Vacation... NOT

As the trip approaches, I have heard the word vacation used... Well, this will be fun, but vacation is not part of our vocabulary! We will be VERY busy giving presentations to Rotary clubs, going on our vocational visits, and addressing the preceptions of disability with the community in Australia. Of course, there will be a lot of fun activities...like sailing, SCUBA diving, visiting the world famous Syndey Opera house, visiting the Olympic venues, and spending time with our host families!

We're on our way tomorrow! Keep us on your "Favorites" list, because it will be exciting! Please post comments to help us feel a link to our world back home, if you would!

Time to pack

1 day and some change before Darol, Jenn, Mike, Kerry and I jump on a plane to the down under country. Its time to finalize all of the items we need to take with us. It has been hard to put several weeks worth of travel in just a couple back packs. This is going to be a trip of a lifetime and it all starts Thursday!

ONE OF A KIND

What a short and busy week this one has been.

Four days from now we will be on our way to Australia to share our personal and professional experiences as a very unique and diverse team representing Arizona and Rotary district 5490.

We are excited and honored to have such an opportunity!  The next 4 weeks in the New South Wales state of Australia  will be full of well planned (and surely some spontaneous ) vocational, cultural, recreational and Rotary exchanges that we will keep you posted on.  Please join our team with your questions and comments as we embark on this first of it's kind adventure!

1 Week and Counting...

Darol, Jenn, Mike, Robb, and I are packing our suitcases and practicing our accents! We leave 1 week from today to proudly represent the Rotary Club and embark on an adventure. The next 3 weeks we are in Australia we will be presenting ourselves and Arizona at several Rotary meetings, visiting each of our vocational counterparts, and enjoying a bit of sight-seeing. Our days are so full it will be comforting to have a home away from home to catch up on some Z's. We are blessed for the offering our host families are extending, sharing their homes and hospitality. If it were not for the Rotary Club International, its gracious members and supporters, we would not have this time of our lives to make new friends and have some fun along the way!

As Rotary's first wheelchair GSE team, we are setting the path for future team members and proudly representing the disabled population. Our goal is to help others realize that despite our challenges we know how to push forward and overcome to achieve our dreams and conquer all obstacles. The Arizona GSE team consists of full-time working professionals, who enjoy life and live to make the most of it! This team is ready and willing to share our personal and professional lives, so follow along!

Kerry ;-)

Ready? Set? GO!

We cannot believe February 21st is right around the corner! It seems like yesterday we were all anxiously waiting to hear from the Rotary Club as to whom was chosen to go on this awesome adventure. Most of us have never traveled out of the country and to have an opportunity to go to Australia, on behalf of Rotary International, is beyond our wildest dreams! The Rotary Club has been sponsoring vocational group study exchanges for some time now, but we have the opportunity to roll out a new path with each member of the team being a wheelchair user. The team, with Rotary's support, are excited to show the world that nothing can keep us down or stop us from fulfilling a dream!

We leave Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, February 21st and fly to LAX. Once in LA we will board the plane headed for Sydney and 14 hours later we are down under! The team will spend the next 3 weeks cruising Australia, learning all about the people and customs, visiting locations specific to each of our vocations, sharing our lives and Arizona with Rotarians, and taking the time to site see a time or two ;-)

Please follow us along this adventure!