Returning to the Simple Life in the South of France

I cannot tell you how nice it is to be soaking up the sun in the South of France after coming out of winter in Boston. I felt like this winter was one of the worst, and the corners of my mind were wintery indeed.

I'm shaking off the icicles here and letting the sun and wine heal me good.

Of course, it goes beyond sunbathing--between hopping on trains and catching new flights I have little time for anxiety because I'm too busy living.

What is it about the everyday grind that gets us down so low that we forget how to appreciate the small things?

Part of it is the extent that social media plays in our lives and the extent to which we compare ourselves to others. I've definitely been posting on social media while traveling, but I haven't been checking it constantly. It's more that I've been posting things as an after thought.

We're slowly dying in front of our smart phones and forgetting how great it is to just bite into a strawberry or drink a cappuccino for the joy of it, rather than to later post it to instagram to get the most likes. The sad part is I still participate in this circus sometimes, and if I get caught up in it too much, I'm just another freak show act like everyone else.

I miss the days of traveling and then blogging two weeks later, when blogs were in their golden age and the best form of social media--a place to share deep thoughts, full stories, and accompanying pictures. Bloggers will always be the best internet friends I have, and I'm glad we haven't let this art form die completely.

I'm hopping into a lot a topics here, but I think what I'm trying to get at is what we're all trying to get at: how to enjoy life more, how to stress less, and how to balance it all with these newfangled gadgets getting in the way.

I always remember how to live the simple life while I'm traveling, and then forget most of it again upon returning home. Of course, I'm exaggerating, as writers do.

What's not an exaggeration is the need to love life while we still have it.

(Thus concludes my South of France post in where I ponder the meaning of life amongst these colorful window shutters, amazing cheese, and even better wine). 

2016: A Good Traveling Year (and Looking to New Things in 2017)

My most prized accomplishment in life is travel, so of course I had to put together my favorite end of the year post (it's coming a little late).

In an effort to ignore the fact a crazed megalomanic is taking office, let's talk about escapism!

In 2016, I did a lot of US travel, with a sprinkle of international travel. I went to one new country, one new city, and lots of new little towns thanks to driving through Upstate New York and Western Mass.

Here's the breakdown month by month (in case you are REMOTELY interested):

Janaury: Came back from a trip from San Diego over the holidays. Stayed in NYC for most of cold, snowy, slushy January. I experienced my first blizzard this month!!

February - March: Work travel to Upstate/Western Massachusetts/New Jersey...lots of hopping on trains! Below is a view I've seen numerous times taking the train back and forth from Albany.

April: Back to San Diego for work (two week trip!).

May: I had to slip in an international trip, because if I didn't, WHO AM I? London and Berlin is where I took off to with two of my close NYC pals.

June: I was off to Turkey for my cousin's wedding. I have a lot to write about Turkey here on this blog, but the words are not quite coming to me just yet. What you do need to know is that Turkish people are still the loveliest people on the planet, and somehow, they are also the strongest. I think back to how great my visit was in June, and I know that someday I will have more trips to Turkey.

July: Stayed in NYC (in that SWELTERING city heat). Yes, I jump in fountains when it's too hot.

August: Short weekend trip to The Hamptons

September: Upstate New York, Virginia, and Washington DC (I'm really getting used to driving around the East Coast!).

October: BACK to San Diego/Orange County for work (3 week trip!)

November: Berkshires, Massachusetts for work (it's seriously gorgeous up there).

December: Back to San Diego for healing an almost broken ankle and overburdened heart. And what a healing month and a half it's been in California (not to mention a cheeky New Year's Eve trip to Vegas).

***

2016 KICKED MY ASS. It was a year of tears, busy work schedules, discomfort, heartbreak...and yet, I am so thankful for it! It's not enjoyable going through one of the hardest years of your life, but what comes out of it is such intense clarity on where you want your life to go.

2017, I have some plans for you! I'll be in Miami and New Orleans for a second time (my friend's bachelorette and wedding). I'm also taking a long trip to the UK/France come May. I have some more travel up my sleeve, but I'm just plotting it out right now.

Most importantly, August is my NYC expiration date and I am planning my next move. I do have one city in mind above the rest, but I will announce my new city when it's official (don't want to go announcing things on the internet before they are set in stone).

YES, I AM A NOMAD/JETSETTER/WANDERLUSTER (or whatever you wanna call me) AND I AM PROUD OF IT.

Here's to life in all its forms. I welcome the sadness, I welcome the happiness, I welcome everything that makes me a strong, beautiful, fearless woman. I have not felt more independent than this moment, knowing that I can take it all and still stay standing. 

Berlin: A Heavy Past Turned Into a Resilient City

I haven't posted in an exact month, oops! My parents visited NYC, and then I went to Turkey, and then LIFE. But I can tell you that things are going REALLLLLLY WELLLLL, despite everything moving so fast.

Sooooo...I went Berlin over a month ago, and it finally deserves a post.

*Post on Berlin Commencing*

Berlin is an interesting, sort of cold, sort of ugly-duckling-turned-into-beautiful, sort of hip, kind of place. I would describe it as a lot of "sort ofs." Obviously you all know the past of Berlin, so let's skip the history lesson. What is very true today is although the Wall has been torn down, there's still a huge difference between the look and feel of West Berlin vs. East Berlin.

Some examples of East Berlin, once ruled by the Soviets:

I like to call the above photo "the propaganda building." It's got a militaristic feel, and that's not surprising! Lot's of art, quirky cafes, and concrete-buildings-turned-into-new-flats litter the city. It's amazing what people can create out of sadness; yet, how what they create is still very influenced by the sadness. I was mesmerized by East Berlin!

On the other hand, you have West Berlin, once ruled the by the U.S.:

It's pretty! And very European, no?

The difference between the two sides is STRIKING. This makes Berlin one of the most interesting cities I have visited! Despite feeling the heaviness of the past, the residents have made Berlin something to be proud of, something that is a true phoenix.

Just look at the pictures! This is a special place:

 This is Checkpoint Charlie (border between East and West Berlin), by the way. I wasn't gonna take this photo, but homeboy on the right grabbed me, stuck a Soviet Hat on me, and had me pose. Oh goodness...

 Above: A Beer Garden in Tiergarten. Yeah, it rhymes :) It was a little cold the day we went, but I imagine this place is BANGING in the summer. Below: GERMAN DESSERTS, YUMMMMM.

 And the parks in Berlin, splendidly green! 

I've been told that Berlin is very different from the rest of Germany, and that makes sense. I have yet to see the rest of Germany (one day!).

However, in Berlin the beer is grand, the sites are super interesting, and the history is still very alive in the city. I love that humans can learn from the most dismal of times, and something utterly gorgeous can still come from it. Berlin is not gorgeous in a traditional sense. It's gorgeous in it's resilience.