Consolation Prize

In December I had a trip planned to go to Sulaimaniya, Iraq with a layover in Istanbul, Turkey. I kept trying not to get my hopes up because I was extremely excited about this trip. The day I was about to buy the tickets I was told I was not allowed to go. I cannot quite explain how heartbroken I was. I know people think it is crazy that I would go to Iraq, let alone want to go to Iraq, but I've been working with people in Iraq for five years now and I have never met them. I'm friends with them on facebook and we exchange emails (sometimes daily), but there is something to be said for meeting someone face to face. Plus, the reality of the situation in Sulaimaniya is completely different from what we see on the news each day. There is a whole other side to Iraq beyond the barrage of bombings in Baghdad.

The trip was tentatively rescheduled for next week in order to give me time to try to get approval. Approval was denied. Thankfully, I did not get my hopes up as I had last time and so I am currently only frustrated and upset. Supposedly there will be an opportunity for me to possibly go at a later time, but I kind of doubt it will happen.

I have my trip to Brussels to look forward to in March, but I have not left Illinois since July and I have itchy feet. It is a restlessness within me. A feeling like I forgot to do something, but I cannot remember what it is I need to do. If it was not so blooming cold and snowy I would go visit Pat in Minnesota! For now I am in town and I think that my consolation prize will be to revamp the living room. Every other room in this house has my personalized stamp on it. The living room was always the room that ex-boy and I had to agree on what went in it. Admittedly, it was a fair agreement. Since he has left I hung some art in the bedroom and made it more mine. The living room though, has not changed a bit. I have a ton of prints that I need to get framed and then hung. I would love to find an old Danish modern dresser and swap it out with my current entertainment stand, but that might be a long term goal. For now I will think about hanging curtains and hanging art and adding my quirky self to the space.

Friday night I had plans to go to the gym, but then I got an email to meet some friends up at the bar. With my new resolution to get out more, I could not refuse. I went and I met some new people and it was good. The pickings were slim though. I did manage to get home at a decent hour and I worked out at home.