This day has come with great anticipation. I am headed to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, via Portland jetport through Charlotte, North Carolina. Even though it is raining outside, my mood is bright and sunny. There are a few things left to do to get ready for this trip south. The Double Tree hotel in South Portland is where I will reside for the evening to get a shuttle to the jetport for an early flight. The day is filled with excitement and a little nervousness but all is good. I feel like I should pinch myself to wake me up. Is this a dream? Not at all. I am wide awake.
Around 1:00 p.m., all my packing is done including my computer and I-Pod as well as a camera plus a few other essentials such as my passport. One bag to check and one backpack to carry on the airplane. How many times does a person have to check to see that their passport and contents of their wallet is still there? Oh well.
It was a rainy day to drive down to South Portland but it was so worth it to come down the day before the flight. As you know, directions are not my strong suit so getting off on the wrong exit was not entirely my fault. The woman from the hotel told me to take exit 2 off of I-295 but really it should have been exit 1 if I had been paying attention. At least I know the area and can figure out where to turn around.
The Double Tree by Hilton is right across the road from the Maine Mall. A very nice place to start this adventure. Oh and they even accepted my room saver coupon and will allow me to keep my car here until I get back. Around 3:30 p.m. was my check-in time. I will not unpack but will relax for awhile. Oh and I could go to the pool or fitness room but I will pass on it for this short trip.
I bet you cannot guess where I went after relaxing for about 15 minutes. You guessed it. I headed down to the counter at the bar to chat with the bartender Paul. What did I order? Well, I did not have Bruce to offer suggestions to me so after not much thought I went with a Lemon Drop because I figured that is what Bruce would make me on my vacation. So, in Bruce's honor, I started my trip off just right.
As I did not really have anything but coffee today, I started with an appetizer. What did I have? Well, of course, I went with something new for me. Fig and ricotta cheese flatbread topped with bacon as the appetizer followed by sweet italian basil ravioli and a nice carbernet. The flatbread was my favorite out of the two choices. All fresh and local. Yeah baby. I love good food.
Shelly was one of the nicest gifts that a person can meet on a trip. She traveled here from outside of Chicago and was on her way home but her flight was cancelled. It was my good fortune that she ended up at the same hotel as me. We kept each other entertained with stories for about three hours. It was a truly delightful way to pass the time. I never even cracked open my book. Not that I really thought that I would do so but you never know if people will be chatty or not.
Well, I am all tucked in for a 4:30 a,m. wake up call. Ciao for now. Peace out!
Kelly
Friday, May 4, 2012
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