I'm back in the US! And WOW! I have been busy! This new job is really making me work hard! So where did I leave off...oh, yes, in Florence....
Did I mention Italy was HOT? Well it was- scorching hot! I could not wait to get back to San Diego! Every day I went back and forth between soaking in sweat and then drying in it. Needless to say I smelled great. And my whole plan about re-wearing clothes went totally out the window, which ultimately resulted in a $300 laundry bill...What? I had no choice! I was on my last pair of socks!
Here I am soaking up the sights in Florence. I love pictures of people taking pictures. Thank you to Doug for this one.
One morning on our way to the hospital we got suck in an EU strike. How interesting! Italians were protesting the EU budget cuts and we were right in the middle of the action!
Thank goodness for skype! It helped me feel close to Joey. We were able to video chat almost every night.
What DO I DO anyways???
So I realized you might be wondering why in the world I was in Europe in the first place. Some of you may know what I do, some may not. Well, I am what is called a "design researcher." I help companies design products that are usable and that people actually want. That means I go out and talk to people who will be using the products we are designing to understand their world - how they do things, the problems they have, their wishes. And I document EVERYTHING. In this case, my company is designing a medical product that will be used in hospitals. So I am out talking to and observing doctors, nurses, biomeds, etc. Here are some pictures of me in action!
"Show me how you do that...."
"What do you think of this idea?"
"Explain how you use this device?"
"What do you think of these options?"
NEXT!
Ciao Italy! Off to Germany! Man, all this travel is TIRING!
It started getting harder and harder to stuff my stuff in the suitcase!
Way too much luggage!
Half free day in Hamburg. What a BEAUTIFUL city!
It was the fourth of July too! And I found a German showing some American patriotism! Well, at least I think so. He was playing the star spangled banner. But I cant read the sign so I hope it was celebrating..
Nice dinner in a biergarten. Pfferlings (I have no idea how to spell that) which are little mushrooms were in season. We ate them at EVERY meal!
Gotta get a sausage in Germany! Here is my currywurst. Unbelievably good. I wonder if I can make this sauce at home...
Out on the town with my coworker Doug. Mmm. German beer!
Germany made the semi finals in the World cup so we had to go see the game while we were there!
We went to the heart of town -we were in a little college area called Gottingen (that I STILL cannot pronounce). Every cafe and restaurant had TVs outside. It was so crazy. Everyone came out dressed up, showing team spirit. There is NO way the US would have this kind of turn out!
Unfortunately, they lost - without a single score. But I was able to snatch a German lei as a souvenir thrown down by a disappointed fan.
HOME!
As much fun as it was, I was so ready to go home. My view from the plane on my 16 hour travel day!
JOEY'S BIRTHDAY
Luckily, I got home JUST in time for Joey's 26th bday. We went for sushi at a place recommended to me by a guy in Italy who swore it was the BEST sushi in the world!
Joey liked it!
And of course, we had to get a special dessert. The next night, Joey enjoyed a delicious strawberry tiramisu in Little Italy.
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
So this weekend is me and Joey's one year wedding anniversary! Yay! It has been a crazy year! We have changed jobs, apartments, states, and lived apart for 1/3 of it! But we could not be happier. It's too mushy to talk about so I'll just leave it at that.
So what are we doing for our big first anniversary you may ask? Well, Joey is at a bachelor party. He forgot and scheduled his friend Pradeep's bachelor party in Jacksonville for this weekend. That's ok though. I mean, this is the first anniversary. He doesn't have much practice remembering. Maybe next year! And to be fair, he'll be home in time for a nice dinner. :)
So Joey is in Jacksonville for your Anniversary! That would have made me mad. You're nicer than I am! Looks like a fun trip. We couldn't ever be apart that much, but nice that you get to see the world! Hope to see you for a little bit in August, miss you guys!
ReplyDeleteCrystal - your understanding of the Pradeep situation should be appluaded - 3 cheers for you! Looks like you had a great time in Europe. Can't wait to see you, just a few weeks!
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