Machu Picchu

So the story goes...

Last month they announced a new contest at work (STA Travel). Five Winners would receive a $1,000 Travel Voucher each. To win, contestants had to send in an 'non-written, artistic' expression of which trip they wanted and do their best to explain why.

I didn't think much of it at first. I usually don't enter these, as they are mostly for the travel agents and I don't typically have time to get away anyway. But this one... lingered in my mind... And then I saw a documentary about Machu Picchu. That started me thinking about several things. First, my grandfather went to Peru in the 1960's. He explored the Andes in the rain forests of the Amazon, at the "headwaters" of the Amazon. Well... Machu Picchu fits that terrain, just barely, but it fits. And then I thought about David, my husband. He turns 40 in December (old man!). He'll graduate in the spring or summer of 2008 with 2 BFA's and a minor in Anthropology. How great would that be for him to go see Machu Picchu? And me, I just wanted at that point to go there!

So when I put all those pieces together, the drive began. For 2 nights, I stayed up thinking of what I could do to enter this contest. I searched the STA Travel web page for the trip I wanted most, GAP Adventures 'Inca Discovery'. After much consideration, I finally settled on painting a picture. (I was hoping for David's help. I'm really not the artist.) A couple of days later, Alexandra was home ill. So I found the time needed to do it. I found a canvas, David sketched out my picture that I'd found, and I (alone, just me!) began painting. Alexandra was home 4 days total, I had time to paint.

Well, guess what!!! I WON!!!! It's really quite fun when you are forced to do some scary things.
Compelled to paint, encouraged to take it in (I almost left the painting in the car, but my GF said I HAD to take it in!), cheered on by friends and coworkers, I win! Now, I have to get a passport for my first ever trip out of the US. I'm so excited!

We won't be traveling until the spring, though. So don't look back for a bit on a blog about how great it was. But be excited! I am!!! (No, I don't have a pic to post yet. I'll add the picture on when I have it.)