July - September pics: (1) July 4th in Michigan; (2) at the Coldplay concert; (3) enjoying dinner in Melbourne; (4) at one of the famous coastline mansions in Rhode Island; (5) with the Bowmans on the Brooklyn Bridge; (6) bird's eye view in St. Lucia; (7) with Neal's mom and cousins in NYC; (8) at the start of our bike ride in New Jersey; (9) at the U.S. Open tennis.

Episode 75: July – September 2016

Highlights of the quarter:

• Visitors galore!
• July 4^th in Michigan;
• Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island;
• Australia adventures;
• Neal visits Stillwater;
• Vacation in St Lucia;
• More Manhattan adventures.

We’re now well-settled into New York life.  Exploring all of the different neighborhoods on our bikes has proven to be one of our favorite summer weekend activities.  Some of the highlights of our adventures this quarter were a night out at the U.S. Open tennis (watching Serena Williams lose); a visit to the City of New York History Museum; an up-close and personal magic show at the historic Waldorf Astoria; a food tour of the Lower East Side; catching a movie at dusk at Bryant Park; a visit to the Statue of Liberty; and our first sailing adventure along the Hudson River.

We’ve been blessed with loads of visitors – we caught up for dinner with Freedom, Jason and Isabella, who were visiting from Atlanta; had lunch with Cecilia, Steve and the boys from Switzerland; saw Karen and Morgan Fennesey-Ketola from Michigan; Jenni Dunn from Australia stayed with us for a few days; and Jen, Anna and Alyssa Bowman came over from Texas and stayed with us for a week.  With Jen and the girls, we got to be tourists in our own town, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and seeing the Broadway production of Aladdin.  During another visitor’s stay – our friend, Stephanie, who visited from Baltimore – we watched the play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, and discovered some new restaurants.  Neal’s mom also came to hang out for a few days – she and Neal first visited family in San Diego and then flew cross-country for a few days in New York.  While Neal’s mom was here we caught up with Neal’s cousins, ate at some great places (our favorite on the repeat list was the Lower East Side Indian eatery, Babu Ji) and saw the Cirque du Soleil show Paramour.

We were lucky enough to see some great music concerts this quarter as well.  In July, we visited Neal’s uncle and aunt in New Jersey and had a fantastic home-cooked lunch before heading to Met Life Stadium to see Coldplay.  Later in the quarter, thanks to Neal’s tenacity, we were lucky enough to get tickets to see Adele at Madison Square Garden.

Work trips took me to Mexico, Argentina, China and Singapore, and I took the opportunity while on the other side of the world to drop into Australia for a quick visit.  I was able to spend some great quality time with my mom, and also had the opportunity to celebrate Nicole and Craig’s engagement with them and all our friends.  Neal’s work travels took him to multiple states (in many instances multiple states in one day), but he was also able to spend a few days visiting his mom and grandparents in Oklahoma.

We spent the July 4^th weekend in Michigan.  It was a perfect summer weekend on the lake with friends.  It was also a great chance to escape the heat of New York for a weekend.  We did that again in the quarter when we took a relaxing road trip to Newport, Rhode Island.  That was our final adventure in my car, as shortly after that, we finally gave in to urban living and sold the car.  It will be rental cars from here on!

Finally, the quarter saw us take some time out for us on the beautiful island of St. Lucia.  The all-inclusive resort we stayed at made us not feel bad at all for doing nothing much more than lay on the beach, read, eat and swim in the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean.  We did manage to see a little more on our small hike up a small hill to Fort Rodney and from the helicopter ride over the island that took us back to the airport.  It was the perfect summer getaway.

We hope you had an enjoyable summer as well.  Until the next time, take care!

April - June pics: (1) spring comes to the city; (2) the 5 Boro Bike Tour crew; (3) with the newly-engaged couple; (4) Wineglass Bay in Tasmania; (5) Deb and her mum; (6) view from the top of Mount Wellington in Hobart; (7) the Statue of Liberty from the air.

Episode 74: April – June 2016

Highlights of the quarter:

• 5 Boro Bike Tour;
• Getaway to Tasmania;
• Neal and Deb celebrate their big 40-40-10;
• Nikki & Craig visit NYC.

We began settling into New York City life this quarter.  It is so much fun to see a city with a fresh set of eyes.  The Yosino Cherry and Bradbury Pear trees coming into full bloom in the spring on Park Avenue is a sight that never got old, and we hope it never does.  My mum took a health turn, which took me back to Australia in April.  Neal spent most of the month of April back in Michigan preparing for, and releasing, his company’s earnings.  We reunited in NYC at the end of the month to welcome our first set of visitors to our new Manhattan residence.  Our friends, Michelle, Ed, Rebecca, and Ward, came in from Michigan to spend a long weekend in the city.  We connected with our inner hipster, going to Brooklyn for dinner one night at the restaurant Talde – owned by Top Chef season 4 contestant Dale Talde – followed by tunes at a quaint jazz club to finish out the night.  We also went top-shelf, with dinners at craftbar and Gramercy Tavern.  The highlight of the weekend was supposed to be the 5 Boro Bike Tour – a 40-mile organized ride that takes 30,000+ riders through all five of NYC’s boroughs.  We had so much fun riding it last year that we decided as a group to give it another go.  Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.  We woke up the morning of the ride to a very cloudy, windy, and cold day.  Undeterred, we pushed on and traveled to Battery Park, got our bikes, and made our way to the start line.  But after only five miles of riding – during which we got soaked by the rain – we bailed.  Our consolation prize was a stop at Tom’s Diner – famous as the spot used for the outdoor shots of the diner where the Seinfeld crew hung out – for some hot chocolate and breakfast.  Later in the day, we exercised our brains with a stop at the Whitney Museum in the Meatpacking District.

 

Both Neal and I celebrated three big milestones this quarter: our 10^th wedding anniversary and for each of us, our 40^th birthdays.  These made for a great excuse to celebrate.  For my birthday in May, Neal organized a tour of NYC, filled with stops that reminded me of him and our favorite places in the city.  We ate at Kefi, a Greek restaurant that we visited together on our first trip to NYC 13 years ago; we rode our bikes through Central park and made a few stops at places I have never seen before, including Belvedere Castle, the highest point of the park.  We made a stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we headed straight to a fashion-meets-technology exhibition.  The day finished with the top highlight: surprise tickets to Hamilton, the most coveted show on Broadway.  The show lived up to the hype and reviews – and more.  It was an amazing, fresh take on a musical, and an amazing way to tell such an important American history story.  We were blown away.

For Neal’s birthday in June, I organized a surprise joy flight over NYC.  The flight took off from a small airport near Jones Beach on Long Island and flew alongside Manhattan, up the East River, and back over Long Island.  Neal even got to fly the plane for a little bit.  It was a stunning way to see the city and we could not have asked for a better day – beautiful clear blue skies and visibility for miles.

In May we both headed back to Australia for a family vacation to Tasmania.  We started in Launceston where we explored the town, visited the Cataract Gorge, and did a tour of the James Boags brewery.  From there, we drove west to the amazing coastline and the little town of Coles Bay.  The accommodation there was incredible – we had three neighboring rooms, almost literally on the water’s edge.  While we were in Coles Bay, we took a boat cruise to Wineglass Bay.  That tour was the highlight of the visit as we took in incredibly picturesque scenery and up close encounters with pods of dolphins before anchoring in the beautiful bay where we enjoyed lunch on the boat under the sun.  The last stop on our trip was the “big” city – Hobart.  While there, we got a bird’s eye view of the city and its surrounds from the top of Mount Wellington, visited a local oyster farm where we indulged ourselves in a few dozen oysters for lunch, and toured the historic site of Port Arthur, which used to be a penal colony, making it a little spooky.  Tasmania surprised us in many ways.  It is a state that prides itself on local, fresh produce, which is surprisingly in abundance year-round, as well as the beer and wine that is produced locally.  The terrain is diverse, unique, and beautiful – it was fun to spend some quality time driving the backroads of the island.  We had a fantastic trip and enjoyed every precious minute with the family before heading back to Melbourne.  I stayed in Melbourne for another week to spend some more time with mum while Neal headed back to the U.S. to get back for some work events.

Also in the quarter, we enjoyed spending time with our friends and newly-engaged couple, Nicole and Craig, who came to visit after spending a few days soaking up the sun in Barbados.  We spent time together in the Lower East Side, heard some jazz at the famous Blue Note Jazz Club, and had a special dinner at Aquavit to celebrate their engagement.

There are so many great things about living in Manhattan.  The access to food and theatre are just two of them that we have been very much indulging in since moving here.  We’re keeping a guide of our favorite restaurants so we’ll be well versed in which ones to revisit in the future.  On the theatre front, in addition to Hamilton, we saw a great musical called Fun Home in a tiny theatre just off Broadway.  Although we had not heard much about it before going, it was well worth seeing, and we definitely recommend it to others.  We’re looking forward to many more of these “daily” adventures that this city affords us.

To put it simply, life is one big adventure, and we’re loving it.  Until next quarter, hope you’re enjoying the adventure, too!

January - March pics: (1) Mario Batali meets Deb; (2) the girls in Miami; (3) trying out normal NYC eyewear with Cathy and Mackenzie; (4) Times Square never gets old; (5) the whole gang in Barcelona; (6) our apartment in chaos; (7) celebrating Easter at Jean-Georges.

Episode 73: January – March 2016

Highlights of the quarter:

• Melissa and Daniel get married;
• Neal changes jobs;
• Weekend in Miami;
• Valentine’s Day at Tarrytown Castle;
• Cathy and Mackenzie come visit us in NYC;
• Deb’s weekend in Barcelona;
• Welcome to New York.

Our year began on a high.  My gorgeous step sister, Melissa, got married to her love, Daniel, on January 9.  The wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy to be able to stay in Melbourne for an extra week so we could share their special day with them.  It also gave us time to gather more precious memories with my family before it was time to get back to normal life and home in New York.

While we were in Australia, Neal received some surprising news.  While we were at brunch one weekend afternoon, Neal got a call inviting him to interview for the position of Dow’s Vice President of Investor Relations.  Naturally, he jumped at the opportunity, and once we were back in the U.S. he interviewed for the position and got it!  He jumped right in with his first earnings call a few days after he accepted the offer, followed by what has continued to be a whirlwind travel schedule to visit investors and analysts around the country.  Between his and my travel schedules, there have been limited days of overlap for the two of us, but we made the most of every opportunity when we were able to be in the same city.

During one of those rare weekends we were both in town we had the good fortune to attend the annual Australian American Association’s gala dinner held at a convention center on Wall Street.  That was a fun night out on the town for many reasons, not the least of which was my chance meeting with celebrity chef, Mario Batali.  He was a very nice man, and even agreed to a picture with me.

In early February, Neal had to head to Miami for a work-related meeting, so I flew down and we tacked on a relaxing weekend there with our friends, Paula and Cathy.  Lots of sun and good food was on the menu.

In the middle of the month, I surprised Neal with a Valentine’s Day present – a weekend away at the beautiful Tarrytown Castle Hotel & Spa, complete with massages, a relaxing spa day, and a lovely dinner.  There was one snafu, though, as the hotel lost power that evening due to extremely cold temperatures and gusty winds.  That forced us to switch hotels soon after dinner, but nonetheless, we managed to enjoy the area.

Our friend, Cathy, visited us in NYC with her daughter, Mackenzie, for a weekend to celebrate Mackenzie’s 18th birthday.  We were honored they let us share in the celebration, and together we explored Bryant Park, the Flatiron district, and got in a spot of shopping.  On one of the evenings, we saw the musical Jersey Boys, followed by a few drinks and dancing at the W Hotel bar in Times Square.

Aside from work, there were a lot of other quick highlights through the quarter.  I spent a wonderful evening catching up with my beautiful friend, Michelle Albin, from Zurich; I also caught up with a few NYC locals, including Mary Tavon and Valerie Germain; and I also reunited with old colleagues, including Kim Ann Mink, Andreas Karl, Phil Read, Stefan Vos, Maria Clara Silva, and Ann Judge.

One of the wonderful things about NYC is the dynamic melting pot it is, with so many people and cultures crammed onto a small island.  As an example, I finally had a chance to properly celebrate Australia Day in the U.S. with several other Australians.  I went to an organized Australia Day celebration at a bar in the city, where I was joined by a friend of mine, Rachel, as well as 100 other Australians I did not know.  The pub was serving local Australian beers on tap, and even had meat pies and fish and chips on the menu.  Unfortunately, Neal was out of town for work and so was not able to witness the spectacle of all those rowdy Australians in one spot.

My work travels took me to Singapore, Vietnam, Miami, St. Louis, and Barcelona.  While in Barcelona, I stayed for the weekend and was joined by Maria (my dearest girlfriend from Zurich), Carol, and Sarah for a girls’ weekend.  In addition to multiple coffees and snacks through the day, Maria and I hit a great tavern in Las Ramblas called Bar Canale.  The following day, Carol, Sarah, and I spent a long afternoon catching up over cava and tapas at the indoor mercado, La Nationale, followed by a long dinner at Boca Grande.  Overall, a short, but amazing weekend.

Neal’s travels kept him in the U.S., but he did a good job of crossing the country – he touched Michigan, California, Texas, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Utah, and Florida.  His work-related travels eased up a little bit toward the end of the quarter, which let him catch up with his uncle for lunch and entertain many analysts, investors, and Dow colleagues locally here in NYC.

The best news of the quarter was that we settled into our new apartment in Manhattan.  After visiting many suitors, we landed on a place in Turtle Bay, a neighborhood in Midtown East.  The move was, as anticipated, all hands on deck, but all boxes are now unpacked, and it feels like home.  I have begun life as a commuter and am enjoying the 40-minute train ride to my office in White Plains.  The train ride gives me a chance to read the newspaper, catch up on emails, and ease into the front- and back-end of the day.

Most of all, we love having so many fabulous places to eat, shop, and explore right at our doorstep.  We’re still getting familiar with the neighborhood and all it has to offer.  There’s so much to see and do.  Neal has tried out both Soul Cycle and their primary competitor, Fly Wheel.  Close call, but his vote is with Soul Cycle for now.  We’ve visited multiple food spots that have hit the favorite list and will be repeats.  The food highlight of the quarter was a long Easter dinner at Jean Georges, thanks to our dear friends at Dow who chipped in to give us this great foodie farewell gift when I left Midland.  Although we’re only a few weeks in, it’s turning out to be a great decision to move to NYC.  The spare bedroom is ready for guests – we hope many of you come to visit!

October - December pics: (1) the girls in Las Vegas; (2) showing off matching PJ's; (3) our friends get us ready for the Big Apple; (4) pasta making as a team sport; (5) with Tony and Julie in Midland; (6) with Neal's mom and our family friends in Oklahoma; (7) with Carol and Sarah in London; (8) at Rockerfeller Center; (9) enjoying the beach in Australia.

Episode 72: October – December 2015

Highlights of the quarter:

• Farewell parties in Michigan;
• Tony and Julie visit Midland;
• Stephanie’s 50^th birthday celebrations – Viva Las Vegas style;
• Deb starts her new job in New York;
• Thanksgiving in Oklahoma;
• Deb’s weekend in London;
• Holidays in Australia (via Los Angeles).

October was a busy month saying our goodbyes to the amazing friends we’ve made in Michigan, wrapping up things at work, and getting ready for the big move east.  Dad and Julie came to visit through the month, and we spent the weekend exploring Midland like tourists, which was a lot of fun.  The farewell parties were plentiful, beginning with pasta night at Jane and Dean’s, which was messy and delicious.  Next came a slumber party with the girls at Paula’s, which included matching pajamas for all, a viewing of Magic Mike XXL, and staying up very late telling stories.  Another celebration involved a two-day winery trip around Traverse City, Michigan, and the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula.  It gave us the chance to tour one of our favorite parts of Michigan, trying out some great new wines while enjoying great company.  Our friends, Michelle and Ed, hosted a Big Apple themed farewell at their house, which saw us dancing and singing well into the late hours of the night.

My dear friend, Stephanie, celebrated her 50^th birthday with a girls’ long weekend in Las Vegas.  The highlight of the weekend was our very own lip sync competition, which I had been rehearsing for in the weeks leading up to it.  I settled on a mash-up of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Madonna’s “Vogue”, which was highly entertaining, if I do say so myself.  We also soaked in the sun at the MGM Grand hotel pool for a day and saw the amazing Cirque du Soleil “One” show that was a touching tribute to Michael Jackson.  Steph, Anna-Mary, and I saw the Celine Dion show – we couldn’t convince Lola and Michelle to join for that one.  Steph and I have wanted to see Celine in concert for years, and Celine definitely didn’t disappoint.  We capped off a terrific weekend with a beautiful dinner at Le Cirque.

On the work front, before I left Dow, I had the opportunity to visit the Australian ambassador’s home in Washington D.C. for a reception commemorating the 75^th anniversary of Australia and U.S. diplomatic relations.  I also attended the Fortune Magazine “Most Powerful Women” conference in Washington D.C., which was an impressive collection of accomplished women sharing success stories and tips, as well as sharing views about the political, economic, and social issues impacting business today.  The FLOTUS (First Lady of the U.S.), Michelle Obama, gave the keynote speech at one of the dinners and was even more impressive in person than she appears on television.  And back in Midland, I was also very humbled to receive the Junior Achievement “Rising Star” leadership award which I graciously accepted early in October.

We were fortunate to sell our house in Midland very quickly, and Neal spent a good part of November taking care of that as well as handling all the logistics associated with the move.  And at the end of the month, I waved a final goodbye to Dow and Michigan and boarded the plane with suitcases in tow to begin the next career and life chapter in New York.

The transition to my new company, Bunge, was quite the whirlwind.  In two months I had my first Board, Executive Committee, and global HR team meetings, met with at least 200 people, and visited our offices in Geneva, Brazil, and Argentina.  So far, I am having a great time.  At the same time, Neal was going through his own whirlwind – for about two weeks in December, he was locked down in New York City working on the Dow-Dupont mega-merger that got announced just before the holidays.

We were very grateful to be able to take a few days off together over the long Thanksgiving weekend, which we spent in Oklahoma with Surekha and Neal’s grandparents.  All are doing great, and besides the quality time we spent with the three of them, we also had the chance to catch up with family friends in Stillwater.  On our last day in Oklahoma, we were welcomed with a rare ice storm, which was incredible to witness.  The freezing rain left a thick coating of ice on all the trees, which is very beautiful to look at but certainly made walking and driving tricky.

For the majority of the quarter, Neal traveled back and forth between Michigan and New York.  We were not together much, but when we were both in New York, we managed to explore a little of our new surrounds, enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and amazing lights in New York City, and begin our search for an apartment.

During a business trip to Europe, I squeezed in a weekend in London and caught up with my sister, Carol, and her girlfriend, Sarah.  It was a great weekend of sightseeing and catching up.

We ended the year with a big trip to Australia.  After a long trip from New York to Los Angeles, we took a short break there to say Merry Christmas to Dad and Julie and see them one final time before they pack their bags in mid-January and permanently head back to Australia to begin retirement.  After a short break with them, we boarded the long flight to Melbourne where we spent Christmas and rang in the New Year.

We arrive in Melbourne on Christmas Eve and spent that day with extended family at Mum’s.  Christmas day was spent at a beachside café with Carol, Candace, Rohan, and Katja.  The following day we headed up to St. Leonards on the Bellarine Peninsula where we rented a holiday house for the week and welcomed many day and overnight guests to spend some of their Christmas break with us at the beach.  Surrounded by family and friends, this was where we welcomed the New Year.  We were so grateful to have ended the year surrounded by so many of our loved ones.  Those of you who weren’t with us in person were certainly with us in thought.

Here’s wishing you all good health, happiness, laughter, and success in 2016!

July - September pics: (1) at the beach in Michigan; (2) farm touring with Carol, Luis, and Stephanie; (3) summertime fun with friends; (4) at the Nascar race just before the start; (5) with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; (6) in the old city in Istanbul; (7) in Chicago; (8) at the finish line of the Tour DeTroit.

Episode 71: July – September 2015

Highlights of the quarter:

• Summer vacation in Douglas/Saugatuck, Michigan;
• Nascar, Rugby, and concerts;
• Tour DeTroit bike riding;
• The Shorgs visit Istanbul;
• Deb accepts a new job!

The quarter began with our annual July 4 festivities, Michigan style.  This year was right in-line with what we’ve come to expect: music, boats, lots of food, and great friends, relaxing at multiple house parties on Sanford Lake.  Immediately following the festivities, we began our annual summer vacation with Stephanie and Luis in Saugatuck, Michigan.  The guys got in lots of cycling, with Neal making good progress toward his 1,500-mile outdoor cycling goal.  Steph and I discovered a great workout app called ‘Swork It’, which helped us get our exercise in.  We indulged in some great food, lots of card games, and nice days at the beach.  We even took a sand dune buggy ride, which was loads of fun and quite educational as the driver taught us some little-known facts about that part of the state.  One afternoon, we ventured to the nearby city of Grand Rapids, where we visited the Frederick Meijer sculpture garden – well worth a visit for any outdoors and art enthusiast.  And while we were in the city, we picked someone up – my sister, Carol, joined us for a few days of Michigan summer.  While Carol was in town we revisited a farm tour we did last year and enjoyed dinner at what has become our favorite restaurant in the state – Salt of the Earth.

The remainder of the summer was equally memorable.  My job gave me the opportunity to visit several states and meet some very interesting people.  In addition to business people and politicians (my highlight was Prime Minister Abe from Japan), I got to tour a few of Dow’s sites and meet our customers.  Neal joined me on a weekend in New York where we spent time in Westchester County, instead of Manhattan, to see some of the greener and less-crowded parts of the state.

One of my work commitments took us to an unusual sporting event – a Nascar race in southern Michigan.  Dow sponsors one of the drivers – Austin Dillon – and so we were invited to view the race along with some of our selected customers.  Before the race began, we were lucky enough to get to take a couple of laps around the track with Austin in one of the pace cars, reaching a top speed of about 140 miles per hour!

Another work event took us to Chicago, where Dow sponsored an international friendly rugby match between the U.S. and Australia national teams.  The game was a World Cup warm-up match that took place at Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field.  Dow sponsored the evening reception and fundraising dinner before the match, and I had a chance to give a short speech to kick things off.  We even met some of the past and present Wallabies players.  In the end, and as expected, the Wallabies crushed the U.S. team.

We also fit in a few concerts this summer.  Thanks to a connection I met through my job, we were able to get tickets to a Lady Gaga/Tony Bennett show – which was fantastic in its own right.  But what took it over the top is that we were also lucky enough to go backstage after the concert and meet them in person.  Shortly after that, we made another trip to the Detroit area to see Kid Rock.  He was back home for a two-week series of concerts and did not disappoint his local fan base.  While I don’t know too many Kid Rock songs, the concert was better than anything I had imagined.

We also managed to get in plenty of bike riding – Neal much more than me, given his summertime goal.  One particularly memorable ride was this quarter.  We joined our friends, Michelle, Ed, Rebecca, Ward, Stephanie, and Louis, for a weekend in Detroit where we rode the annual Tour DeTroit.  The Tour DeTroit is a 40-mile organized bike ride through the streets of Detroit (similar to the New York ride we did earlier in the summer).  Unfortunately, it was a cloudy, rainy day, but despite the weather, the ride, the weekend, and the company were spectacular.

The final highlight of the quarter was a 5-day getaway to Istanbul, Turkey.  This was a trip we were supposed to take last year, but we had to move it due to a work commitment that Neal had.  We were so happy to finally get to this city that we’ve wanted to visit for a long time.  And Istanbul did not disappoint.  It is an amazing city with a very rich history that we enjoyed learning about.  We visited all the major tourist sites in the old city, including the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, and Topkapi Palace – all of which boasted stunning architecture.  We were blown away by the colors, smells, and sights in the Grand Bazaar where we could easily have spent a whole day versus the few hours we were there.  We also fit in a scenic boat ride along the Bosphorus and visited the little town of Balat.

One of the big highlights of the Istanbul trip was a food tour that we had booked through a company called Culinary Backstreets.  The tour was centered around visiting several restaurants around the city, sampling small plates (mezze) and a traditional liquor (Reki).  After finding out tour guide and introducing ourselves to the other seven people on the tour (six Americans and an Australian) we set off on foot through the backstreets of the new city where we were introduced to some fascinating history of the country and delicious food in multiple little bars and spots around the city.  The night finished with some belly dancing and singing that we were happy to indulge in.  We met some lovely people on the tour, two of which we caught up with each evening after the tour as they were staying the same hotel as us.  We have kept in touch with them and will continue to do so as they live in New York City.

Which brings us to the biggest news of all…I accepted a new job!  Beginning November 1, I will be the Chief HR Officer at Bunge, one of the largest agribusiness companies in the world.  The change in job will see Neal and me moving to New York City.  So, there are plenty of changes ahead for us.  We’re excited and looking forward to the adventure.

Here’s hoping the changes life is bringing you are welcome ones, too.  Until next quarter, take care.

April - June pics: (1) the view from the interior of Costa Rica; (2) typical Costa Rican sunset on the beach; (3) preparing for our zip-lining adventures in Monteverde; (4) the gang at Per Se in NYC; (5) the Borgs get ready for a Disney World ride; (6) the girls in Hilton Head; (7) a typical morning in Malibu; (8) Neal's birthday dinner; (9) Deb and her new car, Lexy.

Episode 70: April – June 2015

Highlights:

• Spring Break in Costa Rica;
• 5 Boro Bike Ride in NYC;
• Los Angeles…Twice!;
• Girls Weekend in Hilton Head.

The quarter was marked with quite a bit of travel.  Work and work-related travel kept Deb busy, but she was grateful to be able to take the opportunity to visit friends of ours around the country on her multiple stops: seeing our friends, Freedom and Jason, and their daughter, Isabelle, in Georgia; visiting Jen and Darin and their daughters, Anna and Alyssa, in Texas; catching up with Cristi in Philadelphia; and meeting new acquaintances, Mary and Valerie, in New York City.  Our dear friends, Dave and Renee, came to Midland this quarter also, and it was great to hear all about their adventures since moving to Ohio a couple of years ago.  We also caught up in Midland with our friend, Boyd, who happened to be passing through Midland with his father-in-law as part of a charity bike ride from Ann Arbor to Mackinac Island.

On the work front, Deb’s new role has facilitated some really interesting introductions and meetings for Deb – from politicians to business leaders – and has significantly expanded her public speaking opportunities.  Rarely a week goes by without her needing to address a large audience or do the keynote speech for an event.  It’s a nice match with Deb’s big, outgoing personality.  One of her most memorable meetings this quarter was meeting Prime Minister Abe from Japan to discuss trade and other opportunities to broaden Dow’s presence in Japan.

As for my work life, it started to normalize a little bit.  At the end of the quarter, we finally announced the signing of a major divestiture project that I have been working on for the past nearly two years.  What a relief!  I had literally devoted everything to work over the past year, and it was great to see that all of the work did not go to waste.

But work was not our sole focus this quarter – there were plenty of adventures outside of work.  We once again treated ourselves to a Spring Break vacation to get away from the cold, this time a week in Costa Rica.  Because of my uncertain schedule, we had to make a last-minute booking, but the spontaneity served us well.  We stayed in a hotel on the Guanacaste coast, close to the Liberia airport.  After spending a few days of down time soaking up the sun at our resort, we bravely got in our rental car and ventured out, vising the restaurants and sights in nearby Tamarindo.  We ventured farther into the country, one day going to a national park to take a boat ride up a river that was literally full of crocodiles and other wildlife.  On another day, we took a long (and very bumpy) ride to the rainforest area of Monteverde, which is most famous for its exhilarating zip-lining adventures.  We did it, and it was awesome!  We criss-crossed across canyons and between treetops, all at what felt like terrifyingly high speeds.  It was well worth the four-hour drive to get there.  We found Costa Rice to be a beautiful country, with the only downfall being the limited road infrastructure (making driving distances longer and more adventurous than they could otherwise be).  We definitely recommend the country to others planning a vacation to Central America.

Our second big adventure of the quarter took us to New York City where we met up with Deb’s sister, Carol, and our friends from Michigan, Ed, Michelle, Ward and Rebecca, for the weekend.  The main purpose of our trip was to join the 5 Boro Bike tour – a 40-mile bike ride through all five boroughs of New York City.  With all the roads blocked off for the 35,000 riders, it was an exhilarating way to see the city, and the atmosphere was hard to beat.  The ride was casual, and there were plenty of rest stops along the way, and even live musicians along the route.  In addition to the ride and exploring the city on foot and on city bikes, we have a few noteworthy culinary moments.  We managed to sneak in some dim sum in Chinatown, dinner in Little Italy, and a much-anticipated visit to the three Michelin star restaurant, Per Se.  That last one was incredible – very creative courses, amazing flavors, and more desserts than one could ever imagine (or should have).

On the heels of that trip, Deb, Carol, and I headed from there across the country to Los Angeles where we met up with Deb’s other sister, Candace, and all spent a few days with Tony and Julie.  I spent a day working at home while the Borg’s reacquainted themselves with their inner children on a trip to Disney World.  Deb’s high school friend, Nat, drove up from San Diego to join us for a night as well.  Overall, it was a great trip and an unexpected Borg family reunion.

Soon after getting back from Los Angeles, Deb hit the road again, this time to join her girlfriends for a long weekend in Hilton Head.  I am told there was dancing, drinking, biking to explore the sights, and boat rides (courtesy of one of Deb’s friend’s sister and brother-in-law, who own a place on the island).

For our final act of the quarter, Deb and I found ourselves on the West Coast again for a weekend – Deb had a meeting in Los Angeles, and we decided to make a weekend of it on the back-side of the trip.  This time Tony and Julie were out of town, so Deb and I played tourists in Los Angeles.  We stayed fairly close to the beach and ventured out to explore Malibu, Beverly Hills, and Venice Beach.  We found that Los Angeles is a great city, with a lot of really interesting neighborhoods.  But, as you may have heard, the traffic is atrocious.  We also spent a great day walking up and down Malibu Beach, followed by a shopping afternoon on the hip stretch of Abbott Kinney Boulevard.  And of course, we indulged in a few great culinary stops along the way, visiting Ink and Hinoki and the Bird.

Back at home in Midland, our friend, Stephanie, moved back to Michigan, resulting in lots of catch-ups.  We bought Deb a new car, and Lexy (a Lexus hard-top convertible) joined our family.  As for me, I had a minor accident in my car (got rear-ended by someone).  Fortunately, no one was hurt, and I was back in my car a couple of weeks later.  We also both celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary, as well as our respective birthdays.  Deb surprised me by having our friends join us for a private chef’s table dinner at a local restaurant.  I pride myself on sniffing these kinds of surprises out, but I had no clue – she did a great job of hiding the details from me.  The food was great, but the company was what made it a memorable experience.

It was a busy quarter, for sure, but we loved living life to its fullest.  Here’s to continuing the adventure streak into the next quarter!  Until then, take care.

January - March pics: (1) Deb and Katie Couric at Davos; (2) Deb and Sheryl Sandberg at Davos; (3) overlooking the mountains around Davos; (4) the gang at the Burger Bash at the Miami Food & Wine Festival; (5) snapping a pic with TV food personality, Duff Goldman; (6) the Shorgs at the Miami Food & Wine Festival; (7) at Cheu's Noodle Bar in Philadelphia; (8) the gang at the temple in Oklahoma on the day of dad's memorial.