Europe Trip: Paris

After getting over the jet lag, Kerri, Marsha, and I set out to explore Paris. Kerri and Marsha had already been in Europe exploring the sights for a week when I got there, so we did fewer of the churces and museums in Paris and, instead, spent most of our time there with my sister Kendra and her boyfriend Florent. They were nice enough to show us the town, enjoy apertifs at their apartment, and then hit the city for dinner at night.

At The Eiffel Tower

After three days, it was time to hit the Chunnel to head to London. By the time we were done, we were not the only ones saying goodbye to Paris. Kendra and Florent are moving to New York in July!

Kerri Relaxing in Paris

Europe Trip: Arrival in Paris

I've arrived in Paris. I jumped in a cab and joined Kerri and Marsha at our hotel in downtown Paris. They are ready to hit the town. I'm jet-lagged. Very jet-lagged. But they say the best way to get through it is to stay awake the entire first day until bedtime. To just push through that... first... day. Don't... let........ yourself........... fall.............. zzzzzzzzzzz..............

Paris from the Sky

Off to Europe

I'm off to Europe for 2 weeks. I leave Saturday and fly into Paris to meet Kerri and her mom (who have already been in France for a week driving the Mediterranean Coast). We'll see my sister Kendra and Florent in Paris, then take the train up to London.

¡Hasta La Vista Costa Rica!

In London, Kerri and Marsha will check out the sites while I spend a couple of days in the office at Sportingbet PLC (parent company of Paradise Poker). Then Kerri and I fly to Dublin for me to visit another of my company's offices and to attend our friends John and Janna's wedding on Thursday and Friday.

After Dublin, I'll move into vacation mode as Kerri and I head to Barcelona. After a few days on the Spanish coast, we'll take the train east to La Cadiere to visit my sister Kristin, David, and Chloe in the South of France.

After some sunning on the Mediterranean, we head up to Nurmberg, Germany to visit Jeff and Blythe and attend Adidas' World Cup kickoff party. Then back to Paris for our flight back to Costa Rica. A whirlwind trip!

Poker, Pina Coladas, Dolphins, and Yachts!

Kerri and I have just arrived back in Costa Rica after our trip to the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. We were there for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island poker tournament. The tournament went great and winner Brian Malczewski walked away with a cool $500,000.

The Atlantis Hotel

View from Our Room

Ten days at the resort were wonderful, though I didn't have nearly as much time for "vacationing" as I thought I would. Trying to do my "day job" while helping run the tournament was a double-time job. But Kerri and I definitely enjoyed ourselves while we were there!

Along the Village Marina

"The Dig" Aquarium

We had dinner at Nobu, walked the maze of aquariums, strolled along the Marina Village and ogled the multi-million dollar yachts. I even snuck away on the last day we were there for a day by the pool and hitting the Atlantis water slides.

The Village Marina

Village Marina Shopping

The Straw Market

Dancing Bahamian Style

And we were particularly lucky to have our good friends Pat and Brooke from Denver join us at the resort for a week.

Pat and Brook in the Ocean

Brooke and Her Coconuts

Kerri spent time with them at the pool and beach during the day and then I joined up with them for dinners and hitting the casino at night. They even went swimming with the dolphins and on a shark-feeding trip. It was great to see them having not seen them since I left Denver 4 months ago!

Kerri and Brook in "The Dig"

Pat and Brooke at the Beach

Getting home was a bit rough. We were deplaned in the Bahamas due to "weather in Miami", re-boarded and took off, told mid-way to Miami that they were experiencing a Level 4 storm in Miami and tornados (tornados in Miami?), circled Miami for 2 hours, were redirected to Key West, sat on the ground in Key West for 2 hours, flown back to Miami after the storm subsided, and then caught our connection back to Costa Rica. All in all a 5 hour journey turned into a 12 hour journey! But we are home safe and sound now.

Dinner at Nobu

Atlantis Paradise Island

After a quick stop in Miami, Kerri and I have arrived at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas! We are here for Paradise Poker's Conquest of Paradise Island tournament--our first tournament played completely offline. We are expecting 350+ players with a $5,000 buy-in and a total prize pool nearing $2,000,000. Tonight is the big welcome party for all of the staff and players. More photos and details to come.

King Neptune

How Do You Meet People?

Having lived in 6 different cities in the last 6 years (San Francisco, Denver, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Napa, Denver again, Costa Rica), Kerri and I often get asked the same question: "How do you guys meet people when you move somewhere new?"

It isn't easy. Kerri and I always joke with each other that we've done a great job learning how to be each other's best friend because for the first 3 months in a new city, we're the only person the other knows! And we've found that it honestly takes about 9-12 months to really settle into a new place. Find your favorite restaurants, your movie theater, your grocery store, your dry cleaner, and--oh yeah--meeting some people. And in the case of Costa Rica, learning a new language!

And the meeting people thing isn't easy for me. I'm not the type of person who is just going to go out to a bar, walk up to some people, and say, "Want to be my friend?" For anyone who has been at a multi-family gathering with the Butlers, you're more likely to see me sitting in the corner with Jeff Butler talking about Arsenal vs. Barcelona in the Champions League final or how to play AK offsuit in late position with a raise and reraise in front of you than you are to see me chatting up third-cousin twice-removed Hilda at the punch bowl.

But you only make friends if you put yourself out there. And that's what we've done everywhere we've lived. In Denver the first time, Kerri joined the Junior League. In Salt Lake City, we joined the Mormon Church. In Dallas, we moved all of our friends to Dallas. In Denver again, Kerri started modeling. In Costa Rica, we joined an Ex-Pats Group that gets together a couple of times a month. OK, so 3 out of 5 ain't bad. And maybe we didn't actually join the Mormon Church. And I guess 2 out of 3 of those was really Kerri putting herself out there rather than me. Well, good thing I married someone I can tag along with.

Our newest friends in Costa Rica are Adam and Carla whom we met through the Ex-Pats Group. Here's us at dinner at Samurai Fusion (Kerri's hands-down favorite restaurant and the best sushi in Costa Rica). Adam is an American living in Costa Rica producing documentaries about the country and his wife Carla is a Columbian who lives in Costa Rica but handles her company's business interests in Africa.

Samurai with Adam and Carla