LeahAndMark.com

- Leah  (feeling better now!)

I’ll admit it to you folks and you folks alone. I never really wanted to travel that much until I met Leah. Actually, I had resigned myself to never leaving the United States. See, I wasn’t a US citizen until last… April (had to remember there). I moved to the US from the Philippiines in 1983 and just never got around to filing for citizen ship. Then when I met Leah, the ultimatum came down that if I wanted to be with her I would need to get my citizenship so that I could accompany her on her journeys and travels.

So after some haggling and pushing from her, I eventually filed the apps and paperwork in August of ‘06 and then I got sworn in as a US citizen in April of ‘07. I know, super fast - probably because I’m not on the list of stereotypes that they worry about - plus I’ve paid taxes for 15 years with no criminal record so… why not let me join your country eh?

So now we’re a week away and it’s gonna be crazy. I know I keep talking about it, but we’ve just been planning this trip for SO LONG and now that it’s almost here, I can feel it. Leah will tell you that I don’t really get too excited about things until their happening or at least not until the last minute - up until then all I can think about is the list of things I need to do in order to make it possible. Like this China trip, I didn’t really get too excited until about a month ago - there was just so many things that I had to do to prepare. Writing articles for extra money, setting things up with work to make it possible (and so I wouldn’t just lose my job) and then other factors.

Leah’s great and while I know it’s only a short month that we’ll be gone, I’m hoping, and deep down I know, that when I come back, I won’t fall into any daily sort of grind-rut. Because I’m not in one now, so I shouldn’t be in one when I get back. I actually really like my job quite a bit. MY job is awesome - I’m not sure about everyone else’s, but mine is great. Honest. Really.