My Last Day in the Office (Watertown, MA)

My last full day in office has finally, and sadly, arrived.  The farewell parties are nearing an end.  Now all I need to do is pack, and I will be ready to go.  I depart on January 9th and will arrive in Frankfurt, Germany on the 10th.  I catch a flight the next day for London.  I will be there for several days before catching a train to Edinburgh.  Stay tuned, as the adventure finally begins.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas to all!

Despite her smiley face, Marci is already anticipating my return home carrying foreign bugs!

Hard to believe Scott is just learning that the world is round!  Needless to say, St. Ignatius is both stunned and stoic about this revelation.

The final farewell from the staff of the Treasurer's Office.

Office Farewell Party (Watertown, MA)

And so, the farewell parties continue!  Yesterday the office staff gathered at Porcini's Restaurant to wish me a fond adieu.  Interestingly, no tears were shed!  However, on the flip side, many kind sentiments were expressed during the party by my colleagues and friends, none more eloquent than from the Provincial himself, who also released last evening a Province Memorandum in which he very graciously wrote about my years in office.  Sentiments which I considered undeserved, but much appreciated.  For as you all know well, I could not have accomplished anything I did as Province Treasurer without the willing assitance of everyone who gathered yesterday at Porcini's and many, many others who were unable to join us, but who have also hosted going away parties for me!  As you will see in the following photos, we had a grand time at Porcini's with good cheer evident and delicious food plentiful.  The festive party mood began earlier in the afternoon as we gathered around the office Christams tree for a few parting photos.  I end this post with a word of gratitude once again to Kara Connally who, as you know, helped me create this blog, and who also was  the party planner and "official photographer" for the photos you are about to enjoy. 

I know that in the eyes of Sister Clare I am a giant, and here is a picture to prove it.

The "old timers" of the Treasurer's Office.

And the new kid on the block joins the team.

The Addams Family?

The office front line - Kara and Kathy.

The "girls" gather, but alas, no mistletoe!

The hard core party goers arrive.

Guess who were the first ones to hit the bar...for their fourth drink of the night!

The Provincial is making nice.

The real revelers at the party.

Who would have thought Cyrilla was such a joke teller!  "Have you heard this one?"



My parting gift,
"A Gentleman Abroad, A Concise Guide to Traveling with Confidence and Courtesy."
And No, I did not write it!

 



Out with the old; in with the new! And a dear friend to both, Mary Moran.

The Final Four!

Visas to China and India Arrive (Boston, MA)

 

Today was another milestone passed as the visas for my entries into China and India arrived from their respective consulates in New York City.  I will also need visas to enter Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam.  I have learned that visas for Turkey and Thailand are easily obtained at the airport when I arrive in each country.  The visa for Vietnam may be a bit more tricky to obtain since I cannot obtain one at this time.  A Vietnamese visa is valid only for 3 months, so it is too early for me to get one in the United States.  The trick will be filing for a visa at the Vietnamese consulate in Rome.  I am sure the form will be in Italian and the employees of the consulate will be speaking Italian.  The experience of navigating the system at the Vietnamese consulate in Rome will certainly be worthy of another post on this blog.  Stay tuned....

Cyrilla personally delivers the Fed Ex envelope with my passport enclosed.

Cyrilla and I personally examine each visa entry in my passport.

The Adventure Begins (Boston, MA)

Well, it is time to get ready for my great adventure around the world.  What better place to start than the computer!  And who better to ask for assistance in setting up my blog than our resident expert on all things social media, but Kara.  She has been very patient with my limited tech skills, but, in the end, we did a terrific job in creating this blog.  I hope you will enjoy it, as you journey with me during my 6 month sabbatical.  My travels begin on January 9, 2013.  My first stop is Frankfurt, Germany, en route to London and Edinburgh for 2 weeks.  And so, the countddown begins . . . . . . .

 



Kara instructing me on setting up a blog account

I am taking the helm of navigating the blog site

Kara is pleased with her student

We have created a masterpiece

Elena and Tom are pleased with my intended route, but Marci wants me to go in the opposite direction

Bill cannot believe I have not included Australia on my trip