Ballin in Brussels (Blog Post #4)

On Saturday morning at approximately 7:00 am Dominique and I set off for our weekend in Belgium. At Approximately 7:30 we found ourselves back at our housing because I had forgotten our RailPass. At approximately 8:45 we realized Dominique didn't have her RailPass either and we were forced to take a cab and then bum a ride off of our good friend Ben in order to make any train to Belgium.
We missed all of the morning ICE trains (Inter-city trains, aka fast ones) and were forced to take slower and more local trains. Just over the Belgium border in Liege we had a little time to explore the city and I got to practice using my french (very few people at the station spoke English! sacrebleu!).
Finally at around 3:00 in the afternoon (yes, that is 8 hours after we first began) we finally reached Brussels. We were met by my good friend Rachelle (who has been working in Brussels all summer), Nina and Jessica (who are both in Germany near me), and their friend Julius.
Rachelle gave us the quick and dirty tour of Brussels including the Grand Place and the Manneken Pis. The former was incredible--a huge Medieval square with hand-carved marble statues and gold filigree (just wait for my blog and pictures), the latter was small, surrounded by a mob of tourists, and rather unimpressive compared to the beauty of the Grand Place. The Grand Place itself remains one of the most important areas in Brussels--during the Middle Ages the buildings that make up the Grand Place were the major political centres in Brussels--the Guildhalls and the Town House. Occasionally the Grand Place is decorated with a massive flower carpet that stretches across the square--I only saw pictures but it looked incredible.
Dominique and I were feeling the weight of the day on our backs and so Rachelle and our friends got us on a bus and on our way to their housing...To Be Continued

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Rocking Out in Roermond (Blog Post #3)

After a long day in Cologne we decided to take things easy today (especially since we start work tomorrow!). We had heard from our new British friends that all of Germany is essentially closed on Sundays, and they recommended we visit Roermond in the Netherlands for good shopping. Of the girls who decided to go we all felt shopped-out and decided just to go sight-seeing. We got a bit of a late start, but after lunch we finally caught the bus to Mg.

At the station we checked out the train times and went to the platform to find our train waiting for us. After sitting for about 15 minutes we realized that something must be wrong. We checked the platform sign again and sure enough it had changed! Confused we went down to the ticketing office and discovered that our platform had changed at the last moment, but since the announcement was in German none of us knew any better. After nearly an hour's wait we finally got on our train to Roermond. After another hour we got to our next stop and were warned by the father of two adorable little girls that we would need to run to make our connection. We sprinted through the station and got to our platform in just the nick of time--thank goodness for that lovely man!

When we got to Roermond it started raining, luckily my mom had insisted that I bring an umbrella and so I was very fortunate. To our surprise we found that nearly all of Roermond was locked up, so we decided to take a walk around to admire the old world architecture. We came across a massive Romanesque church called Munsterkerk.

In front of Munsterkerk was a massive gazebo where a big band was playing--for those of you who know me this was very exciting! I was a jazz musician and singer for a very long time and they were playing all of my favourite songs. We took a quick peek into the gorgeous cathedral and then sat in front under large umbrellas to sip hot chocolate and listen to the band. When the band started playing Michael Buble standards we all got up and started dancing in the rain--I love my friends and how willing they are to go along with my crazy schemes. I had a wonderful time listening in and singing along from my seat, until they announced "Save the last dance for me". I am not sure what came over me, but right after they announced it I cheered and screamed "Can I sing with you!?" I figure: you're only young once and what are the chances that I will find another big band? Unsure about exactly what I wanted, they invited me up (it is a good thing everyone in the Netherlands speaks English!). I explained that I was a Jazz musician and that I knew the song they were going to play--and they said they had a second mic! The band leader introduced me to the crowd and the music started! It was one of the most incredible moments of my entire life and I am so thankful that my friends were able to record it. After I was finished everyone cheered--it was amazing and reminded me how much I love music and performance.

After singing with a professional big band and being congratulated by a crowd of lovely spectators we decided to make a clean exit. As if the day couldn't be better--as soon as we turn the corner we discover a latin festival! My friend Dominique is a salsa dancer and immediately got super excited. Sure enough we found latin music, food, and SALSA DANCERS! I insisted that Dominique ask one of the dancers if she could dance with him and I practically ran over to the salsa group instructor and gushed: "She's a SALSA DANCER!" Absolutely delighted the instructor lead Dominique out on the dance floor and they were fabulous! I was so happy that she got to have such an amazing experience--both of us marked a big check off our bucket lists.

We were all feeling pretty tired by the time we were finished with the Latin festival and it was getting quite cold and wet. We made our way back to the station, crammed into a photo booth for an absolutely hilarious picture, and met some Canadians on holiday! After a relatively short ride to Mg we missed our bus because of a mistake with the announcement board. Impatient and cold we hailed a taxi, got back on base, ordered Italian food and settled in for an early night--day one of camp tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Weekend recap: I fell down the stairs of the biggest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, got a kiss from a Russian who was about to get married, missed my first train in Germany, visited The Netherlands for the very first time, and sang with a professional Big Band in front of a huge crowd of people. Could this summer get any better?

Crazy for Cologne! (Blog Post #2)

What a day! Today the girls and I went to Cologne for our first weekend out. Our new friend Casey came to help us orient ourselves at the train station. On the way to Mg station (Monchengladbach) I found a wonderfully inexpensive shoe store with a pair of amazing strappy sandals for only 5 euro! I decided to wait until we had returned to buy them and I was sorely disappointed when we arrived at Mg to find all of the stores closed before 8:00 pm! On a Saturday night! Complete rubbish if you ask me.

Back to Cologne. The station we got off on is literally right next to the massive and gorgeous Cologne Cathedral. Construction began in the mid-thirteenth century and continued for over six hundred years. It is a marvel of human ingenuity and was the tallest building in the world until the Washington Monument was erected. It has the largest façade of any church in the world and is the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. It is an excellent example of the intricate gothic architecture of the high and late medieval period. Standing outside of it was absolutely overwhelming. Finding myself face-to-face with a building I have only ever marveled at in books left me speechless. The inside of the building was gorgeous and built in the traditional floor-plan of medieval churches (following a cross shape) and was filled with amazing art and the most beautiful mosaic floors. As an admirer of Medieval architecture and as a Catholic I was completely blown away by the beauty of the place (stay posted for my vlog, I have been having some problems uploading things to youtube so it might be a bit).

After exploring the interiors some of the girls and I decided to climb to the belfry—not an easy task as we would find. The staircase spiraled into one of the two massive spires of the cathedral and the squeeze was extremely tight with people using the same narrow passage going up and down. The view from the top was incredible—you could see all of Cologne and the surrounding countryside. It was an amazing moment and I am glad I got to share it with my friends. The way down was very difficult and crowded, and just as we were reaching the bottom I missed a step and went sliding down! A kind German man grabbed me and helped me up, but I am afraid that my bum took the brunt of the tumble! It was certainly a memorable experience!

After climbing down we met with the others who had been shopping for most of the morning. Cologne offers a wide array of shopping opportunities and has a lot of popular American stores just steps away from the Cathedral and station. After a bit of shopping we stopped for lunch in a charming café with outdoor seating. I ordered a platter of traditional German cheeses with bread to taste the full spectrum of German cheese delicacies—it was wonderful. I was shocked to see that they charged for water (and no ice!) and even more surprised to find that the only water available anywhere was mineral water! It makes me worry about the tap—I had been told that it was ok to drink from the tap, but now I am a bit worried.

After a leisurely lunch (trés European!) we strolled around the shopping district and people watched. While waiting for our train to arrive we sat outside of the Cathedral on the steps and watched as the sun began to go down. A group of Russian-Germans were out on a Bachelor’s party and were trying to sell a basket of useless crap to earn money for drinks. I didn’t see anything to my liking, but I put in a bit of money just to be nice. In return (plus a little bit of input from my friends) I got a rather old gem-stone headband and a kiss from the husband-to-be! They were very nice young men and great fun, and they sent us on our way with smiles and laughter. Then it was on the train and back to Mg. Cologne Cathedral was definitely the highlight of the entire day and one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Europe just keeps getting better and better! I am very excited about visiting “Holland” (as people around camp call it) tomorrow. Cheers!

Oh.Em.Gee...I'm in Germany (Blog Post #1)

After an absolutely mad Saturday of thesis writing and furious packing, Sunday the 18^th finally came. Last minute rush to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything (and of course I did forget some crucial items) and the fam, Autumn and I were on our way to San Francisco International for my 4:55 flight to London Heathrow. Along the way we stopped for brunch—and I realized how nice it was to have everyone come see me off. When I went to Japan my departure was the same day as my brother’s graduation—I had to say goodbye to my family early and had a friend drive me to the airport. Having someone (or in this case a rather large number of someones) come to help me with my baggage and wave goodbye to me was really nice. I’ll miss them a lot, but onwards and upwards to London!

The flight to London was absolutely abysmal. My adorable sandals broke while I was walking to the gate from the restrooms and so I had to wear my terribly stuffy camp shoes and tall socks—I was burning up! The one consolation was that I was surrounded by my Camp friends and had a wonderful seat buddy who was going on Safari with all of her best friends to celebrate their retirements. Back for a moment on traveling with my friends—this is another first for me. In my past summer experience with Camp I only flew with my director, it was nice to be able to talk to lots of different people and move together as a group. I felt safe and secure while we were together. I barely slept at all on the plane because I was so hot, but I did watch a few good movies: Invictus (I cried three times), Alice in Wonderland (Wonderfully unexpected), Date Night (Imagine…a romantic comedy meeting Rush Hour…I have mixed feelings, and How to Train your Dragon (what I saw of it seemed charming).

When we finally arrived at Heathrow I was struck by the size of the buildings! We had to take a train to get to our terminal (see my vlog here)!! Heathrow is a beautiful airport with lots of glass and natural light. While waiting for our next flight to Dusseldorf I got myself a “take-away” Starbuck’s fruit frappuccino—exactly the refreshing drink I needed after a rather uncomfortable 9 hour flight to London.

At the moment I am sitting in my plan bound for Dusseldorf. We are 30 minutes delayed, but I am happy to have a few moments to reflect and write a bit. I lucked out with this flight because no one is sitting next to me—even though it is only an hour and a half long flight I am going to try to get some sleep! I am looking forward to it J. More later! Cheers!

OK! We’re Back! I just got back from a long day of Orientation, but I’ll jump back for a moment to talk about what happened after we arrived in Dusseldorf! After the 30 minute delay we finally left for Dusseldorf and I slept the ENTIRE flight—I even missed the drinks! Bah! It was a really nice nap though and I got to stretch out because NO ONE was sitting next to me! Amazing! We were met in Dusseldorf by my supervisor Bobbi who swept us away in an amazingly comfortable red bus. 45 minutes later we arrived on base and I have been here ever since.

On Base we live in Cassels House, which is one part hotel and one part dormitory. I have my own room with a massive window! The one downside is that there is no air conditioning so the room is a bit stuffy during the day—but I probably won’t be around here on most days so it is no problem at all! The food so far is awesome and everyone is so nice! I slept really well and woke up in time to have a leisurely breakfast. One of the first things I noticed about English food is that potatoes are served with every meal, they eat baked beans for breakfast, and they use A TON of butter in everything! I’m still surviving on my veg diet—there are lots of veggies (Dad would appreciate the cabbage!).

Today we had the first day of orientation. After lunch we said goodbye to our friends going to the other garrisons and we returned to the Youth Centre for another orientation with the Youth Centre Support Staff (SASS) who were all university (i.e. post-secondary) and college (i.e. high school) students. It was a lot of fun! Today I also got to visit the American PX on base (like an American store) and the NAAFI (the British store). We were also invited to a BBQ with the Youth Centre staff and kids, but we’re all too tired to go (it is a very long walk to the Centre, it takes me about a half hour!).We just finished with dinner and we’re going to have a team meeting in about a half hour—I’ll try to edit my first vlog tonight before the meeting!

Last week in the U.S.

So, next weekend I'm leaving for Germany. It feels like time has really flown by--there is still so much to do!! I'm going to start packing my camp supplies tonight but I still need to finish my thesis and all my work at E.A.O.P.

On top of everything else I had a computer crisis this weekend--Compy is out of commission. Her video card got fried and since it was on-board there was no way that I could fix it without jeopardizing my files. She gave me enough time to get the necessary files off of her, and then I retired her. Now I am using a new Dell laptop my parents originally purchased for my brother, but he is perfectly fine with his old one. Compy 2.0 is fine...but she leaves a lot to be desired. I need to go out and buy a webcam...and all of my bookmarked pages are GONE! Still...I am lucky that I have a computer at all. Let's have a moment of silence for Compy 1.0--without Compy I would have never gotten through college and would have died of boredom in Japan. Thank you.

I haven't completely lost my mind...I'm sick so I blame it on the meds. Better get cracking on this packing! Last week! AIIIIEEE!!!!

England and Italy: Up in the Air

So...I thought I was going to get research funding through this program I am in (for the first part of the summer, before I leave for Germany). I was going to use some of that money to pay for a side-trip to England to visit colleges (for Graduate school). Well now it looks like I probably won't be able to go to England or Italy, which is kind of a drag. My mom is really sad about it because she really, really, really wants me to go to school in the U.K. because she feels like it would be the best place for me to go for my research interests. I have to agree with her, but I just don't know where the money will come from. I am going to work my butt off during July and hope that it is enough--we'll have to see :/
Italy looks even bleaker at this point, which is REALLY SAD! I don't know when I am going to go to Italy...I planned on going back to Tokyo next summer, but maybe I should put Italy down as a second choice...we'll see.
Anyway, hearing about not getting funding (oh, and did I mention I might be dropped from this pre-graduate program because I won't be here this summer? Even though I told them I couldn't be here over the summer BEFORE I was accepted?) was not the best start to this three-day weekend. George and I are going to the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee (if I can ever get out of bed!)...and I will bring my camera along to take some video. Ciao!

Who'da thunk it?

I have a fear of electronics. No, I don't have nightmares about being attacked by track-ball mouses or being pummeled by motherboards...I'm constantly afraid of destroying my electronics, especially the expensive ones. Whenever I go abroad and plug my laptop in...I have a brief vision of the screen exploding and the entire machine bursting into flames. So far, so good...but I have never been to a country where the voltage was stronger than in the U.S. and Europe's voltage is 220. My dad (one of the smartest people I know...) originally told me I would need to purchase a step-down converter. Guess what? They're super expensive. I've been shopping around and comparing prices on different models, P.O.ed that I only bought the universal adapter last year and not one with a power converter.
My search ended the other day in my local STA (Student Travel Agency) office. I initially went in to inquire after Britrail passes and the possibility of renting vespas in Rome, but when I saw adapters for sale the conversation shifted. I asked to examine the converter and shared my electronic fears with the agent. "Oh, but don't you know?" She asked. I told her I didn't "know" anything, and she proceeded to tell me that I didn't need a step-down converter at all! Oh? Could this be true? "The black box your cord plugs into" she explained "it can convert voltage." I needed to be sure. I came home and examined that little black box (which, honestly I had never paid attention to before) and saw that, according to the label, that little box converted up to 240V. HUZZAH! I'm so glad I found this out before purchasing another converter! I decided to check some of my other electronics, and sure enough even my hair straightener could convert up to 240V! Incredible, no? Looks like that universal adapter was a good buy after all.

Wishing and Hoping...

Europe seems so distant right now...I still have two essays for Medieval Studies and a final, a final quiz, oral exam and final exam for french, a final project and a take-home final for anthro, a final essay and exam for English and 1/2 of my thesis drafted...plus the entire month of June and most of July until I finally get to go! Ugh! Waiting is the hardest part. I have been occupying myself with planning my trip. If I get enough money together I want to extend my trip to visit graduate schools in England and spend a few days in Italy with a good friend. Arrrgh...there is still so much to do, and I am really impatient by nature. ~<3

The finished product

I had the opportunity to call my team today. I got to speak to Dominique (who I speak to all the time) and Bree (from Oregon). Bree seems really nice and seems to have a lot of experience--I cannot wait to meet her. She seems to really like sports, so I think she will be a valued asset in our camp program.

Oh, here is the email I just sent out:

Dear Shelby, Dominique, Breanne and Taylor,

Hello! My name is Aree Metz and I will be the director at Rheindahlen B.G., Germany this summer. I just got back from Director's Training in Iowa on Monday morning with lots of new ideas and energy! I am confident that we are going to organize a great program together and I can't wait to meet you all and begin our summer with the children at Rheindahlen!

A little about myself...
I am a third year senior at the University of California, Davis double majoring in English and Evolutionary Anthropology with a minor in Medieval Studies. I would like to become an English professor one day with a research emphasis in Medieval literature. I am the youngest of two children--my older brother George is a recent U.C. Davis graduate now working on post-graduate work in clinical lab technology. I live with my parents Bob and Danie in Woodland, Ca, in the same house I grew up in. My dad is originally from the Chicago area and my mom immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines about 26 years ago.
In my spare time I enjoy painting, reading, beading, singing karaoke, writing, watching movies and cooking. I love the outdoors and animals! I am very close to my family and friends. I love to travel and am committed to travel blogging and vlogging (video blogging). I love learning new languages; I speak Japanese, Spanish and I just recently learned French (hoping to start German very soon!).
Prior to my experience with Camp Adventure I worked with children at my godmother’s child care facility and I have taught a pre-first Eucharist class at my local church for the last two years. This will be my second summer with Camp Adventure. Last summer I was one of two staff members at the Tokyo American Club in Japan. Since I was the only counselor in the program I gained a lot of experience and decided that I was ready to become a director for the summer of 2010. This will be my first time in Europe, and I am very excited about sharing this new experience with all of you!

A little bit about Rheindahlen…
This summer we will be working at Rheindahlen B.G., the Headquarters of the British Military stationed in Germany. The British Military has been in Germany since the end of WWII, and many of the families living in and around Rheindahlen B.G. have family members deployed in war zones throughout the world. We will be living and working on base for the duration of our stay in Germany. The base is extremely large and in the past counselors have been loaned bikes to help us move around. As many of you may have heard, while we are on base we will be allowed to eat in the commissary, which is very similar to the dining commons you may have on your college campus. Rheindahlen is located in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany near the Belgium and Netherlands borders. The closest train station is about a 45 minute bus ride from the base and from there the nearest large station is in Dusseldorf. During the summer Germany ranges from the high 60s through the 80s, but other parts of Europe (including France) can get quite hot. I have attached a suggested packing list to help guide you through your pre-departure preparations. Though we will be in Germany for a total of six weeks, we will only be programming five weeks of camp. Our first week will be an orientation week where we will learn about life at Rheindahlen, go over summer expectations and plan for our first week of camp.

My vision and plans…
My vision for the summer is to create a quality camp program for the children at Rheindahlen and to create a lot of wonderful new memories with all of you. My number one priority this summer is the children, and I want to plan and implement a first-rate camp program for them. I have high expectations for all of you this summer and I hope that you also expect a lot from me. Both our P.D. Dr. Kowalski and our P.C. Bobbi emphasized that we are a team--I work for you, and I will do my best to make sure that your needs and the needs of the children in our camp program are met.
You are the front line in Camp Adventure and my job is to support you as best as I can. I expect to also have a lot of fun traveling with all of you on the weekends, and you are all invited to join me on any of the weekend trips I have planned, but our top concern should always be the children in our camp program. I know that this is the first Camp Adventure summer for all of you, and I will do my best to ensure that your needs are met and that the program runs as smoothly as possible. I only ask that you commit yourself to our children and program and that you adhere to Camp Adventure’s expectations of you (your letter of expectation has been attached for your convenience--please read through it before your departure. We will reflect on it again during our first meeting in Germany).


Even though we are not departing until July 17th, there are still a few things I would like you to think about before our departure...
1. Programming--You will all be responsible for a week of programming. Since this will be your first summer in the field I can imagine that this may cause you some anxiety, but I promise that I will be with you every step of the way ensuring that this is a positive learning experience. I will also be programming our first week and providing you with a template to use for your convenience. In the meantime, start to think about which theme week you may want to program (hint hint, if you did a specific theme week as part of professional development, you may already have a head start on programming!). If you would like to call dibs on a specific week of programming please tell me as soon as possible. Feel free to begin brainstorming fun rotating activities, all camp activities and more for your week of programming.
2. Costumes-- Bringing characters to camp is an important part of our programming that I don't think has been emphasized in years past. Coming to camp in character brings an element of magic into our everyday camp routine and is fun for the campers and counselors. I ask that all of you bring at least one costume with you to Germany this summer. Look at the theme weeks (and perhaps the week you might want to program) and plan a costume to wear to Camp. If you have any questions about how to create a costume please send me an email.
3. Bag of Tricks--I am going to be holding a little bit of a contest: the counselor who can bring the most impressive bag of tricks to Germany will get a special prize from me. I will ask Bobbi to be the judge during our first orientation week. Think outside the box with your bag-of-tricks and remember that you can include costumes! I put some suggestions for your bag of tricks in the attached packing list.

Now I want to learn about all of you! Please reply back to me with the following information:

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself! Please include your past experience working with children.
2. When is your birthday?
3. Do you have a complete uniform?
4. Any worries/concerns/questions that you might have.

Additionally, please confirm that this is the email you will be using during the summer. Also, please email me when you have received your stipend and flight information! Never hesitate to send me an email--I check it multiple times a day and am only too happy to answer or redirect any questions you may have. You can also give me a call if you prefer. I look forward to getting to meet all of you and wish you good health and luck until July 17th!

Best,

~Aree Metz
*Catch the Magic*

First email...first impressions

So...I am supposed to send an introductory email to the rest of my team...and I am really stressed out about it. First impressions are everything, you know? I remember last year that my Camp Director's first email was extremely short and left me with lots of questions, so I am trying to be thorough. At the same time I am afraid of overwhelming my team with too much information. While I was writing this introductory email, however, I did a bit of research about the place I will be living/working at this summer.

I am stationed at Rheindahlen British Garrison in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany. For those of you who are geographically challenged, North Rhine-Westphalia borders Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a really central area which is convenient for me because I plan on country-hopping this summer. From what I have researched the climate is pretty mild--upper 60s to high 80s during most of the summer, which sounds like paradise. Today at work I met a woman from Germany, but all she could talk about was Prague! Prague sounds amazing...I hope I can visit someday.

Better get back to writing that email! Countdown to Germany: 57 days

Back from Iowa

Sorry for the long hiatus: lack of internet access and a particularly debilitating bout of stomach flu have prevented me from corresponding in a timely manner. Anyway, I am back in California, medicated, and on the mend (though I have a frighteningly appalling pile of work awaiting my return to good health).

Iowa was much better than I expected: the weather was mild, the little city of Cedar Falls was quaint and quiet, the Cedar River and the park along it were charming and there was no line at the urgent care clinic. Plus, everything is pretty cheap there! On the other hand there isn't a ton to do...not that I would especially know--I was holed up in my room during any of my spare time trying to get healthy!

I was in Iowa to learn about becoming a director in the Camp Adventure program. The training program was one-part seminar based one part-conference-y(ish) where we got to attend sessions on topics that were important to us. One of those conference sessions I attended which I found particularly helpful was called "But I want them to like me...". Some of the seminars were grueling, the Blitz practice was murder on me...but by-in-large it was a very beneficial and worthwhile training experience.

I feel like I have learned a lot more about the Camp A program and feel more confident about this summer. I met some amazing people who I am really excited about getting to know better...and a few...Ok, one...person who I really find repulsive. Iowans are really really nice, people from the South seem to like to stick together and are very direct and honest, people from Florida are a lot like people from Cali...except less impatient and for the most part people from Washington are super sweet and people from Oregon are super chill.

All in all I think it is going to be a great summer in Germany. I have a lot of new ideas and cannot wait to start mentoring all four of my new counselors. For now though, I need to concentrate on getting healthy...which means it is time for another nap. Countdown to Germany: 60 days.

Twas the night before Iowa...(aka I'm not abroad yet)

This summer I am going to be directing a summer camp program in Germany (pretty cool, right?) but before I go I have to attend a mandatory training in...Iowa. Now, don't get me wrong, I am pretty stoked about missing school to play games and make new friends...but Iowa? I've never been, but it doesn't sound like the most exciting place in the world (no offense to anyone out there from Iowa!!). I guess I should just try to keep an open mind--who knows, maybe it will be awesome!

I'm not thrilled about domestic travel. I can't believe that airlines charge for checked baggage! I guess I am just used to flying internationally...where I don't have to worry about any additional charges. I also think it is crazy that I am spending nearly the same amount of time flying to Iowa as I did flying back from Japan! Crazyville...

I have to finish packing my ONE CARRY-ON LUGGAGE (I put another bag inside it to put my new materials in from training)...I'll keep you posted on how the flight goes.