Vail day three

Injury report:
Sore left hip (from arthritis, not a fall)
Sore left ankle (from a fall)
Sore right knee (from a boot problem)
Sore right thumb (no good reason for this)

I took it very easy this morning and concentrated on my skills. I did not fall today or yesterday. Skiing today was better also because it wasn't as busy. I never had to wait to get on the lift. We spent lots of time waiting in lift lines yesterday. The waiting was very hard on my feet. My ankle injury yesterday was from falling in the lift line - not falling while skiing.

Vail kicked my butt. But I would totally come back.

Good-bye Vail 2010. Hello Park City 2011.

Vail day two

I should have kept track of the number of times I said "wow", "amazing", or "awesome". Vail is 10 times more beautiful than I could have imagined.

The altitude has been difficult to get used to. I am very tired. But it has been an exciting trip.

I am struggling to come up with a good metphor to compare skiing in Minnesota with skiing in Vail - but I just haven't been able to put it in words. The skiing in Vail is so much more challenging than I've ever experienced before. I love the long runs - we don't have them in Minnesota - but they are exhausing.

I am so glad I am here. I do hope to come back next year- we are talking about making this an annaul trip - but I need to get myself into better shape before I return to Vail.

Vail

Vail is one of the places listed in my book. This is my first trip here and so far it is awesome. However, I have not yet been skiing. I am a little nervous since I just started skiing again after a long absence.

I am not going to fall and injure myself. Or anyone else.

Repeat after me....

I am NOT going to fall and injure myself.

Vail Village is very cute and quaint. This is exactly the type of trip I really needed.

Some people think I am crazy for leaving the snow of Minnesota for the snow of Colorado; but it is very different here. There are actual mountains!

Up in the Air

I really liked the movie "Up in the Air." And... not just because George Clooney was in it, but he is the reason why I saw it a second time.

I travel occasionally for work. Not as much as George's character, but enough to make elite status with the airline. There are a few things in that movie that I can related to. Collecting and maximizing miles has become a hobby for me -- in part because I have come to rely on those miles to help with my personal trips.

I was Silver elite with Northwest Airlines in 2009. I made it to Gold with Delta at the end of 2009, which carried over for 2010. I flew 45,000 miles in 2009, and NWA gave me 10,000 bonus miles....which put me over the 50,000 needed for Gold.

My goal for 2010 - platinum - which is 75,000 miles with Delta. I could only make it though if I take many work trips to London. (7ish, plus my typical travel.)

I could start mileage tracking as a new list. I was over 10,000 (elite qualifying) miles by mid-February, and I have 4 trips booked in the next 5 weeks. Now.... I haven't actually flown 10,000 miles yet. Sometimes I get bonus miles. I like bonus miles.

I am saving for a trip to Japan. I find it easier to save frequent flier miles than money. I am confident I will have the miles, but will I have the money when I get there???

NWA.com

NWA.com is gone. Sob...sob....

I started using that website back in 1997 when I lived in DC and needed to travel back to Minnesota.

I miss nwa.com.

2010 Dreams

I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but I have created my travel dream plan for 2010.

Honestly, the first two were not on the original plan, but those trips are planned so I am including them on the list:

Feb - Vail - never been, but I also haven't been skiing in at least a decade.

March - California - Jill's spring break. We are starting in LA (first time for Jill) and will drive up to San Fran to visit relatives.

May - Europe with DH and Andrew. This should coincide with another work trip to London, but I want to go back to Paris too.

July - cruise with the Andrew and Jill before they need to get packing for college. (empty nest alert - that should be a whole new blog)

September - Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. (Yes, it really isn't in October.)

December - Tokyo for Christmas and New Year's.

The Tokyo trip is already in question. I have lots of frequent flier miles saved, but only for the lowest level for redemption. I may have missed my opportunity to use them for the end of this year, so this trip may get postponed until spring break 2011.

Now to the second-tier - really dreaming - need to win the lottery and need more vacation time:

NYC - girls' weekend for shopping and theatre.

New England in the Fall - try to pick up 2 of those missing states - New Hampshire and Maine.

Norway in June

Oregon in August- wine tasting; and way, way over due for a visit with Sharon.

Hawaii in October

Thanksgiving in Arizona with my parents

100

I was sure that I had made it to 100. I must be missing some trips. Or my math is bad.

Hmmmm.......