So, apparently it takes a while to get the hang of the “life” part of work-life balance.

• Step 1: stop working
• Step 2: try harder to stop working
• Step 3: Nicole books trip to Ireland and says “I’m going with or without you”
• Step 4: purchase new router and figure out how to set it up as VPN server.  After trying forever to figure out the details of server certificates vs. client certificates and preventing man-in-the-middle attacks.  Okay, this step is a little gratuitous, but it at least shows that I’m not working.

Morning of flight: wake up 20 minutes late…rush to stuff suitcase, realize I need to cut a few things off the list (sorry no jacket & tie for fancy dinners).  Strap into my boots just to realize the entire tread has separated from my left foot!  Change to hiking shoes, close laptop to pack in bag & run out door except Windows decides to download some updates: “this could take a while … please don’t turn off.”

Finally make it into the car at 7:35 for a 9:05 flight.  No sweat (I was sweating): made it to Fastpark and through security with at least 10 minutes to spare…I guess it’s nice not having to waste time at the airport.  3 hours to NJ, 6 hours in NJ, 6 hours to Dublin (hate United Airlines jam packed seating).

You can barely make out 1 World Trade Center in the background behind our plane:

1 World Trade Center

P.S. Crisis in EWR averted — Ryan decides not to eat the mango and papaya salad chock full of peanuts (yes, Nicole packed an EPI pen).