies together, competitions together, and of course we have had a lot of fun together. I cannot say enough about how well the UC Davis GSM has prepared us for the future, in a relatively short amount of time. As the MBA program continues to evolve, as marked by our most recent highest ranking ever, I am certain we have been given a solid foundation for future business success.

We celebrate today with mixed emotions. While the program has been challenging and fun we are ready to embrace a new path on our journeys in life. We leave Davis and re-enter the real world with many mountains ahead of us. As our country continues to come back from the recent recession there is a lot of building to be done. I am confident that the UC Davis MBA has prepared each and every one of us for the seemingly insurmountable tasks that face us as today’s future business leaders. While the country may be at one of it’s lowest points in history, this means we have wonderful opportunities ahead of us. Opportunities to do great things. Opportunities to create and change history. Opportunities to change the world of business around us.

If I had to choose one thing that I learned most from my time spent at UC Davis, it is that people make people grow. You’re forced too, that’s life. Your friends at home don’t change, you do and it’s the environment that you’re in that determines your outcome as a human being.What better place then Davis? Obviously, heavy hearted we will part, but we will leave each other knowing that everyone one we meet in life gives us a piece to the puzzle of our being. We meet; we grow, share that growth and move on. Davis has given us the foundation in which we may lay our puzzle, so that we may never lose the beginning of the end here at UC Davis.

As I reflect back on my time at Davis I wish to leave with one piece of advice:

Think for yourselves. Do not find yourself stuck in decision making, following the followers. Do your own thinking, determine your own course and your own fate. Don’t just think outside the box, GO outside the box. Do not be afraid of failure. The world is at our fingertips, our future and our success is at our fingertips.

Believe it.

See it.

Make it.

Congratulations to my fellow graduates of 2011, I wish you the very best.

Where are we going? And who is going with me???

I need a vacation!

<3 T

Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love, but in reality, love is the only thing in this world that covers up all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again. Love is the only thing in this world that doesn't hurt. ♥

~ Re-posted from the lovely Megan McGraw, she is so wise!

Happy Birthday Chandara!

Happy Birthday to one of my sweet friends, the lovely Chandara!

Isn't she just the cutest!!!

I hope you day is wonderful, just like you!

T

(source: pinterest)

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination, full of hope.
Maya Angelou

... and so very full of hope (and love) I am!

And I hope you are too!

~ T

Home

(source: pinterest)

Couldnt have said it better myself !!!

To all the great moms out there, especially my sweet sweet mama, THANK YOU, for all that you do.

xo

T

12 days

12 Days.....

Until I walk across that stage....

GRADUATION.

22 LONG months.

DONE.

I am SO EXCITED I can just hardly contain myself.

12 Days Until Graduation!!!!

As I Am

So just kiss me, and let my hair messy itself in your fingers. Let me steady myself in the arms of a man who won’t ask me to be what he needs, but lets me exist as I am.

Jewel

Best Guy Ever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnVAE91E7kM&feature=youtu.be

Click there...


To all the boys, guys, and men out there.... THIS GUY just set the bar a little bit higher for all of you. I hope you are taking notes!

Incredible, and I'd really like to know how he pulled that one off.

(thanks to Kdubs for sharing)

xo! T

Stop Saying I Wish... Start Saying I Will

I often write about the fact that our lives are what we make of them. Life is a collection of choices which lead to expected (or sometimes unexpected) outcomes. If you don't like your situation you have the choice to do something to change it or you have the choice to stay where you are. If you want something you have the choice to go after it. If you aren't happy you have the choice to change your situation or state of mind to create your own happiness.

Choices are all around us. They are in every breath we take, every moment of every day, is a choice and it is ours.

Life is difficult, no one ever said it would be easy, nor is it supposed to be. Life is the summation of a plethora of experiences defined by our choices. Who do you choose to be? What do you choose to define yourself by? What character do you choose to have?

I understand it is not always easy, you want one thing, but life seems to be leading you in another direction. STOP! Think. Who are you? What do you want to be? Take a breath. BREATHE. This is your life, not your friends, not your neighbors, not your families, not your co-workers, it is yours. Let your life be what you want it to be. Let your life be full. Make the choices that are right for you. Do what makes you happy. Be who you want to do.

It is your life.

How do you want your life to be?

The choice is yours...

T

Charlie St. Cloud

You can’t put life on hold, it doesn’t wait for you.Charlie St. Cloud

Leo Buscaglia

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.Leo Buscaglia

Hard work

... it's who I am. I love it and that will never change.

...

But sometimes, it is flat out EXHAUSTING.

Need Sleep!

T-Minus 70 days.

BOOM.

xo!

Without You

"Without You"

I loved you since the very first day
When I caught you looking my way
I smiled and just knew it
And up until you came along
No one ever heard my song
Now it’s climbing with a bullet

It’s nice to have someone so honestly devoted
But when it’s said and done, boy I hope you know that

The traveling, the singing, it don't mean nothing without you
The fast cars, the guitars, they are all just second to this life
this love that you and I've been dreaming of for so long
Would all be as good as gone without you

Oh Without you yea yea


And people that I barely knew
They love me cause I’m part of you
Man it’s tough to figure

How two souls could be miles from one another
But still you and me somehow found each other


Without you I’d survive
But I’d have to have the notion
That I could live this life
Just going through the motions

~ "Without You" Keith Urban

xo

<3 T

Happy Mothers Day!

A Day Late...

But better late than never.


Happy Mothers Day to the best mom a girl could ask for! Thank you for all the love, wisdom, and guidance. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mamma in my life!

Love,

T

WHY? BECAUSE ITS MY LIFE AND I CHOOSE TO LIVE IT THAT WAY :)

~ T

One and Only

Every once in a while, amidst a crazy, seemingly impossible world, love walks in and brings us a fairy-tale.

I had the most incredible weekend! Mark took me to meet his family (all 6 siblings and some some significant others, AND 4 day old baby Natalie!). It was a whirlwind of a day, but incredibly rewarding.

I am so blessed. I've found a man that loves me more than I could ever have imagined, someone who is a constant blessing, so genuine, so thoughtful, so caring. He pushes me to learn and grow, forcing me to challenge myself to become a better person. He is patient and understanding, he is incredibly handsome, and he is the best friend I could ever have asked for. If you asked me why he is perfect

for me I could go on and on and on and on, but to put it simply, he rocks me to my core.

What is most rewarding about our experiences together is not how every day brings us closer and closer together, but it is the little lessons we learn about each other and life along the way. It was so wonderful to walk into a house filled with so many people, a family united by love, respect, and admiration for one another. The smiles upon all their faces, the joy at time spent together, and the immediate love

and affection for the newest member of their family. More than that their willingness to embrace me and to welcome me into their home, especially during such a private and exciting moment.

One word: inspiring.

God, it seems, really does have a plan for everything. Mark challenges me in so many ways, but he is a great teacher. I can learn from him, and I want to.

I'll be the first to admit sometimes I am not the best sister or daughter. Family dynamics can be extremely difficult, and having spent 7 years of my young adult life away from home I often find it difficult to interact and relate, now that I am home. My siblings and I have a hard time walking the line of sibling rivalry and sibling love. Seeing this large group of brothers and sisters come together and to be so loving and supporting of one another further reinforces the fact that I want that kind of relationship too. I've often struggled with the fact of figuring out how to create that dynamic. Now, I have someone who can help show me, who can help me create that atmosphere. Something that is a gift far greater than anything material.

It is the gift to last a lifetime.

It is the gift of love.

God Bless America

Let it be known, it was not a President, diplomat or politician who made this victory for America happen. The credit belongs to the brave & selfless service men & women who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect our country & keep all of its civilians safe. ♥

April 28th....

Happy Birthday Travis....

I hope you are having the grandest of celebrations up there in heaven with lots of cake, a few balloons, and tons of smiles. We are all missing you down here and thinking of you, especially on this day, YOUR day.

I still don't know why you were taken from us so soon in life, I think none of us will really ever understand except to say that God must have needed you, more than we did.

So happy birthday buddy, and while today is your day, can you do me a great big favor and shine down on your beautiful mother & father, and that sweet sister & brother in law of yours. I know they miss your more than ever.

We love you Travis!

xo

T

Control

Life can bring us all kinds of crazy things....

Sometimes they will say things that hurt you, or upset you, make you angry, make you sad.

People will unknowingly (or sadly sometimes, knowingly) step on your toes, push you around, and test your limits.

Life can bring you up or bring you down, it can throw you a curveball, and can give you an unexpected ending or an unforeseen outcome.

All of this is out of our control.

No matter how hard to try you cannot control others actions. You can't make people do things. You cant force people to believe one thing or another. You can't will anything to happen, you have to make it happen. All we have in life is control of ourselves, our feelings, and our emotions.

We can't always change the world around us, but we CAN change, what we CAN control is our reaction to it.

And if you don't like a situation around you that you cant control... get out, before the vultures eat you alive...

~ T

It's always a win-win situation to tell the people you love that you love them on a daily basis. ♥

Happy Birthday Jeaven!

Today is a very special day, the birthday of my good friend Jeaven.

Vice President of the Dream Team.

Member of the Sac WP DC.

Finance Guru.

We have shared many a good meal, glasses of wine, and laughs. There are countless SBX, coffee runs, DOS, and ZIPFIZZZZZZZZZZZZ memories that we have shared. These past 20 months of graduate school without you, would surely not have been the same.

On a slightly more serious note, thanks J. I hope today is special for you, you deserve it. It is rare in life to find people that you can call your friends whom you know will always be there for you. You are a man of good morals, high integrity, and true loyalty... a combination rare and hard to find in todays darkened world. I am so privileged and lucky to have a friend like you that I can ALWAYS count on. So THANK YOU for being you, and for making my life a little bit more joyful every day.

I hope today is a wonderful day for you... and if it is not just think of this:

Bless you child in CHILE CHILE!

T

You are your choices

I like to believe that our lives are our choices, we are our choices. People talk about balance, balance is the result of our choices. You choose to make the sacrifices because they reflect what is ultimately important to you. You choose to structure your life more in alignment with one thing over the other because it is what is important to you. As we progress in life our priorities change and as such, so do our choices.

Not a day goes by that doesn't further define and reflect the person that you are.

You are your choices.

Success

Over the past few weekends I have been fortunate enough to meet with Art Ciocca (The Wine Group), Gary Rodgers (Dreyers) Louis Rosetto (Wired), Brett Galloway (Packeteer, Airspace, and Cisco), Craig Walker (Google Ventures), Judy Swanson (Genentech), and Marc Onetto (Amazon)... if there is one thing I have learned from these great leaders it is that when you are truly passionate about what you do, that is when you are setting yourself up for success (obvi you need the other skills to be truly successful) and your passion/enthusiasm/love for what you do allows it to transcend the common definition of "work."

Day 1 Chile.... Go big or go home (literally)

Following our arrival on Friday night, we went to bed around 3am. The following morning we drove for about 30mins outside the city and went to a house in the foot hills of the Andes Mountains for mountain biking. To say that it was challenging would be an absolutely huge understatement! It was the hardest bike ride I've ever done in my life period! Everyone from elite athlete to professor said the same (and he does 200mile road bike trips)! It was also one of the funniest rides I've ever done in my life. The weather was sunny and 95 degrees. The mountains were absolutely beautiful. We started out going 30mins up a "mild" 5-7% gradient (that was the warm up). I should have known we were in for a treat when about 1 hour into the ride I go to peddle and realized I had sheared the crank off of my bike (this is the peddle and arm that holds the peddle for you non bikers out there... this means I am clearly VERY strong!!!!). While funny, it is a bit hard to bike with no peddle!!!!!!!! Luckily the guide switched me bikes so I only had to deal with using peddles for clip ons with sneakers (also not easy) for about 90 mins (no big deal, I am a trooper).

From there, the real ride started. The first climb was another 1hr and 15-30mins, and this time there were tons of switchbacks, rivers, places we had to walk our bikes, and at times we could only peddle maybe 20-30ft before we had to get off the bikes and start hiking again. It was the most epic ride I've ever been on! We also had a really nice lunch in the mountains (salmon and some sort of mixture of rice/peas/mayo, and an incredible fruit kebab mixture), had some time to through the Frisbee around, and had a couple bottles of vino (ok... 5, but there were 7 of us?? good thinking Julio our guide... as if there werent enough crashes on the first half). From there, we started the second hill of the trip (I know after a big lunch and the wine). That made it pretty interesting. We were all doing more hiking than biking and it was at least 95 degrees! After about an 1hr and 30min death march (the hills had to be at least 10-14% gradients....spiking to 15%+ at times).....and I'm absolutely not exaggerating. Everyone who went fell at least once if not more (my prof fell twice). Jeaven only fell once, but was able to run out of it. He did however, run into a pricker bush that stuck him like a freaking knife. I have a bunch of little cuts and scraps all over my lower legs, a few on my arms, a slight puncture wound on my hand. (I'M FINE!!!!!!!!!...character building injuries :-)). I fell a few times, I believe twice although it was quite possibly three... ( I blame it on the heat, perhaps it was the wine?) THe last fall was the worst, I was mashing down the mountain when my tire hit a HUGE boulder in the middle of the road, stopped my momentum and sent me flying over the handle bars into a bush and rolling down the side of a cliff... I was fine once my bike got caught on something and stopped me, trapping me beneath, thankfully Jeaven came running to the rescue and held me up by my ankle dragging me up the side of the mountain. I must admit that Jefferson took the cake when it came to falls... you know its a steep hill when the professional biker guide starts walking his bike, but Jeffer decided he was king of the mountain and could take anything on, proceeded to go flying down a trail straight into a massive boulder, popping his tire, and sending him flying into a lake... I wish we had it on camera. It was quite funny, I may have peed myself watching.

The end of the ride was the absolute best! We flew down the mountains at 20-30mph on our mountains bikes for about 25mins. It was the most fun I've had on a bike in a long time. I did really well....and all I can think about is man.....when am I going to get to do that again. When we got back to the ranch many of us collapsed on the lawn to discuss the ride and take in a well deserved Chilean beer. We all took pictures of our cuts and scars......and a couple of groups pics and then headed home (we left at ~ 9:30am - ~5:30pm). My professor summed it up as saying, "there was plenty of mud and blood on this trip, a lot of mud, but mostly blood" Had a great discussion with my professor on the way back about work and work/life balance...and making work life CHOICES.

All in all, it was a great day, super fun, but incredibly exhausting!!! Attached are a few of my favorite photos of the day with a few more from others to come in later posts (i.e. me laying half down the side of a mountain under a bike and a large bush laughing hysterically at myself saying "i cant get up! im stuck! but im ok!!!!!!!!!!!!11 THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!) In fairness the pictures really just do not do the trip justice... we came home absolutely filthy animals and it reminded me of being a kid playing in the mud when my mom would insist i go around back and hose off before she ever let me in the house. I looked in the mirror and I was caked in dirt from head to toe and my gym shoes are practically ruined. We are walking around like we got in fights with giant rolls of barbed wire (thanks to the pricker bushes) and are covered in large red gashes, gaping wounds, and numerous bruises. Good thing people dig battle scars and it makes for a good story....

A special thanks for my co-writer on this post, the infamous Jeaven Mrazeck (Dream Team Affiliate and Vice President)

Goodnight from Santiago!

T

Argentina Day 5 - City Tour and US Embassy

Not enough time to write and the internet here in Chile is sparse... but we arrived safe and sound Friday night here in Santiago. Below are some of my favorite pictures from a walk around Buenos Aires before we left. I have a few posts to update on our weekend here in Santiago as well as our first day of meetings (very full day) and other events... I will try to catch up when I can

A few of my favorite pictures from a walk around the city of BA....

The tomb of Evita

A picture of a crypt in BA

More tombs ( I was quite enthralled with these...)
A tree with really BIG roots
A walk in the park...

Plaza San Martin (Argentine equivalent to George Washington)

Jeaven and I enjoying our "last supper" monstrous breakfast at a local cafe... DELICIOUS!

Argentina Day 4 - Meetings and St. Patricks Day

Happy St. Patricks Day from Argentina everyone! To set the mood for this happy day, check out this song by an awesome up and coming band, The Blair Reinhardt Band. Click HERE

St. Patricks Day truly is a holiday celebrated all over the world. Here in Buenos Aires the tradition is almost as big as in the US with people wearing shades of green, various parts of the city hosting large block parties with bands and beer, and the partying continuing on throughout the night and into the next morning. I tend to be one that stays away from large holiday events where people get out of control and bad things are bound to happen, but I did make time to walk around the city a bit and see the masses flocking to the streets. It was quite the site I must say!

Thursday we had a long day of meetings starting by visiting CAEMe, a large pharmaceutical association in Argentina. They had really nice offices with large meeting rooms and we were treated to a 3 hour discussion on the pharmaceutical and drug industry in Argentina as well as another micro and macro economic/political discussion of the country. I was shocked to see that they had waitresses for us who shuffled around every few minutes refilling our water glasses and coffee cups. THANK GOODNESS for the coffee as almost everyone was a bit worn out from Wednesday nights late night at the Tango show. We also feasted on a delicious selection of medialunas, the most delicate and tasty little half moon shaped croissants you've ever tasted. After the meeting most of us chose to forgo lunch and squeeze in an hour long nap before we headed to the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. Here we discussed the differences between the Argentine stock market and that of the US. Amazingly their market holds less than 120 companies, of which only 40 are actually traded. In fact stocks make up less than 10% of the entire securities market, with bonds representing over 1/3 of the securities market. It was quite interesting to be standing on the trading floor with the head of BASE watching the "traders" hard at work, playing on the internet, one was even checking facebook.... and they wonder why their economy is in the toilet and inflation is at about 27%??? After the discussion at BASE we headed to Merval, a portion of the governing body of the National Securities Commission (similar to the SEC in the US) where we met with two of their head economists to discuss the securities market and Argentine economy. One of the most interesting statistics we discussed was the spread of the country's GDP over the past decade and the controversy of government published statistics. According to the government GDP has varied 3.4% over the past decade with a standard deviation of +/- 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT IS INCREDIBLE and a true example of the volatility in the markets here. (yet everyone keeps urging us to invest in Argentina, um... no thanks?).

We again heard about some controversy regarding the Argentine Prime Minister and the US Embassy so I am quite excited to head to the Embassy tomorrow to discuss diplomatic relations between the country!

I am having a wonderful time here thus far and have decided to stay low tonight to rest up. I am feeling quite well and think I am just about over my recent bout of mono, but would still like to ensure I am getting all the rest that my body needs to recover. Thankfully I have been able to escape the stresses of working and going to school full time and trying to do all the other things I normally do. While this has not been a vacation in the traditional sense and we are rather busy bustling about with meetings and what not, it is still fun and exciting to be in one of the worlds largest and most historic cities! I will be sad to leave Argentina but am quite excited to travel to Santiago.

I am just wondering though... if the market for wine is greater in Chile than here in Argentina, how will we survive? I do not see how we can drink much more than we already have but I guess we will have to give it a try! Tough life!!

Abrazos y Besitos!

T

Argentina Day 3- Cargill, Intel, High Tea, and Tango

Wednesday was a busy but productive and educational day.

Our day began bright and early as Kate and I woke up early to do a WOG (half walk half jog) of the local area in search of some more American coffee. We finally located a McDonalds after looking in several other storefronts but not seeing much of anything. I ordered an espresso doble and was greeted to 8oz of straight espresso-coffee-ish deliciousness. I was surprised to see the employees wearing uniforms made of jeans and the McCafe attendees in very cute professional attire. IN South America the coffee stations are completely separate from the food counter and house a wide assortment of pastries and desserts and the areas finest coffee sensations. After we indulged in our treats we went back to the hotel to quickly shower and scarf down some breakfast. It was a bit of a walk from the hotel to Puerto Madeira where our meetings were held but I just adore this cute riverside community. The buildings and infrastructure in this area is all new, there are sailboats and yachts docked in the port, and fabulous restaurants and cafe's along all the streets. If I were to live in BA, I'd definitely want to live there!

Our first meeting was with Cargill's Argentina (BA) office. Cargill is the largest privately held (by the Cargill family) company in the US and the 34th largest company worldwide with over 131,000 employees worldwide and $107B in revenues. I was particularly interested in this meeting as Cargill is a big supplier of food and products for McDonald's and we are one of their largest customers. A global leader in food and agriculture Cargill has a long history of leveraging its ability to connect expertise around the world to various businesses. Beyond the business discussions we had with the CFO and 1st Manager of the Argentine office I was particularly interested in the economic and political discussions that we had with these candid people. My feelings about these topics were further reinforced when we met with Intel's VP of CSR for Argentina later in the afternoon. Intel, the worlds largest semiconductor manufacturer, generates over $43B in annual revenues and employs of 83,000 people worldwide. I was also rather pleased to learn that Mariana from Intel was a WF graduate who went there on a golf scholarship! Small world! Both of these companies portrayed the harsh realities of operating companies in a environment characterized by risk, uncertainty, and volitilty. I have many thoughts on this topic, but I am saving my full analysis of the Argentine economy and political atmosphere for when all our meetings are finished.

After our meetings Kate and I joined one of her contacts for High Tea at the Palace Hotel Alvear. What a treat this was! I'd always wanted to do a high tea and had not been able to squeeze it in during any of my travels. We enjoyed finger sandwiches, champagne, white tea, and lots of little dessert bites. It was definitely a fun girls day out event! For dinner last night we went to Bar Sur in the area of San Telmo where we sat in a quaint little bar and watched live Tango performances from professional dancers literally right in front of us. They had traditional tango music played by an in house set of musicians and an incredible singer. For anyone traveling to BA in the near future I highly recommend you make reservations for this show. During a few of the interludes the dancers would come out and pull audience members onto the floor and give them lessons. I was lucky enough to be one of these people, and despite my apparent inability to dance, I had a fabulous time trying! I must also note that I believe the Latin men have a liking for me as it seems like every event we go to I end up being dragged on stage and smothered with attention by charming Latin men... tough life! (sorry, Mark ;) I can't help it they adore me! Ha!) The concert pianist took a particular liking to me and proceeded to demand quite a bit of my attention for the rest of the night, VERY entertaining! After a late night of wine and the show we decided to return to the hotel to get some much needed sleep before a big day Thursday with meetings at CAEMe, the BA Stock Exchange, And Merval Economists.

Please enjoy the pictures I have posted with this entry and for those that want to see more I have many many more pictures posted up on my FB page.

Besos!

T