March 30- April 1, 2008
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hot! Sticky! Yuck! Not the best first impression of Kuala Lumpur but an honest one. We arrived at night so I was unable to see the grandeur of this city until the following day. It is quite the city but it was hot and sticky!

The first event was a community event hosted by an organization/association dedicated to raising awareness about Autism as well as provide support to families of autistic children and those with autism. SRC was able to meet a few of the autistic children and families who are supported by this organization. It was quite an experience. The event was well attended and SRC's message well received.

The second event was HUGE! This is probably the largest public program I've been a part of since working with SRC. I mean largest as far as participants paying to attend. I think the U.S. Symposiums were close to this number and may have exceeded but at any rate there were 1,000+ attendees. It was an amazing event. So well orchestrated and the AV was spectacular. I was sitting off to the side of the stage and unlike other events I had to manage more than just my laptop. I wish I had taken a picture: my laptop sat in the middle along with two DVD players, a large sound board to the left and a large switcher on the right. I worked the switcher and sound when playing a video. So, it was a lot of juggling but it went well. I was testing a DVD player right as SRC was being introduced and not knowing the the audio was live when the DVD played the sound came over the speakers...loud. Luckily, it was like intro music so it fit really well. I could have passed out right there but I quickly recovered. I also had to count on the person on the other end of the headset to switch between camera and graphic from my laptop. For the most part it went really well.

SRC did an amazing job with such a large group. He got out into the audience and at one point engaged in a two way dialogue with one of the participants when he asked a question. The gentleman was so great. He did not expect this two way dialogue to take place so, in desperation said, "Help! Someone else come and take over." He did an exceptional job talking with SRC and going back and forth with the questions and answers. At another point in the day he also engaged in a two way dialogue with a woman who had a point to make. It was so interesting to see this happen but enjoyable for everyone.

At the conclusion of this event we moved hotels in order to be where the event would be held the next day. It was a beautiful hotel! Below is the view from my room. At this point in the trip I was feeling very anxious to get home and I was counting down the hours until we boarded that plane for the U.S.



The program on April 1st was with a client and it was just a a half day event. It think it went well although the end seemed a little rushed. Then again, I would have rushed to if I were speaking. I just wanted to be done and on my way home. I guess that is not fair to the client but it was an accurate description of how I felt. SRC came away very energized because one of the things he had been asked to do is to help the client determine the origin of a prevalent issue in their company. Within the first 90 minutes he found the source and could not have been any more enthused by that. I was enjoying that enthusiasm as he proceeded with new insight into the client.

This is a picture of me with one of the organizers of the event, Liana. She is wonderful and after so many months of communicating by email regarding this event I was so happy to meet her in person.

After 20+ hours of flying we did make it home. I was so happy to be home and could not wait to sleep in my own bed. As we came around the corner into baggage claim I spotted the driver who welcomed us with firm hand shakes. I then began looking to see what baggage claim we needed to go to. My eyes were scanning the room and came to rest on a tall, dark, Latino with a huge smile on his face. There he was, my knight in shining armor who came to rescue me and take me home. I was so shocked to see him there I turned and walked the other way. I also felt really gross and smelly but I turned back around and gave him a huge hug. It was so good to see him. I thought he had to work that night but he just smiled and said, "April Fools!"

March 25, 2008
Sydney, Australia

What a beautiful country. We arrived in Sydney early on the 24th to wet, drizzly weather. The very first thing I saw as I looked out my plane window once we had touched down on the runway was "The Golden Arches"...McDonalds. Not exactly what I expected to see but I did have to chuckle to myself. After checking into the hotel I just needed to get my blood pumping so I went to the hotel fitness center and got in a good run. Since we arrived so early and because of the time change i needed to keep my body moving. After a wonderful shower I just wanted to be horizontal...I did not take a nap but I did enjoy a relaxing two hours of doing nothing. SRC called me in the afternoon to tell me he had found a double decker bus that would take us around the city on a tour. The day had cleared up and the sun was shining so off we went. It was wonderful! We sat on the upper deck of the bus and enjoyed the warmth and the wind. Below are some pictures from that tour.

After our tour we made our way back to the hotel for an early dinner. Stephen ordered a bowl of lamp soup which when it was delivered looked more like a soup Turin...the bowl was huge. the soup was very good. The noodles were my favorite part. I had a chicken curry meal which was oh, so tasty!

The event in Sydney took place on the 25th and it was a great event. The company hosting the event is the same company that did the events in Asia last November. We did not doubt that the events would be successful. The audience was highly energetic and asked a lot of questions. The room was packed with hardly any space to walk between chairs and people. SRC did a fantastic job and really captured the minds and hearts of the attendees. At the conclusion of the event we made our way to the airport to fly to Melbourne.

March 26, 2008

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne seems to be a very intriguing city. I did not see much of it because of our schedule but I did enjoy the hotel fitness center and my room. We learned from our driver that Melbourne is really suffering a drought right now. Australia is moving out of Summer and into Autumn so you would expect some dryness on the ground. It was interesting on our drive from the airport to the hotel to see, even the highly visible city parks, and roadways with grass were brownish. The city is taking the conservation of water very seriously.

The Sofitel hotel was amazing. It was huge and connected to a shopping center. What was so interesting about this shopping center is that during the 3/4 of an entire wall is opened to the outside streets. This is a main entrance to the shopping center and created a really nice airy atmosphere for those walking around or sitting in nearby restaurants.

The event was as well attended as the one in Sydney. There was a bit more room in the ballroom but it was no less intimate. The AV tech tables were set up in a closed balcony areas above the ballroom. It was interesting to have that view of the ballroom. It made seeing SRC a lot easier but it was not as easy to communicate with him. When he would leave the room I had to sprint down a flight of stairs and exit the stairwell just about at full speed in order to intercept him. What a spectacle I was! One thing that SRC has found really fun to do during videos is to sine the laser pointer in my eyes. With the really strong laser pointers he can shoot it clear to the back of a huge ballroom. He thinks he is so funny. Meanwhile I am not partially blind because of it.

Once again, at the conclusion of the event we made our way to the airport. It is so interesting to me the difference in airport across the world. Some security people must think I am crazy because I go through a series of questions: Laptop out of the case?; Shoes Off? Shoes in the bin or on the belt?: Jacket off? Liquids and gels out of my carrying on?; and for good measure Do I need my ID again? I loved the Melbourne airport because the only thing I had to do was remove my laptop from my bag. It was wonderful and made the process so speedy.

March 27, 2008

Auckland, New Zealand

Well, now. This is where they have been keeping the good looking men. In Australia I began to wonder what all the hype was about the gorgeous Australian men I would see. I did see some attractive men but it wasn't until New Zealand that the real men appeared...at least my taste of men: tall, defined features, muscles abounding, etc. I have a friend who has said, "Chelsea, you only have to smile and you will get what you want". So, I put that to the test...could I get one of these fine looking men to notice me and perhaps engage in a little bit of a flirty conversation? Now, anyone who knows me well enough knows that I would never have that thought go through my mind and in light of recent events in my life and a certain someone, I would especially not try to engage in flirty conversation with a man. Well...then again. But, I am serious about the good looking men! Wowza!

We had the shortest amount of time in Auckland so I really can't tell you much about the city except that it was very, very green. The weather was wonderful! The hotel was amazing and the ballroom was huge! This was the largest events of the four with 650+ people attending. The audience was highly engaged in teaching each other and in what SRC was teaching. It was a great experience!

At the conclusion we drove to the airport and boarded a plane to Wellington...where my life would be forever altered.

March 28, 2008

Wellington, New Zealand

Over the past 2+ years many people have asked, not in these exact words but similar, "Where is your favorite place?" Until now my response would be, "Can I do it by continent?" I did not have a favorite place. I can tell you that, hands down, Wellington, New Zealand is my favorite place. I don't know exactly what it is about it but I could live there in a heart beat. It is beautiful and the overall feeling there was amazing to me. Below are some pictures taken from a harbor near the event venue. The weather was amazing during the day of the event so every chance I had I went outside. Along the water there is a running/biking/walking trail and it was here that I saw more of the good looking men that I spoke of earlier. I could tell they were athletes...most being rugby players. Some were HUGE in stature...very intimidating.

The event was well attended and the audience seemed eager to learn and gain as much as they could from being there. At the conclusion of the event we went to dinner with the even host, Red Carpet Ltd. team. This group had been with us for each event on this trip and it was so fun to be with them in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. We laughed and learned more about each other. SRC stayed for dinner and then excused himself so he could return to his room for an early night. I enjoyed myself so much and really hated to say goodbye to this group. You spend enough time with them and learn to appreciate each other and the amount of work that goes into these events. For them it was the end of a long period of preparation and travel. For me and SRC it meant we were onto the next country...Malaysia.

Does anyone want to see my stamps?

Don't you hate it when you get to somewhere fun and exciting, a place you have never been and the camera that you brought with you does not work? The only proof that I have that I was in Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai are stamps in my passport and a few pictures I took with my phone. you will have to just believe me when I tell you that Kuwait and Bahrain were amazing. Dubai, was equally as amazing, I speak mainly of the architecture and number of buildings that have gone up since my visit a year ago. The pictures you see below is the view that I had from my hotel room in the downtown area of Dubai. The building that you see with the tall spire is the tallest building, right now, in the world. It is not yet complete but very impressive to say the least.

March 2, 2008
Kuwait City, Kuwait

I was impressed by the size of this city as well as the new construction that is taking place. As we drove from the airport to the hotel I noticed a lot of new construction as well as older, war torn buildings, that while inhabited, look like they have seen better days. I was impressed by the overall friendliness of the people I met and the interactions we had. In these highly Muslim populated countries it is hard to know what the reaction will be from the men and women. One man may shake my hand while others will nearly throw their hands up in the air and say, " I do not shake the hands of women". Some women wear head coverings and normal clothing while others wear the all black with head and face coverings. I asked about the differences and was told that for some it is their level of commitment to their religion. For others it is out of respect for family tradition. The program was a huge success. I would guess there were about 500 people in the audience and they were highly engaged and asking questions, which, as I have mentioned before leads SRC in different directions than perhaps was originally planned.

March 3, 2008
Bahrain

I don't have much to say about Bahrain because we arrive quite late and left immediately following the program. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton, which is also where the event was held. SRC and I were housed in a Villa...beautiful, huge, luxurious. Too bad I was only able to enjoy it for 8 hours and even with that amount of time I spent a few hours sleeping. I was quite impressed with what I saw from the windows and the short drive to the airport. The Ritz is situated right on the coast so the view from the back doors of the Villa were spectacular...palm trees, beautiful private pool all leading out to the ocean. I would like to return if only to see more of Bahrain. The event was for one client and I would say it was successful. The audience was smaller than the program the day before but equally as interesting and with many questions from the audience.

March 4, 2008
Dubai
Public Program

First of all, the hotel Jumeirah Resort Hotel was incredible. It is situated along the coast line and is one in a line of about 4 resorts. My room was incredible and I was able to enjoy it for two nights. The gym facilities were the best I think I have seen in my travels. I also had the option of running the length of the four resorts on an outdoor trail that connected all four. It was so fun to run along this path and see the vacationers and catch a glimpse of their lives whether it was a father kicking a soccer ball with his son and daughter, or a couple enjoying a dinner by the ocean. I also witnessed families enjoying the pools as well as conventions taking place at some of the resorts. The event was great: a public event hosted by IIR. This crowd was also engaged and full of questions. I love the questions and the direction they take SRC with his responses. It can also be a test for me and my knowledge of the slides. SRC may call for a slide that we don't use very often and it takes me a few seconds (or minutes) longer to pull it up.

March 5, 2008
Dubai

We ended up with a free day on the 5th. The event that had been planned had to cancel because of company restructuring. It was great to be able to sleep in and relax a little bit. I actually slept until about 7:00 a.m. which in my travels is sleeping in. I got up, went running and to the gym, had a good breakfast and prepared to move to the last hotel of the trip. It was better for us to move to the hotel where the event was being held because of traffic. The evening of the 5th we actually had dinner with the FranklinCovey Middle East group. They are a fantastic group of people and it was so wonderful to meet with them in a more casual setting. When I am traveling and especially during events I am all business. I have my game face on and my focus is on logistics, SRC, the slides, and making sure everything is in order. Many people who meet me for the first time in this setting find me very serious. So, it was great for this group to see me more relaxed and not so serious. SRC was a great host and complemented this group on being a "Transition Team", possessing the skill to influence all of Dubai and many of the Middle Eastern countries.

March 6, 2008
Dubai

The final event! Yahoo! The event was good but probably a little more difficult than the other events. I didn't think the audience was engaged in the presentation...they seemed distracted by other things. SRC felt differently. He felt that there was just so much information given that is different enough from how this group functions and thinks in their profession that it was overwhelming. That makes sense to me. Overall I would say it was a success. SRC amazes me! He adapts to such diverse groups and such varied questions. Plus he is able to keep his energy at a high level event after event after event. By the end of the day we were ready to go home.

November 5-15, 2007
Asia and Florida

November 5-7
Shanghai, China

As we prepared for this trip I was full of anticipation, not only for the presentations, but the travel and knowing we would be so far from home. SRC and I arrived in Shanghai Tuesday evening and after checking in at the hotel we both looked forward to some exercise time. Spending 15 hours on a plane, basically in a reclined position without much walking around and I was ready to get the wiggles out. Running felt great! Here are a few photos: the view from my hotel room as well as SRC's. Plus a view from the elevator.


The thing I was most fascinated by in Shanghai were the number of bikes and scooters on the road. I didn't see many pedestrians and even the cars were few in number. What we saw were bikes and scooters...everywhere. That is the main mode of transportation and it was amazing to see bikes lining the sidewalks or intersections filled with scooters and more bikes.

The presentation went very well. SRC was terrific and on top of his game. There were about 450 people attending and it was a very energetic and engaged group. Most in attendance speak English fluently so I did not notice a delayed reaction to jokes or questions asked by SRC. At the conclusion of the event we drove to the airport to board a plane...no time to enjoy the hotel or see any more of the city than we did to and from the hotel. Next stop: Hong Kong.

November 7-9, 2007
Hong Kong

What an incredible city! We actually did not see much of the city until the day after we flew in but our driver from the airport gave us a driving tour. He was a hoot! He pointed out the worlds longest suspension bridge. This picture is just one small section. I had hoped for a better picture but this will have to do. Our driver explained that we landed on one island, crossed the bridge to another island, went through a tunnel--under the water--to Hong Kong. He also pointed out the worlds tallest residence building...82 floors. Fascinating! Downtown Hong Kong is like a mini New York and even has some aspects of Las Vegas...building lit up from roof top to street level. The view from my room wasn't too bad either.
Wednesday night, after getting settled into my room I was able to get in a good run! The gym at this hotel was amazing...huge with great equipment. Thursday morning SRC gave a presentation to a small group at the LDS Church building. The group consisted of the Area Presidency, office staff and Senior missionary couples. In the afternoon I walked around "The Mall". A huge mall next door to the hotel. This mall must have been at least three stories with at least a hundred stores. I felt totally under dressed in my capris and polo...most mall goers were in business attire which was mostly black. A nap followed my time at the mall. Very nice!

We had a Community Event in the evening which was hosted by the Hong Kong Institute of Education. It was a great group made up of teachers, principals, and other school administrators. SRC has not done this before but at the conclusion he had me come out on stage as he introduced and thanked me for my assistance. I had been sitting behind a curtain, off stage, like Oz in the Wizard of Oz so it was funny to have me come on stage from behind the curtain.

Friday morning was a full-day presentation with about 400 people. Another home run day! After a book signing and short cocktail hour with one of the main sponsors we were on our way to the hotel. Singapore here we come!
November 9-12, 2007
Singapore

Arriving into Singapore was interesting. My first international trip was to Singapore. It was also my interview with SRC to work for him. I remember it like it was yesterday. Traveling with two very experienced travelers, I was trying to act like I knew what I was doing by I was watching and observing everything so I didn't look stupid.

Out hotel, Shangri-La, was lovely. We had "Garden Rooms" with a view of the pool, balconies, and wood floors. Since we would be in Singapore for a few days it was good to be in nice hotel rooms. The service was the best I have seen. What impressed me most about each employee is that they would serve you even if what you were asking of them was outside of their job responsibilities. For example, I was looking for the fitness center and asked a hostess at one of the restaurants where to go. She came from behind her hostess desk and walked me halfway to where I needed to go. I was impressed.

Saturday morning I woke up feeling very puny: sore throat, cough...not good! I wanted to fight it so I went running, took a nap, and tried to drink as much water as possible. SRC and I went on a tour in the afternoon and had a great time. Take a look at these pictures. Our driver was fantastic and really knew where we needed to go to see what we wanted to see. I didn't get pictures of everything we saw but here is a sampling. Singapore is an amazing, clean city.

Sunday afternoon we had a community event which was attended by about 900 people. It was a fantastic group. It was deja vu because of where the event was held...the exact same room at the Singapore Convention Center that the event was held in that interview trip to Singapore. I enjoyed working with the FC Asia group. The event was so well organized and went off without a hitch.

Monday was a full-day presentation attended by at least 400 people. It was great! The topic for each of these three full-day presentations was Insights into Leadership and what continues to amaze me is how SRC can customize each presentation for the country, audience, culture, etc. He hit a home run with each group based on needs, issues, challenges and what he learned from those who live in these countries.

We had one more night in Singapore. By the end of Monday I was feeling really sick. I now had symptoms of a head and chest cold. I was not looking forward to our flight back to the US. Tuesday morning we boarded a plane in Singapore and flew to Hong Kong to catch a connecting flight to Chicago. The flight to Hong Kong was uneventful. The landing was hard on my ears and sinuses and my ears stayed plugged even after we landed. As we flew out of Hong Kong I was amazed to see so many high rise buildings coming up from the landscape. What is so amazing is that the majority are residences. It's like mini downtown areas. The flight from Hong Kong to Singapore was LONG. The in-flight entertainment system at my seat was broken so no in-flight movies for me. It was not the end of the world but it was certainly inconvenient to not be able to lose myself in movies for 14 hours. It did give me a chance to focus on sleeping and I did watch some shows that I had downloaded to my laptop.

After landing in Chicago we cleared customs and made our way to the gate for our flight to Orlando. My ears were completely plugged and I felt like I was yelling whenever I spoke. I was trying so hard to remain up beat and do my job like nothing was wrong. The flight to Orlando was interesting. I ended up in a middle seat!!!! I was not a happy person! After receiving a phone call to speak in church on the topic of gratitude and taking some time to write down things I am grateful for my attitude did change. I was no longer so focused on the fact that I was in the middle seat, that my ears were plugged, and I felt awful. I just thought about all that I had to be grateful for. After what seemed like an eternity we landed in Orlando. The sun was shining and it was a pleasant 75 degrees. I was in heaven.

November 14, 2007
Orlando, FL

The event in Orlando was for a client and was a huge success. The word we received from my main contact for this event is that the participants were thrilled with what they heard and the morning could not have gone any better. I was pleased to hear that. Both SRC and I were feeling the effects of the difference in time zones and felt very anxious to get onto Tampa, the next presentation and then home.

November 15, 2007
Tampa, FL

We arrived at the hotel on the 14th and I actually spent some time in the warm sun by the pool. It was the perfect medicine feeling like I did. I had a good nights sleep and an easy morning on the 15th. The presentation was in the afternoon and although the group was far smaller than we had expected or even hoped for SRC did a great job. Once finished we bolted for the door and quickly got in the waiting SUV to take us to the airport. We had a short window of time to make it to the airport for our flight but we made it. The flight was good and when we got home I just wanted to kiss the ground. Another great trip under my belt!

October 22-26, 2007
Central America, Carribean

I've heard it said that traveling by chartered airplane is "a luxury", a little snobbish perhaps or even a little diva-ish (if that's a word). True, I will not say it isn't a luxury because there is no fighting with commercial airline passengers and we have two pilots catering to our needs. We also have free movement around the cabin. It is far from being an extravagant means of travel. At times it is necessary in order to get to where we need to go on time. I have written in past blog entries of trouble with the chartered planes: delays because of weather, delays because of mechanical problems, etc. We still deal with airports, security, customs, immigration, etc.

Why am I sharing this with you? This trip started out a bit rocky with a 6 hour departure delay because of mechanical problems. The solution: an alternate plane flying us to Mississippi where we would meet the original plane and fly onto Nassau. Now, a delay was not so bad because we were still in Provo and at home. But it also meant a later arrival into Nassau. A later arrival meant a very short and nearly sleepless night. It's at times like these that I gear up and prepare to be tired. It becomes a mental game with myself: "you may be tired but don't let it show. Smile, be pleasant and do your job well".

October 22, 2007
Nassau, Bahamas

The event in Nassau was a huge success. The venue was filled. In fact more tables and chairs needed to be added to accommodate everyone. SRC connected with the audience and the day was filled with a lot of interaction between the audience and SRC. I would guess over 350 attended and everyone really seemed to be engaged and gaining something.

Nassau is beautiful! Green and lush. As we drove from the to the airport I was amazed at the beauty of the ocean and the foliage. The road runs parallel to the ocean which is a beautiful blue/green as you can see from the picture (the view from my hotel room). Our driver told us that some tourists ask to stop on the side of the road so they can dip their toes in the water...some tourists have never seen the ocean and they can't wait to touch the water. I definitely want to return for some R&R.

October 23-24, 3007
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

We flew into Santo Domingo Monday night and I can't tell you how excited I was to get to the hotel and fall into bed. It was quite late when we arrived but the moon was high in the sky and very bright so it was easy to see some of the beauty of the ocean and palm trees. The hotel was right across the street from the ocean. These pictures were taken from my hotel room...not a bad view. At the airport we were met by our FranklinCovey hosts as well as two drivers, four body guards, at least two cameramen. I was not expecting that and tried to stay out of the line of sight of the cameras. We normally do not have this sort of entourage of people with us but our first events were with governments officials and they provided the transportation, etc. As we would drive to each location we also had a police escort which facilitated faster movement through the city. It also meant driving on the wrong side of the road a few times. I have learned to have faith in the drivers...they know the streets, they know how people drive and they won't crash.

We had a fairly easy morning which allowed for an extra hour of sleep and time in the fitness center. At the appointed hour we met in the executive lounge so SRC could be introduced to the President of the Congress. I have never experienced the "paparazzi" before but I think I have a pretty good idea of what famous people deal with on a daily basis. Cameras everywhere, taking pictures of your every mood. I tried to keep my "game face" hidden and smiled a lot never knowing quite where the cameras were pointed.

A meeting with the President of the Dominican Republic and the First Lady was our first official meeting of the day. The President of the Congress was our escort. We drove to the palace and were escorted into the President's office. I was impressed by the interior of the palace and also the offices. I was also very impressed by the President and First Lady...such personable people and they speak English very well. As we were sitting there I nearly had to pinch myself as reality set in: I was sitting in the office of the President of the Dominican Republic. Wow! That doesn't happen everyday.

From there we went to the House of Congress and met with leaders of the Senate and Legislature. We also had a session with the staff and managers of the different government departments equaling about 200 people. The final event hosted by the President of the Congress was with a larger group of about 400 made up of government and community officials. At the conclusion of this event we quickly drove to the LDS Institute Building where a group of Latter-day Saints were waiting for SRC. He stood after a long and very tiring day and spoke from the heart. He shared his testimony with this group and was incredibly moved by the spirit that emanated from everyone there. It was a great day!

At each location throughout the day we had the same cars, drivers, bodyguard and motorcycle police escort. As it turned out SRC had his car and I had mine. There were other passengers with us but we were in separate cars. It was comforting to see the familiar faces of Christian (bodyguard) and Alex (driver). As we exited each building I would look for their faces know that I was in the right place. I would also look for the familiar faces of SRC's bodyguard and driver and know he was in good hands. It was not easy saying good bye at the end of the day knowing I would not see them again.

The following day was equally great. Three presentations to three different groups: 800 people. All three groups were engaged and anxious to learn. Many asked great questions, some challenging but those are SRC's favorites. The AV techs were great and we all worked well together. That always makes my job easier.

SRC felt a profound spirit from each group. He had this overwhelming feeling that each person attending (all events both days) could move the country to greatness....each through a distinct contribution. On our way to the airport after the last event we drove by the LDS Temple. It is modeled after the St. Louis, MO temple. This is the first international temple I have seen during my travels. It is beautiful!
October 25-26, 2007
San Jose, Costa Rica

I have to say that I was looking forward to returning to Costa Rica. I loved it the first time and knew that my second trip would be just as great, if not better. I was also looking forward to the hotel. It was the same hotel as my first trip and I remember the bed...amazingly comfortable. My room was different but the bed was as comfortable as I remembered.

We did a lot of driving during the two days we were in Costa Rica which is not always the best but it gave me the opportunity to see a lot more. My companion for the two days was Luis and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. We gave each other English and Spanish lessons. I did not feel intimidated asking questions or speaking in Spanish. Luis was a great help and a lot of fun. I was a bit sad saying good bye to him. I was also so impressed and appreciative of the staff or "back of office" as they called themselves...constantly behind the scenes making sure each event was a huge succes. They were so helpful and willing to assist with what I needed or asked.

The events during the two days were a success. Four presentations in two days totalling about 2,000 people. SRC did a fantastic job at each event and really hit a home run with the speeches. Each presentation topic or focus was different and I am continuously amazed at how he can customize each presentation. At the evening event on the 25th the FranklinCovey group surprised SRC with a Mariachi band singing Happy Birthday...in Spanish. It was awesome! Something he will not forget!

Overall it was a tremendous week. We traveled to three countries, SRC gave 12 presentations, met with the President of the Dominican Republic and enables greatness in about 4,000 people. Not bad for a weeks worth of work.

Europe
October 8-12, 2007

Moscow, Russia
October 9, 2007

Moscow in the fall…chilly and rainy. Nevertheless, we went to Red Square and took the pictures that you see below. SRC and I had an escort who also took some of these pictures. It was incredible to stand in Red Square and think of all that had taken place there.
















We flew into Moscow Monday afternoon which left time for a short tour to Red Square followed by a nice evening in the hotel. I did the healthy thing and went to the fitness center to run. I could have gone to sleep but then my night would have been even shorter than it was. I went to bed at 11:00 and woke up at about 3:00 and could not sleep any longer. With no English language channels on the TV except CNN and the BBC I was limited so, I did some work to get ready for the day.










The program was great! There were about 40 people at this program which meant a lot of interaction and questions. Three of the clients attending gave presentations in the afternoon which applied the principles that were being taught. It was very interesting to hear how the principles had been applied and success was and is the outcome.

The program ended and we were on our way to the airport. It may have been a nightmare but the afternoon quickly took a bad turn. SRC was being interviewed on our way to the airport when I received the call that the charter plane that had been scheduled could not get the permits to fly into Moscow. Let me re-phrase. The permits could be acquired but that would mean a 4 hour delay to our take-off and a 7 hour delay into Luxembourg. While I was on the phone the person interviewing SRC got out of the car to take the bus back to the hotel. She had been our translator…guiding the driver, etc. So, here I am on the phone driving to the airport and our driver does not speak English. Luckily, we had a solution in place before we even arrived at the airport but for a few minutes I thought I was going to have an out of body experience while tyring to remain calm, cool and collected. The plane was a good size and very nice inside. We also had our own flight attendant. What service! I had not eaten much all day so I was very excited when she asked if we wanted some food. As it was our arrival into Luxembourg was delayed by about 2 hours. At least we made it.

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
October 10, 2007

What an amazing city! Very European and a lot like Belgium in my opinion. We stayed in a hotel that was very interesting to say the least. A very European experience. It had, at one point, been a block of houses but building was renovated into a hotel a few years ago. The ceilings were very high, the floor wood, and the furnishings very contemporary.

The event was held at a large, round building that is part of a school campus. A large room in the center surrounded by two stories of classrooms and a cafeteria. The building is part of a large block of buildings for Primary and Secondary schools. The audience was made up of about 350 participants. While in Luxembourg I learned that the city nearly doubles in size Monday thru Friday. People travel in from France, Germany and Belgium for their jobs. So some of the participants were from those countries. I also learned that there are three main languages spoken in Luxembourg: Luxembourgish, French and German. English is, of course, also spoken.

The day went very well and SRC did a fantastic job. I was also able to see my friends from Belgium…those I worked with on the Belgium event last year. It was very fun to see them again. Overall it was a great day! At the airport in Luxembourg we were met by our pilots for the short flight to Amsterdam. These pilots were awesome...meeting our needs and making sure we got to where we needed to go. Plus they were funny! Our flight to Amsterdam was short and we arrived in good time.

Haarlem, Netherlands
October 11, 2007

We drove from the airport to Haarlem. I did not see much of the city (it was dark when we arrived) but I did take a picture of this church which was right by our hotel. Amazing! I wanted to walk around the city but it was dark, it was late, and I would have had to walk by myself. The hotel was very clean and comfortable. It is actually part of the Best Western family of hotels.

The event was held at the Philharmonie (I don’t know if I spelled that correctly). It is a Symphony Hall with two main stages. Our event was held in the smaller of the two and it was beautiful. I would say there were probably 400 people attending and it was a great crowd. I was impressed by the organization of the event and the hosts themselves. SRC enjoyed the day as well which is always good.

After the event we quickly drove to an open field. That’s right an open field to board the helicopter. To get to the next location and event we needed to get there as quickly as possible and helicopter was the solution. It was AWESOME! What a way to see the country. I was amazed! The pictures do not do a good job in showing the beauty. Each city/town had a church and the farm houses were outlined by tall trees. I could see the well manicured lawns and fields, cows and sheep which looked very funny and a lot like larvae from where I was. Halfway into the flight we approached open water and I thought this has to be the city below or we are going to fly over this body of water and I cannot see what is beyond the cloud cover. There was a road, like a bridge, that we followed and I could soon see land on the other side. The interesting thing about this road: on one side is salt water and the other side is fresh water. Within another 15 minutes we landed in another field, loaded into a waiting car and drove to the venue.

The helicopter landed in a field right by this farmhouse.

Leeurwarden, Friesland, The Netherlands
October 11-12, 2007

The next set of events were held at CHN University. The emphasis of this university is hospitality so they have restaurants and a hotel right on campus. Nice! We were taken to our rooms, I freshened up a bit and we headed out to the first event. SRC was taken to a dinner for some Q&A with the attendees and I went to the main session to set up the AV. I was very impressed with the AV set up for each event. All of my requirements had been met, thanks to the event host and JB who arrived the day before to make sure everything was set up as it should be. The equipment had been tested so all I needed to do was plug my laptop in, test a DVD, etc and I was good to go. Plus the AV techs were helpful, fun, and good looking. Not a bad combination.

The main session of the night was the Leadership Program. I would guess that the room held about 350 people…nice size group. SRC did a great job and I had fun with the AV techs. I was wiped out by the end of night and could not wait to sleep. It was the shortest night of the trip. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep but felt pretty good considering.

The first event of the next day was a VIP breakfast. We first listened to three presentation on programs and efforts taking place to build a stronger community. SRC took about 30 minutes to share his thoughts and insights on what was shared. It was a good session. From there we rushed over to the main auditorium for the next event, also a community event but with a larger group and SRC teaching. He was on fire with this group talking about communities and family, mission statements, etc. It was great! At the conclusion I grabbed all of my gear and with the help of my personal AV assistant, Henk, nearly ran over to the last event with the staff and students of CHN. We got set up in record time and the session went well. It was in a more open area of the school so we drew a crowd.

Another helicopter ride, this time to the Amsterdam airport, proved to be equally as exciting as the day before. I was so tired and with the hum of the helicopter I found myself falling asleep but not deep enough that I missed any of the beautiful sites. After a quick change of clothes at the airport we boarded the plane and started our long journey home.

It was a great week! The events were tremendous and I met some amazing people but I am glad to be home!