Stacy Does India

I'm leaving to go to dinner with David and Suzy in about half an hour, then, we're off to the airport to catch our 2am flight to Frankfurt. From there, I fly to Chicago, have a 5 hour layover, then fly to Orlando! I will arrive in Orlando at 10pm EST (that's 8:30am on Saturday my time). Yep, this trip is going to take a total of 30.5 hours. Worth it? Heck yes!

This past weekend, Anna, Charise, David, Jeff, Mahin and I went to Hampi, a small rural area southwest of Hyderabad. You can't fly there, because there's no airport, so we took a 12 hour overnight train on Friday.

Highlights of the trip...

1. Riding scooters! This was the first time in nearly 4 months that I've operated a motorized vehicle (scary, I know...but SO fun!). I drove on the left side of the road, and didn't crash! I named my scooter White Lightning because it was white, and it was fast...I'm pretty sure it's from the 80s - what do you think?


2. Shopping! I bought some fun jewelry, a few India tshirts to take home as gifts, and an awesome handcarved elephant!

3. Peace and Quiet. Hampi was a really nice break from the hustle and bustle that I've become accustomed to here in Hyderabad (a city with over 6 million people). For the first time since being in India, I didn't hear any honking, or traffic noise -- it was FANTASTIC!


A few lowlights from the trip...

1. Sunburn. I guess I haven't been out in the sun much lately (too much work). I got a pretty nice farmer's tan sunburn to rock when I get home this week. Oh well, some sun is better than no sun, I suppose.


2. Jeff's Crash & Burn. Yep, Jeff was the only one of us to crash on his scooter, the Green Hornet. Luckily, he wasn't going very fast at all, and only suffered a few cuts and bruises. He picked himself up -- and kept right on riding! Nice work, Jeff!

For my entire album of photos from this weekend, click here.

I am so thrilled because we are going to see the Taj Mahal this weekend! I promise to take lots of pictures and video. Don't worry, I'm packing all three of my cameras!

Another, less exciting, update: I'm sick! I've got a sore throat, sinus pressure, achey ears, and a runny nose! Boo! I'm sure my body will kick it, soon enough. I'll take a head cold over being tummy sick any day of the week!

Hope everyone is doing well. I can't believe I will be home, in Florida, with my family in 2 weeks! I can hardly wait!

...our team is not shy at all, and my goodness, they love to dance!

So, about a month ago, when Joel told me he had been 'volunteered' to plan this year's company holiday party, I did what any good friend and coworker would do and let him know that if he needed any help, he could call on me. Well, he did! The past few weeks we've been busy, visiting the venue, working with the hotel staff, meeting with event planners, negotiating prices, selecting a Santa Claus, taste testing food, and more! Let's just say this was way bigger than any Homecomeing or Prom I planned in my high school days!

The party was Friday night at the Hyderabad Marriott's Convention Center. Everyone arrived around 8pm and were entertained by Santa, face painters, caricature artists, magicians, and more. The Google Choir performed Christmas carols, and Joel and I acted as MCs for the first part of the night. After all of the entertainment finished, it was time to eat, mingle, and dance the night away. All in all, I think the event was a success -- I hope everyone had a good time! For the entire album, click here.