January Trip Home!!!

L'Enclume friends watching the fireworks
New Years 2011/2012

Lets jump right back into to work!! Things were slow for the winter months here. Fair enough, we had the odd busy evening (almost always Saturday nights), but for the most part, things were slow. Half way into December our old sommelier, Vincent, finished here and moved back home to France. In preparation for his departure, he threw a little leaving party for himself and his girlfriend Linzi. As we approached the night of the party, all the others from work arranged for that night and the next day off... the party was being held at the pub, you guess why they needed the time off.

I didn’t plan to ask for time off, I could work and let those who knew Vinny and Linzi longer, enjoy the party. It almost could have worked out that I have the evening off but in the end I had to work. It was with the party in mind that my manager reminded me that I’d gathered a bit of holiday time. I had planned to take it just after new years and somehow at some point, he suggested I take it to go home.

...Go home!?

HOME! :D

The manager didn’t realize what that meant to me!! I hadn’t planned on seeing my family until next September. But to go HOME half way in?! I was sold.


I booked my time off and my flight shortly after. Return from Manchester to Newark New Jersey to Toronto to Thunder Bay... whew!!

This was a good reminder of where I was when I work
up after my flight over the Atlantic...

As if the marathon flights weren’t enough, I had an almost completely full schedule from the moment I landed to the moment I flew out again. Everything from family dinners, nights out with friends, even a bit of shopping.

The best part about this whole trip was the fact that we were able to keep it a secret from most of the people back home. Only my parents and my sister knew I was coming so I got to have my fun; surprising friends, my aunt and uncle, my grandma and my boss.. to name a few.

I really enjoyed my trip home, made me realize how much I love the place and really look forward to coming home for more of an extended time.

Makes you love flying...

The only downsides of this trip were the return to the UK. Not because I was coming back, I love this place!! But the early and all day flights, the 7+ hour wait in Newark airport and the fact that I landed in the UK at around 7am (after leaving Thunder Bay the day before at 7am!), caught the train back up to Grange at 9am and was back in the flat by 11:30.... none of that was as MISERABLE as the fact that my manager decided that even after the transatlantic flight... I should work that night at 6pm. Let’s not forget that this day was still suppose to be part of my holiday. Thanks Mr. Manager for making me work on my holiday.

:(