Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Mexico...

Whew; I just returned from a whirlwind tour of Mexico with colleagues from 10 other Canadian Universities and Colleges. 6 cities in 7 days! That's a lot of ground covered...

We started on the East coast in the city of Tampico, and after just enough time to catch our breath (and for lost luggage to catch up to us), we were off to Puerto Vallarta on the West coast! Each day involved at least one visit to a high school, at least 45 minutes on a plane, and a new hotel room for the following week as we traveled to Guadalajara, Queretaro Monterrey and Mexico City.

I think the best part about traveling with a group is that I spend a lot less time in my hotel room (although this tends to mean I spend less time keeping up with my work...), and get to experience more in the cities I'm visiting (even if I'm only there for a few hours!!).

Prior to traveling through Mexico, I attended events in Baltimore and Minneapolis. I also had a free day to explore Washington D.C. for the first time. I've just started reading Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol", so it's kind of neat to know which buildings he's talking about in D.C.

In the time I spent in the US, I was able to see M & T Stadium (where the Ravens play), Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Metrodome, and the Verizon Centre! In Baltimore I was fortunate enough to attend a reception at M&T Stadium; we had games on the main concourse and a band playing in the Club Level! It was really neat to see what it's like in that 'off-limits' area!

Baltimore College Fair and Conference

This week I travelled to Baltimore to attend a huge College Fair as well as a Conference, both hosted by an organization called the National Association for College Admission Counselling (NACAC).

I met a lot of great students; most came over to say "hello" because they realized that I am from a school in Canada. Students in the US are starting to realize that studying in Canada is a great option; the cost is usually lower, the admissions process is generally not as daunting, and students can get an international experience without going too far away from home.

During the conference, I have been able to connect with a lot of Guidance/College/Career Counsellors from around the world. There are close to 6000 people here for the conference; it's huge! One of the neat highlights was a reception hosted by the Government of Canada; more than 250 people came, including the Washington correspondent for CBC, Henry Champ! More about Champ can be found at http://www.cbc.ca/news/reportsfromabroad/champ/ .

I was also fortunate enough to have a free day, and I took a commuter train from Baltimore into Washington D.C. It was my first visit there, and it was amazing! The National Capital here is certainly a much bigger deal than the National Capital in Canada (Ottawa), and one day was not enough time to even scratch the surface of what the city has to offer. I can't wait to have another chance to go back and explore even further!

Chile and Argentina

My most recent trip took me to Chile and Argentina. In Chile, I visited Santiago, Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, and Isla Negra (to see poet Pablo Neruda's favourite house). Buenos Aires was the only city I visited in Argentina. In both countries, the people were wonderful; very hospitable and friendly, and always willing to let me practice my Spanish!

I think my favourite moments in Santiago were in the small cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, which are essentially connected to each other and are located on the coast. The sunsets were amazing, I saw my first albatross, and I ate in a rotating restaurant (without throwing up!) that overlooked the harbour (on a very foggy day, unfortunately, but it was still amazing). In Buenos Aires, I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of the city, and the number of people that live there: 13 million people in the overall metropolitan area! That's more than a third of the entire population of Canada put into one huge city. Amazing.

The sunsets were beautiful; in Santiago we would watch the sun set over the Andes in great streaks of hot pink and the brightest orange you can imagine. My photos certainly do no justice to the true beauty of the sight. One night in Santiago, we went up Cerro San Cristobal, which is a huge hill topped by an outdoor Catholic church and a huge statue of Santa Maria (the virgin Mary). We wandered along the pathways, took a gondola ride between two peaks, climbed up to the statue, and then watched the sunset over the hills behind the city. It was breathtaking. The only downside of he park located on that hill was the zoo; it was the saddest zoo I have ever seen. People were petting the animals, the enclosures could have used an upgrade, and the staff didn't seem to care.

For this trip, I travelled with my supervisor and some colleagues; it was a nice change from travelling solo and hoping to meet up with friendly folks along the way. We worked hard, and had great experiences during our down time; it was lovely. I hope to explore other parts of South America in the future!

I am fortunate enough to travel internationally for work, and many people have been asking to see photos and hear about my travels. I plan to update this blog along the way, and I will start by posting some information and photos from my recent trips.

To date, I have visited:

India (New Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Bangalore)

South Korea (Seoul)

Hong Kong

China
(Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Jiangmen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Beijing, Zhengzhou, Nanjing)

Japan (Tokyo)

Cuba (not for work; vacation in Varadero, roadtrip to Havana)

Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

Singapore

Mexico
(Guadalajara, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Leon, Aguascalientes, Mexico City, Monterrey)

Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Isla Negra)

Argentina (Buenos Aires)