Delta Goodbyes

Besides training my replacement at work this week, I also had so many other things going on. My team lunch was Wednesday at the "dollar taco place" as we call it. Its a little cantina in the back of a Mexican grocery store, and they have the BEST tacos.....only $1 on Wednesdays. On the invite that Swartzy sent out, he said "only the best for Cindy"

My boss, Brett (BING) gave me one last salute.

Our office is on the 5th floor, and I ALWAYS take the stairs. I usually make everyone Im with do the same (although that doesnt always work) After lunch Swartzy made me laugh so hard... he did what he always does when we are climbing the stairs. He bends over and breathes REALLY hard, like hes not going to make it.
My friend Andy is taking early retirement at age 42!! Lucky ass!! what a dream come true. Free flights forever and a chance to start a new career. His party was at The Glenn Hotel on their rooftop terrace overlooking all the buildings downtown. It was perfect because I had been carrying around an ad for The Glenn in my purse for 6 months because I wanted to check it out.

Thursday morning was my last briefing at work. Every morning we meet at 830am to talk about what happened in the pricing world the night before. I asked for a group picture. Smile! They all know I'm a blog-ass so they agreed.....not without a few snide remarks though.....

That night was MY going away party at Loca Luna. I arrived with Maria, Smita and Maritza at 630pm and people started trickling in.....it was so much fun, I was glad that so many people came... I am a lucky girl! My director Roberto stopped by to wish me luck.
Andy and his man Chas stopped by, I had just seen the the night before, but can you really get enough Cindy? yes, don't say it, I know the answer..........
My lunch shopping buddy Mangala came by to give me a hug, and got a volleyball for her kids too. Jose Cuervo Tequila was there to promote the professional volleyball tournament going on here this weekend at Atlantic Station. They were also giving out tatoos ...you know I had to get one. Of course there were non-Delta friends too. Livini and Lenia never miss a party!
Varsha and I used to work together at Delta, her and her husband Dixit came out to say good-bye, we havent seen them for months.
Emily, Alvaro, Tori, Marcus and Maurico.....the guys are Brazilians and know Loca Luna very very well.
Maria was my first friend when I started working in the DL general offices 5 years ago. She now works at CNN, but we still talk almost every day. She Smita and my Swartzy are always there for me. Maria is a Tica (from Costa Rica) I will see her in June when she flies down to see her parents and stay at their BEACH HOUSE.....hello!! Nos vemos pronto amiga!!
Chris and Chris work in my office and came out for a few drinks. We were all Salt Lake City analysts. woo-hoo!! Sorry guys, I have to leave you!!
Frank and I met in the same office as Smita and I a few years ago. (Notice my tatoo)

Frankster lead all the ladies dancing, he is quite good!
It got a little it crazy towards the end.......
Its probably a good thing that Loca Luna closed at 11pm that night and that we only live one minute away! Lets just say I didnt make it to the office until noon that day to clean out my desk!! I gave everyone hugs goodbye and was on my way. It just felt like I was leaving for a little vacation like I always do........im sure it will hit me in about a week....when I dont know a soul...I wonder if I will have culture shock?? Somehow, I doubt it!! IM SO EXCITED!!!!

Last Minute Preparation...

It finally arrived in my office on Friday! My new WHITE MacBook and a new BLUE (of course) Nano video ipod. My parents arrived at the airport at 230 from Key West and I kept waiting for my computer to be delievered....i was tracking it and knew it was coming "any minute"  (it was ironic because we were told we could leave early for the holiday weekend) I picked up my parents and we went to have a drink and I came back to work to pick it up at 5pm.

OHHHH WAS IT WORTH THE WAIT!!! IT IS BEAUTIFUL!! LOOK!!

We were going to walk to Virginia Highlands for dinner, but it had been raining all day. We parked and decided to eat at Murphy's
It has been a long time since I ate there and Neto had never been. Everyone loved it, I had scallops, my mom and dad had fish and Net had a porkchop.....of course every dish was DE-LISH. Since we were there we had to stop at Paulos. The didnt have my Pistacio, so I tried the Geranium....it was so good, and BLUE!! On Friday we decided we were going to go to San Jose Saturday to look at a couple apartments.  I have been searching online, but needed to see two places in person.  My mom and Dad were up for the quick trip.  My dad says my mom is getting more and more like me (adventure wise) I guess it does sound crazy that we flew to Costa Rica and stayed for less then 24 hours??Unfortunately, it was raining THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE!! I guess that is why is is so GREEN.  The "rainy season" runs from April to November....Oh my !!  The first place we saw was a cool "artist loft"  I liked that it had its own yard

and had a lot of character.... but....the corregated metal walls and the heated water in the shower only might get old.  Next we went to a another place I found on craigslist.  I loved it.  It is a one bedroom with an office (or jewelry studio?), huge kitchen

laundry room, screen porch and plenty of closet space. 

  We walked away thinking yes lets get it.  But then Ernesto was worried that it was to much of a suburb.  It is only 10 minutes to downtown.  It is so hard to pick an area to live in a new city.  We dont know it well enough or know enough people to ask.  We were debating and I didnt email the owner quick enough.  She rented it out starting in August.  SOOOOO, it may be for the best, we are going to rent it for the 1st two months and during that time we can really EXPLORE where we want to live.  The Bed and Breakfast that Ernesto found online was perfect, Out of Bounds is run by a young Canadian and Colombian couple in Escazu. The rooms are so simple but elegant and comfy. Outside there is a common area with tables and chairs overlooking the city lights.  We sat outside that night eating some snacks we picked up at the grocery store and played cards...OH HELL!!   The view was great from up so high.

When I start my new job June 2nd I will be staying with someone in the office until I can move into the apartment.  I can't believe it is less than one week away.  I did some packing and separated clothes im leaving in our storage unit.  I want to pack as much as I can this week so Neto wont be stuck with all the work,  since he's not coming until July.  Problem is, I have so much going on this week.  So little time......

Delta-Habitat Fund Raiser

It was 80 and Sunny yesterday and my departments annual Habitat for Humanity Volleyball tournament. It was at Hammers, a bar with a sand court just a 2 minute drive from the office. There were about 10 teams in all and 2 from my group in pricing. It was double elimination and we lasted 3 games!!!Here is my boss Scott serving up a point! Some were serious....and some were not!!! Kelly and I make faces during a break!It was such a great surprise when I looked accross the court to see my long lost friend TITO!We worked together 4 years ago in the Latin America Dept. and he now lives in Puerto Rico and I dont get to see him very often. He was in town for some meetings and I had mentioned the tournament. He showed up with some co-workers! All of which agreed they will hire me back to Delta in Latin America! woo-hoo!! I must keep the good contacts! Ernesto came down to hang out after work and he knows Tito too! It was a fun night! Lots of laughing!My two closest friends in the office are Swartzy and Scott. I will really miss them. My focus last night was to convince Scott to skip one night of his Spain trip so he can come to my party this Thursday at Loca Luna......but this is a tough one. Not because he really wants to go to Spain, like you would think (actually the only reason he is going is becuase he won free hotel nights at our xmas party) but because he is going with his 2 sisters. My arguement is that he sees them every weekend, and they will be FINE there without him for one day. Hes not going to see me for a while....it all about ME ME ME!!! the way it should be for my last week right?

He is going to think about it.

CINDY'S MOVING TO COSTA RICA PARTY

"CINDY'S MOVING TO COSTA RICA PARTY"

Host: Cindy Espinoza
Location: Loca Luna
550 Amsterdam NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 US
When: Thursday, May 29, 6:30PM

CRY CRY CRY
I must say good bye

The years flew by so very fast
working for Delta was such a blast

I am grateful for what has happend to me
its the longest I have worked for any company

A lot of ups & downs along the way
but I would do it all over any day

Its the 35 countries that I have seen
flying on weekends is almost routine

the flights are not the only thing
I walk away with my 10 year BLING

the friends I have made are too many to list
I hope they know that they will be missed

Delta and travel will always be in my blood
when I walk out of here the tears are sure to flood

Yes, I know it will be a very sad
but fullfilling my dream wont be that bad

In 10 days Im moving down to Costa Rica
where I will try to blend into a native Tica
If you are ever there for a vacation
please email me without hesitation

ps. Ill be volunteering for Habitat for Humanity at their HQ in San Jose

pss. If I forgot anyone, please forward"

Family Fun!

The weekend was jam-packed with family fun!! Jen and Brrrian drove down from Asheville. As soon as they arrived we went straight to Turner Field for the Braves game. Come on now, that is my 3rd baseball game of the season.....ENOUGH already!! It was fun though, and it was actually Jen's first major league game. It got really chilly that night, and I hate to be cold, but it was Fireworks Friday, so we stayed the whole game and ooohed and aaahed at the sparktacular show.
Saturday was my one and only jewelry show of the season. The Kirkwood SpringFling was a great little show. One day 10am-6pm-easy, perfect! Not to mention that it was 80 and sunny. Jen, Brrrian, Nester and Smita all hung out with me. My booth was right accross from the park, so they laid out a blanket and set up the game Tossticle to play in the grass. There was a nice breeze, here is Schhhirner holding up my earrings to avoid a disaster..... After the show we HAD TO stop at the infamous Paulo's for gelato. Probably my last...cry cry Saturday morning we all jumped on the air mattress to get the air out....it has a small leak and was not best for our guests. Saturday night they stayed at Smita's....THE NERVE!!!! Sunday we were craving Indian so we went to Udipi for a buffet brunch, it was $9 and DEEEEEEE-LISH!! I love Indian food so much! Of course I always stuff myself, so when we set up out blanket at Piedmont Park I took a little snoozer while the others played Tosticle again.

I think I have convinced Brrrian and Schhhirner to move to Atlanta. We would have such a good time with them, we can have a compound here just like Bill and Jenny have in Wooster. They actually really like it here, but it is all about timing right? Everything is!! We made a very entative plan for one year from now. I honestly don't have one CLUE what my plan will be in one year. We dicussed life and other interesting topics over a light dinner outside at Park Tavern with the buildings of Midtown in the background. Brrrian and Schhhirner packed up our couch and were off on their "3 hour tour" a "3 hour tour".

I Finally Pushed the Button.......

I Finally Pushed the button. I decided to take "the package" from Delta. I can't believe it. Monday the 26th of May is my 10 year anniversary, and the 30th will be my last day in the office. I know I will cry. This was a HUGE decision, but I think I did the right thing. I will be starting my job with Habitat for Humanity on June 2 in Costa Rica. The position is for 12 months, but who knows how I will feel, who I will meet, or what opportunitues will come my way during my year (or so) abroad. The "package" is kind of an insurance policy, that no matter what I do, I will gaurantee unlimited flights (not FREE, but at a discounted price) for me and my family for the next 10 years. This means that if I fall in love with Costa Rica, or I am offered a position in another country, or WHATEVER.....I will not be under the gun to come back to Delta (as I would with a leave of absence) The deadline to push the button and sign up for the package was Thursday at midnight. I was so glad when it was over, and then Friday when it was official, I felt much better. I KNOW that I will work for an airline again. In either option, I would be searching for a job (especially with the merger) Hopefully it is with Delta, but if not, it will be another airline. It is a lifestyle I have had for 10 years, and quite frankly, I NEVER want to give it up! It would be the most painful adjustment, and no amount of money could replace the freedom, sponteneity and adventure of having free flights anywhere in the world. Its in my blood-that will never change. Wish me luck!!

The other button is pushed is on the Apple website. After MUCH debate, I finally bought the white macbook that I have lusted after for a long time. Maybe it was mostly about looks, but I know that there will be so much to learn and play with, plus everyone I know that has one is very happy with it!!!

2nd Annual Girls Trip- Punta Cana

PORQUE ESTA BUENA PUNTA CANA??

Dios mio! I don't know if we could've even had a better girls trip. Ok, well maybe if Jenny and I wouldn't have had to buy a ticket on American Airlines to Puerto Rico and stay the night to connect to a Delta flight on the way home...and if Smita and I hadn't had our ipods stolen.....but other than that the whole trip was PERFECT.....we even got first class on the way down. Jenny, Smita and I were all in a row on the plane until another passenger asked Smita to swap seats...she ended up sitting next to a guy we dubbed as PS (plaid shorts) He was actually in a wedding that was at our hotel that weekend, so we kept running into him.

After walking throught the tiki hut airport we had 5 million people trying to get us a taxi. I read online that the hotel was only 10 minutes away....but it was really an HOUR and 10 minutes. Ok, ok thats not going to get us down, we just had the driver stop at this little roadside store and we bought some drinks for the ride. No problem!The DREAMS RESORT & SPA was beautiful and lush, parrots hanging out (you know I had to feed them) a fruit stand with a lady peeling mangos on a stick, many
 restaurants to chose from,a swim up pool bar palapa, and a staff that was unbelievably accomadating and complimentary! Vale la pena! Worth every penny!

We got a couple hours of sun when we arrived, then took showers and headed to the Asian restaurant. We were there a bit late (actually the last people) so we asked the waiters to take a pic. They took several and this is my favorite. We started the night with a bang. ha haLuckily the Disco was only 2 steps from the restaurant, and a short stumble to the hotel room. There were 2 weddings going on that weekend and a lot of people came out to party and dance.It was a late night so the next day started out with a bloody mary poolside. Let the games begin!

Our favorite drinks were the Samy Sosa (pina colada, strawberry daquiri and blue curacao) and the Wilson Special (bartender Wilson made this special drink with melon?) Jay-Z, pictured to the right w/his bodygaurd) introduced us to this drink. I usually dont do that many mixed drinks...after one or two I switch, but these were DELICIOUS and so refeshing (both were frozen)

We saw some of the guys from the disco the night before and had a great time with them. We had them calling us FRED in no time and they taught us some Dominican sayings too....mamaqui mamaca?? DREAMS had so many activities going on during the day by the pool, and we were up for participating in EVERYTHING. There was a Paella cooking contest on the beach one day, but we just participated in eating the finished product and drinking the sangria. When they asked for arm wrestlers, Jenny and I ran up. 50 Cent and Michael Jackson, (as we affectionately called them) were part of the entertainment team. They introduced us and gave us the 1-2-3 go. Fred against Fred! After a good fight, I was beat.We laughed so hard. Jenny went on to beat the next girl and then TIED another girl (a big girl) for the championship. After that was the salsa dance lesson which we all did.Next on the agenda came the afternoon step aerobics class. Oh, why not? I was already out there dancing. It was a great class, I ended up doing it the next day too. For some reason I never got tired, the instructor loved me I kept yelling more more!! I think I was the only one out there?
I had a photographer getting lots of action shots and a waiter who brought me my vodka & cranberry. We laughed our asses off going through all these pictures on the last day.
Are you smiling? Im so coordinated and athletic! Come on, that picture is funny! Another game they had was "Name that Tune" Ohhh im good at that, and Smita is too! Everyone was staing in a semi-circle with a chair in front, they played a cong for 2 seconds and the 1st person to make it to the chair and sit had the chance to name that tune (or singer) They were giving out DREAMS dollars...and we were loading up...stuffing it in our bathing suits...we won thousands. Little did we know that these $$ were only good at a nightly auction at 9pm, which we never knew about. We were planning to spend it at the gift shop on the last day. We ended up gifting the whole wad of "cash" to a couple we met in the pool from Virginia. I wonder what they bought? It was a looooooooooong, tiring day, but we pressed on!! Showered, ate and headed to the disco again.
The last morning we laid out on the beach, Smita and I collected our sand, and actually got in the ocean for the first time. We drank one last Samy Sosa, and Michael Jackson came by to give hugs and say goodbye.

He was the best "entertainer" at the hotel. What a job they have!! They actually live there and get paid to entertain the guests, plan activities and put on a show everynight on the main stage. It reminded us of Dirty Dancing. Are you sick of our poses yet?
Its a rough life....but somebody has to do it!!!