Safe arrival in Bangalore

Wanted to let everyone know that Christine has safely arrived in Bangalore, and thankfully the travel & pickup were as smooth as could have been asked for. She called from her host family's house, and says that the room is "very cute." Definitely answered prayers for a safe trip & what seems like a good setup with her host family.

Meanwhile, wanted to share a quick paragraph fitting in with Christine's trip, as well as with the general Allen approach to life. Selection below, and article "Time is More Valuable than Money":

People often say, “I don’t have the time to…” Fill in the blank with whatever you like: exercise, make dinner, write a book, start a company, run for political office. What makes these people think that they have less time than anyone else? Of course they don’t. We all have the same 24 hours in each day and make real decisions about how we spend them. If you really want to get in shape, then carve out time to exercise. If you want to write a book, then pick up a pen and do it. And, if you want to run for president, then get started. It isn’t going to happen if you plan your day around your favorite TV shows or spend hours updating your Facebook page. These are entertaining distractions that eat up your irreplaceable time.

Halfway to India

Leg 1 of my trip has been uneventful and I'm now sitting in London's Heathrow airport. I'm thankful so far that: a) I was able to sleep on the first flight and b) I decided to pack a really warm, soft, snuggly blanket for the plane and these amazing moisturizing socks that KK gave me as a travel gift - they were fantastic for the long flight!

I haven't been to London since I studied abroad here in 1997. Even just being in the airport brings me a feeling of excitement. I love their accents! I should definitely make a point to come back here sometime in the future for a few days...

Hands

Who does this hand belong to? Well, it's mine but I don't recognize it! No nail polish, no diamonds, henna art... (Hillary especially would appreciate that) this is definitely not a typical Christine hand. It seems like it should be more like a coming home picture than a leaving today picture - but I guess I'm ready to go. Today is the big day!

1 day left!

This week I had a bittersweet goodbye dinner with our church community group. They had create this amazing devotional book for me while I'm away, that included personal messages and hand-picked bible verses for me for every day that I'm away. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received! I'm going to miss them all so much... I forgot to take a group picture, but here's a sweet pic of Lindsay holding Stephanie's new baby, Sam. Like Stephanie, Lindsay is a "natural" and will be an amazing mother one day! I finally started packing, which is good since I leave tomorrow! I have an entire suitcase filled only with toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer and granola bars. It cracks me up so I had to share a picture with you.
Yesterday was my last day at work for 14 weeks. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. Although I'm grateful for time away to give me a fresh perspective on the business, I'm really going to miss everyone!

Christine's Indian-Themed 33rd B-day/Goodbye Party

What a wonderful night! We invited our friends over for henna painting, bollywood dancing and of course - lots of Kingfisher beers and indian food. It was a sweet way to say goodbye.

Women Supporting Women

This week I led our company's 1st Women's Leadership Conference. I've been planning it for almost a year so I really wanted it to be good, and let me just say that it was incredible! Everything was truly perfect - I couldn't be happier. I've received notes from people I've never even met saying that it was "life changing". Here's a picture of our Senior VP of HR presenting me with a special award at the end of it for Inspiring Well-Being (that is a term we use a lot at Frito). It's great to leave work on a high before heading out to India!

Enjoying our Staycation

Sun... Surf... Good Friends... Relaxation

Labor Day weekend on the lake felt like a true vacation! Hard to believe we were just down the street...

We also had an amazing dinner at the Foxes tonight. Michael and Anissa grilled kabobs and cooked up quite a feast! It was great to also finally meet Harper, their 2nd little girl who was born in May.

Simple Joy

This has been a GREAT weekend so far. I'm really trying to get in all of my favorite things before I leave... and it's been fantastic : )

The past 24 hours have consisted of a mani/pedi, a movie, sleeping in until 11, banana pancakes, a hair appt, Chick-Fil-A and shopping. Life is not rough.... (oh yeah - and I am now officially a brunette for the next 4 months)

Tonight we visited the Wannemachers at the hospital - as they welcomed their first baby into the world today (Samuel Ryan). Tomorrow we're heading out for a day on the lake and some BBQing at a friend's house. I love it because these are all wonderfully simple things that I will surely miss in India, so it makes them even more special now. Let's hear it for 3-day weekends!

Hot Chips

Don't we look hot? (ha ha)

Today Nicole and I went on a Frito-Lay plant tour. It was really cool! I loved seeing everything being made and it was fun to eat fresh, hot chips right off the line.

Next week I'm leading Frito-Lay's 1st Women's Leadership Conference. We have some excellent speakers coming and I absolutely can't wait! Please say a prayer that it all goes well... as detail oriented as I try to be, I've had a lot on my mind lately : ) After that I just have one more week of work left before I ship out!

Happy Birthday to Me!

This week I turned 33. While I don't love that number, I'm not feeling "old" just quite yet. In fact, I feel very alive and eagerly looking forward to the year ahead. Life is good and I am healthy and incredibly blessed. What more could I ask for?

My birthday itself was pretty low-key. As much as I tried to get out of working, I ended up in the office by 7:30 AM (which unfortunately is becomingly pretty typical these days). But the day got better as I spent the afternoon in training and connecting with the wonderful women in my department.

Afterwards, I attended dinner out with a few of my favorite gals for book club and it was a lot of fun. The weather has been perfect this week so we just enjoyed our wine out on a restaurant patio that was beautifully lit with white lights. This month we read "The Screwtape Letters" so we also had a really interesting discussion about faith. All in all, a perfect night in my opinion.

My "big" birthday celebration comes on the 12th when we throw a big Indian-themed "Going Away/Birthday Party". I can't wait!